Jerry E. Howell
3980 Becket Drive - Colorado Springs - Colorado 80906 - USA

(World Wide Supplier of Quality Model Project Plans & Kits Since 1992)

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The Miser engine type is the best conversation piece ever invented. It will run on a cup of warm coffee, the warmth of your hand, or even an ice cream cone!  Here is an engine that you can play with in bed without any danger of setting the sheets on fire!

This modified Heinrici stirling cycle engine doesn't need a fire to operate it. It has no valves, ignition system, carburetor, or exhaust. It will run on any heat source such as on top of a cup of warm water (coffee), from the heat of a light bulb if placed on top of a lamp shade, in full sunlight, on a TV, VCR, and a zillion other sources. It runs at about 90 RPM when held in the palm of a hand and much faster with the other heat sources. It will also operate in reverse from a cold source such as ice or snow. As can be seen, the possibilities are almost endless.

Folks who are not ordinarily interested in engines of any kind are always curious about this one. Unlike other low temperature engines, I designed Miser to actually look like an engine! Isn't that a novel idea! It is not as hard to build as it may look, but you can simplify the styling if you are in a hurry to get yours running.

"Well what can I say, I waited a long time for someone to develope a hot-air engine that looks like an
engine, and you sure did that! You have done a lot to keep our model hobby going, keep up the good work."

Dell Grupe - Culver City, California

Miser is built mostly from aluminum alloy bar stock and plate, while most of the smaller parts are of brass or steel. A few parts that can't be metal because they need to be good heat insulators are made from clear acrylic (so the works can be seen) or delrin. The HTF (Hard-To-Find) Materials Kit below contains the needed materials that may be difficult for most builders to obtain otherwise. They would also cost more when obtained from seperate multiple sources even if the minimum order amount was not a problem. The plans are also available seperately - see below.

The plans set consists of 10 sheets of quality laser printed CAD drawings and 2 sheets of construction and assembly notes.

Miser Specifications:

Flywheel Diameter: 5.2" Cylinder Bore: .600" Piston Stroke: .625" Overall Height: 7.4"

"Miser" HTF (Hard-to-Find) Materials Kit

Contents of kit:

(1) 1.9" length of 5/8" dia. graphite rod to make the piston (1) 2-1/4" length of 3/8" dia. delrin rod for crosshead and bushing (2) 5/32" ID x 5/16" OD x 1/8" thick, flanged precision ball bearings (1) 5/32" x 2.2" long drill rod to make crankshaft (1) 5-3/4" square of closed cell micro-foam polystyrene for displacer (1) 6" OD x 5-1/2" ID x 1" clear plexiglass displacer chamber ring            (finish machined) (2) 7" lengths of 1/4" dia. black delrin rod for the displacer columns

"Miser" Plans and HTF Materials Kit - $48.00
(Use the Project Plans Order Form to place an order. Otherwise, see the "How To Order" page)


"Miser" Engine Plans Set Only - $18.00
(Use the Project Plans Order Form to place an order. Otherwise, see the "How To Order" page)

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