LTD Stirling Engine

I am noodling with an LTD Stirling engine. I have wanted to build one for a while, and it may work in as a project for K-12 students. I am creating this page to post some notes as I go through.

First Parts Picture

So far I have made the power piston, cut down two large tuna cans and a standard 2 liter, and made a displacer piston.

Picture thumbnail and link...

Power piston notes...

Tuna cans and 2 liter notes...

Displacer piston notes... The displacer piston is a little rough, but it's a first hack -- it is OK if it is not perfect. The second one will have refinements from what I learn on this one.

Random Thoughts

Cut sheet steel is sharp. Little slivers of cut sheet steel are sharp and nearly invisible.

When cutting sheet steel with tin snips, if you back the snips out of the cut by even a little bit, or don't keep them tight against the end of the cut when opening the handles for the next snip, it is really easy to catch a hair of metal on one side of the exiting cut -- which will create one of those sharp, nearly invisible slivers. Therefore, if you maintain constant gentle pressure holding the snips against the end of the cut, you reduce your chance of getting an annoying metal sliver in your hand.

Gloves probably would have helped too. :)