Way back on June 1 2007 I completed a Thermo Acoustic Engine that actually runs. Just don't ask me how or why, because I don't know. I had bought a book authored by Warbrooke over in New Zealand about building one, and I built it per the instructions, but that engine would not even attempt to run. I gave it up as a hoax. Then later I seen some videos on the Internet, and also acquired another book written by Roy Darlington in England. Roys book had a short 4 page chapter on them. No plans, but a good description, so I proceeded to build another one, and by golly it actually runs under its own power. Not very fast, but it does run. Here take a look.
Another fun little engine has just been completed. It is not a scale model of anything that I know of, simply an interesting mechanism to watch in action. The inspiration to build it came from watching a video of a similar engine on the Internet. It is nearly all brass, and weighs in at three pounds. Construction time was about 2 weeks, considerably quicker than the last model.
Last week, after being under construction for 4 months, a scale model of a Corliss Steam engine was completed. At one time Corliss Engines were the state of the art workhorses of heavy industry. There were two of them that powered all the machinery in the sugar factory in Centerfield where I grew up. They had Manila rope drive from the flywheel to the jackshaft on the second floor, with pulleys and belts running everywhere. The engines were so dynamic with all the valve motion, etc. Is there any wonder that I was fascinated with them even as a small boy. The factory and engines are gone now. I was of the last generation to be able see them working, and to be able work in the same factory with them thumping away. My model is not a scale engine of the sugar factory engines, but still a Corliss design.
