This is not my first engine, I'd made 2 or 3 oscillating engines before this but it is what I sort of considered my first proper engine. I designed and made it for my GCSE Technology project when I was 15. I used to think it was the best thing since sliced bread, looking back it was pretty rough
but if you think this is rough, you should have seen the ones prior to it!
Unfortunately I sold the others many years ago when I thought I needed the money, at the time I thought, I can just make another if I need to! It's a shame though as it was the history of how I've progressed, or not as the case may be! I sold this one on ebay more recently, again, I needed the money but it wasn't worth it for the peanuts I got for them all anyway. Oh well, won't be selling any more engines unless I make two.
When I finally got my workshop back up and running about 4 years ago (wow that's flown over) I designed and made another small oscillator to try to get back into the swing of things. This was on my old machinery which by comparison was sub-standard.
I was intrigued by stirlings and flame lickers since I was about 13 and it was always a goal of mine to make one. So I took a long time researching hot air engines then set about designing a simple one. With help from Jan Ridders I managed to get it running, I was so chuffed with this one:
Then with my new found confidence
and skill I decided to try one of Jan Ridders flame lickers, I had always wanted to do one. By this time I'd been introduced to this forum and HMEM and I was helped out by some of the members and eventually got the ridders engine running - my biggest achievement so far:
Then rocking engine Fever had hit, so I made one of these, of course I had to design my own using the same principle!:
Then I started on Poppin, which is nearing completion:
But got distracted by the tiny stirling, which didn't work - only the 2nd engine I've made that doesn't work!
and the 7 1/4" electric loco which will need to be finished after poppin!
That is the story of my life with regards to model engineering so far barring the starting and stopping of other projects such as restoration of 3 1/2" Mabel 2-4-0 loco, 4 1/2" scale simplicity steam roller & starting a 5" gauge sweet pea build from scratch. I've also wheeled and dealed with various locos and steam engines in the past which in essence made me enough money to buy the things I currently have and my workshop. Hopefully there'll be much more to come.
Nick
