Stirling Engines run from an external heat source, anything from the heat of your hand to concentrated sunlight.

They can be simple home built gadgets made from soda cans and coat hangers, or finely crafted gold plated low friction wonders of the world.

Stirling Engines

There are lots of great Stirling Engine models you can find on the web.

Some are beautiful, precision crafted engines that spin from just the heat of your hand, or a cube of ice.

Some are small engines that do something useful, such as the little fan that uses the heat from a wood stove to move the hot air around the house.

There are kits you can buy if you want to build one yourself.

Some run on candle power, some from alcohol lamps, some from solar power.

Some are very simple, such as the test tube stirling engine, which tilts a test tube full of marbles up and down.

Others are marvels of low friction pistons and bearings that can run on very small temperature differentials, such as the heat from your hand, or the morning sun.

There are many Stirling Engine sources on the web that explain how the engines work, or how to build them yourself.

And, of course, the advertisements on this page may direct you to where you can buy them.

Or, if you like, a Google search for "stirling engine" will find many resources.

Whether your budget is big, and aesthetics are important, or your interest is big, and no challenge is too great, Stirling Engines are just plain fun.