Sunnytech (BJ001) - Mini Hot Live Steam Engine Brass Model Education Toy Kits DIY Bj001

This tiny wobble box steam engine works perfectly. When it runs out of water, it stops suddenly and then you simply blow out the flame. The bottom of the boiler was a little tight sliding through the holder ring but easily fixed with a bit of fine sandpaper. Rubbing alcohol, 95% ethanol anhydrous leaves the least soot and gives good heat. Polishing with ajax or comet or any similar scouring powder keeps it shiny. Don't forget it does get hot and stays hot for awhile after it stops. Great fun and educational. Before the diesel took over this was the engine that gave us the power we needed to revolutionize the world. I worked most of my life driving trains but they were electric, so this was great fun for me.

Great little engine (my first). It feels very nicely made. Simple, all metal design (one image I saw showed a glass lamp, but this one has an all metal base with a wick sticking out). It came with a spare o-ring for the boiler lid and a spare wick (60mm long). Filling the base with denatured alcohol and the boiler with demineralised water, this thing will take about a minute or two to heat, and then crank along for up to around four minutes once started. I gave the flywheel a bit of silicone spray and this thing is super smooth now (some people warn against putting lube in the piston though, so I didn't do that). The first time I ran it there was probably too much wick sticking out (maybe 7.5mm). The flame was too large and the engine overheated. I've since shortened wick which allows it to operate for longer. One thing to be conscious of is over filling the boiler. If I do this, water seems to spray out, and can drip on the lamp. Several times I've had enough water on top of the lamp-base that it touches the wick and starts to draw the alcohol out. If this happens, the flame can become too large and the cause issues (including being a potential fire hazard, but that's true of any flame and the nature of these types of models). It's a great first engine and I can highly recommend this!

Recieved what I expected. Thank you

Straightaway, I wish there were instructions of some kind. That would help. That said, I was able to figure out how to put it together pretty easily. It took about five minutes. I had to bend the supporting arms inward to create more tension to hold the engine upright. At first, I filled the tank too full. Fill it with distilled water about halfway. There needs to be space for heat and energy to collect to drive the piston when released. I did oil the moving parts. I tried to use the wand lighter thingy we use for birthday cakes for heat. That did not work. I ended up going to CVS for 91% alcohol. With that flame going, the device kicked into high gear and really ran. It didn't move around too much, but it did spew some water, so you'll need a paper towel or two. And the flame creates soot on the bottom and sides of the tank. It's just how it goes. A very interesting little device for simulating a steam engine.

Looking at the reviews, there will probably those who dislike it or love it. I think I know why. Patience. This is an excellently machined product to what looks to be a high level of quality due to tight and smooth machine tolerances. As such, this requires a break-in period like any quality mechanism. I found it to be a bit tight to run freely at first, but after a few runs, it really runs smoothly with no appreciable slop in fit. After carefully adjusting the wick shorter and shorter, I can get it to run amazingly slow and smooth for an extended run time and little spitting of water. So, if your impatient, you may be a bit disappointed at first, but after a little time and liberal use of olive oil for a lubricant, you will find it can run very well for such a small engine. Careful examination of the workmanship proves that a good deal of quality went into its construction. It appears very well balanced as well. Treat it more like a fine piece of work and not just a toy to be revved out to max RPM's and you may just be pleasantly surprised. Experiment with it. Try using different fuels sources and such. Keep it lubricated! I have other engines, including a D2, and rate this up with the best. I guess I am just a model engine nerd. So be it.