Stirling Engine Kit Assembly
This was a very satisfying kit to assemble and I do hope you enjoy the video.
The idea for this was suggested by a Patron. If you spot something that you think would be an interesting subject for a video, please let me know.
Assembling a Stirling Engine Kit - The engine that can be powered by a set-top box (YouTube)
Comments (42)
Just watched version 3 - honestly I think you spend too much time on the date "mystery", given that it's not really a mystery, and the eventual explanation is quite mundane.
Flippin eck - point taken, I've snipped out the timeline now on youtube - the edit will be live there in a few hours.
What a neat video and device! Nicely done Matt
Top quality presentation as usual Mat, well done. The "finally something good to watch on Sky" comment got a laugh out of me. :) Your hands look no different to most of the other Talking Hands on youtube... the hands of somebody who does actual work with them e.g. building stuff, fixing stuff, or taking stuff apart and attempting to put it back together again. My hands look the same, with the added bonus of a chronic skin condition to manage... the complainers would probably have instant heart attacks if they saw mine on close-up video! We just finished building a 250 amps-per-phase switchboard for a hotel. I picked up a few knicks and scrapes along the way, par for the course. I've always been fascinated by model engines and similar miniaturised mechanical things like this. But I feel that if I'm going to drop the best part of 200 Aussie dollars on a kit+shipping, I'd better make it something with a useful purpose like the edge-lit LED clock (although that's more expensive again, but suits my electronics nerd tendencies).
The price really is top end, I don’t think I’d have bought one for myself if I wasn’t doing the video, although I do like the results.
I ordered the brass version of the one you bought assembled. The time difference between Birmingham AL USA and the UK website triggered a fraud alert on my credit card but I got it sorted out. At least shipping to the US was free!
I've also ordered one of these based on the video. It looks like it should work quite nicely sitting on a warm desktop computer. Regarding the background music, in my own experience as a viewer I find that it works better in a different format for a different purpose. Your content tends to be highly edited with post-production voice-over work. For me, that makes it "foreground" content–the sort of video that I'll completely focus on watching (like a movie), because I know that the editing makes the information dense. In contrast, I associate background music with assembly videos shot as "background" content: highly realist assembly videos (e.g., very little to no editing, hours long, and spoken audio from during the assembly process) that are best played on the side while focusing on something else, like playing a video game or working on your own project. Examples that come to mind are some of LGR's LEGO assembly videos, or pretty much any live stream in the creative section on Twitch. Videos in the "background" style feel more personal–it's like you're hanging around in the room where the creator is building something and occasionally glancing over to check the progress–but they might not be a great fit for YouTube in general. Adding background music to a "foreground" assembly video would feel out-of-place, since things are moving relatively quickly (barring high-energy music-backed construction montages like in a colinfurze video, which would be even more out-of-place on this channel). Anyway, that was a really long-winded way of saying that I think that you should leave the background music out. :P
I'm glad you said that - that's how I feel. I really try to keep things moving, the voice and images are closely linked, so music feels like another unwanted layer that would intrude. For me music goes best with unspoken montages.
Hi folks... I talked to my friend in Hongkong today and he mentioned he was considering buying a Teac W-1200 double tape deck: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cassette-W-1200-Domestic-genuine-products%E3%80%91/dp/B07BGRNJ9C" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Cassette-W-1200-Domestic-genuine-products%E3%80%91/dp/B07BGRNJ9C</a> It looks like a "real" tape deck, but feature-wise it seems simple, even compared to mid-range decks from the early 90s (some unspecified "noise reduction" which is "play only", no tape type selector etc.) I suspect it has drives that are about as nasty as the one in that ridiculous Toshiba "HiRes" machine. Maybe Matt should get his gross hands on one of these so he can moan about it in his annoying nasal voice and make a childish and unfunny puppet video about it. Bonus points for ghastly fingernail carnage or mentioning the wrong glue. Seriously, it would be interesting to see whether you can actually buy a decent or even good new tape player, given that some people seem to be interested in the format again. I have spent countless hours recording and listening to tapes from a very early age but I don't really feel an urge to return to the format. Still I find this development pretty interesting.
I just can't do it to myself again - you're right in thinking it uses the same cheapo mechanism used in all current decks - it's exactly as good (bad) as all the others. I'd recommend your friend invests in a quality serviced machine from the 1990s. <a href="http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?p=752640" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?p=752640</a>
Absolutely beautiful kit, really like the presentations that show us something we'd like to put up on our shelves for display in addition to tinkering or building.
Nice video. Thanks for posting! Ps- the hands look great!
Just ordered the KS90R Solar Ross LTD kit, I suppose it won't be long in stock once the video goes public.
Its probably a good idea to order now if you want one. That's one of the reasons for the early patreon access - so you get a chance before everyone else piles in. It took them a few days to ship mine (I think it's a very small operation) - so don't be concerned if it takes a while.
Your hands look exactly like I expect them to look, given all the work you do to help enlighten us. Keep up the good work, and ignore the trolls.
Put me down for a TecMo mug too
Oh dear, another expensive toy I didn't realise I needed.. Just for fun, you ought to conduct an online survey to figure out how many items people have gone out and bought solely based on your videos. I'm guilty myself - Star Trek bluetooth communicator, nixie watch, Curta calculator,.... I'll stop there lest I exceed my WAF quotient..
Yes I would like a mug too how do I get one?
The overpriced merchandise shop is here. <a href="https://teespring.com/en-GB/stores/techmoan-merch" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://teespring.com/en-GB/stores/techmoan-merch</a>
Fascinating, Mat. I agree with Adam, above - I am very tempted. :) So far, we've bought a UoPlay gimbal, a window cleaning robot and a mini arcade machine, and I have an Ebay search running for a Superscope PSD300 all thanks to you! Just love your channel. :)
That selection of items tells me more about the sort of things that I should look for to feature in videos. It’s kind of the things you didn’t know you wanted until you saw them.
Nicely done and a very tidy kit of a fascinating engine. Those ball racers gave me a flash back to the first serious upgrade to the RC cars I used to build and race/crash.
It's not as precision made but you might enjoy assembling a Nintendo Labo kit if you have a Switch.
Alright, going shopping! (Watching Techmoan videos can prove remarkably expensive. But so much fun stuff! And I'll hopefully be before the rush, too...)
Well, the product placement worked. I ordered a mug :)
That is a nice engine. An ornament that actually does something. I think it is going draw attention and raise questions from visitors about how it works. Good idea. About the "warning I show my hands": It seems that viewers not only complain about your hands but about hands from other youtubers as well. So another youtuber had a simple solution: Gloves!
These kits are cracking, my little engine is still running after ten years. I just occasionally give it a little dust. Was a little dear, but worth it 😊👍
Very neat. I've always had a fascination with Sterling engines.
Always good to see you around here. I enjoyed your recent redux of the C64 history video Pt3. Hope things are going well for you. Youtube has proved to be trickier than normal for me recently. While the views are steady, it's been quite some time since their algorithms promoted my videos to a wider audience.
I think this is my absolute favorite video yet LOL... There is just something about hearing you say my name that just makes me smile. Though I'm not crazy about you calling me a Sterling injun. Got something against native americans!?
Oh, and another enjoyable video! Think I will look in to getting one of these for myself
Folks complaining about your fingers? Seriously? If I didn’t know what a vile place the YouTube comments section was, I might think you were joking. I guess you could always wear latex gloves, but you may offend people that have a latex allergy...
I like my little Sterling engine; although it no longer runs properly because the bearings no-longer turn freely enough.
If the bearings are like the ones in this model, they should be easy to replace on in a model store or on eBay- they’re an off the shelf part for radio control cars etc.
That is a very elegant kit, finely machined and finished, and a joy to watch in operation. Reminds me of the stationary steam engine kits we built in the 1950s and 1960s -- they produced enough torque to power a tiny wood lathe or reciprocating saw -- all at about 1:36 scale. And Mat, if anyone complains about the appearance of your workingman's hands, I suggest they subscribe to the manicurist' channel instead of Techmoan ... (:>)
For your hands, maybe you should review a first aid kit! :-)
:D :D :D
You definitely have a lot of patience, great job
I have almost no patience - but I'm trying to improve it, perhaps this was therapy.
"Im glad there is finally something good to watch on Sky tonight." - Hahahaha. Cheers Mat.
AWESOME! I'll seriously consider getting one; it looks like loads of fun to assemble with a child to introduce them to the world of physics.
It is fun... until you drop one of those miniature cream coloured plastic conrod bushes onto a similarly coloured deep pile carpet (speaking from experience). That was a fun twenty minutes. Seriously though, there are no spare parts included and some of the components are tiny, so if you are assembling one with a child you'll need to supervise very closely.