Model Stirling Engines

While searching for quality Australian materials and craftsmen, George Rotenstein had the pleasure of meeting Bob Atkins in Victoria. Bob began his working life as a toolmaker and spent eighteen years on mechanical design for a major scientific-instrument company before working for himself.

In 1996 Bob began experimenting with low-temperature Stirling engines, producing an endless array of prototypes. His finest creation, the Stirling 4, is a beautifully designed and built engine that runs on a temperature difference as small as four degrees — sensitive enough to turn from the heat of your hand, a warm surface, or direct sunlight.

Bob also designed and made the mechanics inside the musical carousels — one of the many fine Australian craftsmen whose skills George brought together.