Another simple and inexpensive kit that works well as a team project is the Exploring Kid Steam Engine Kit, which also retails for $29.99. This mostly plastic kit, when assembled, includes a ...

The $29.99 all-metal desktop Stirling engine kit is one of the simplest. It can be assembled in 15 minutes and is recommended for ages 14 and up. Also for $29.99 is the Exploring Kid Steam Engine Kit.

Try this same build using PLA for the hot parts, and you’ll quickly end up with a pile of molten goo. To make such an engine work, valves are required to allow steam to flow into alternating ...

The boiler may be built from corrosion-proof materials, and if the steam flows fast enough it will blast out any other deposits. With no moving internal parts, and no propeller, the engine should ...

And since these units are based on age-old steam engine technology, they won’t require high-tech skills to perform routine maintenance or fix broken parts. The train itself, which Ward’s ...