Uploaded January 2012 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Having had some success using two brass tubes that fit nicely inside one another as a piston in my steam project, I decided to design a Stirling car using that system instead of the balloon diaphragm of the Stirling Speedsters. The steal wool displacer is supposed to act as a form of regenerator. I'm not sure how effective it is at that but, in fact, it is a good heat proof and very easily maleable material which is ideal for forming the required displacer. My tip for anyone wishing to try this method of making a piston is on no account use oil in the hope of inceasing lubrication. It just gunks it up and stops it working altogether. A nice clean dry piston works best.
Having had some success using two brass tubes that fit nicely inside one another as a piston in my steam project, I decided to design a Stirling car using that system instead of the balloon diaphragm of the Stirling Speedsters. The steal wool displacer is supposed to act as a form of regenerator. I'm not sure how effective it is at that but, in fact, it is a good heat proof and very easily maleable material which is ideal for forming the required displacer. My tip for anyone wishing to try this method of making a piston is on no account use oil in the hope of inceasing lubrication. It just gunks it up and stops it working altogether. A nice clean dry piston works best.
