Peter Grossi

Peter’s principal interest lies in electronic design and programming, but has diversified into mechanical design and 3-D printing as required to apply electronic circuits and computer automation into working models.

A keen Linux  user, his design weapons of choice are KiCAD (electronics), FreeCAD (3-D/mechanics), Eclipse (Java programs) and Python (Raspberry Pi). He makes frequent use of cheap Microchip devices which are micro-programmed to perform complex logical sequencing tasks.

He designed and built his own engraving machine which he uses to make printed circuit boards (for through-hole components) and cut precise patterns in soft-ish, flat materials. He is not equipped to use surface-mounted components at present.

His electronic designs are generally intended to improve on the performance of commercial products, ranging from alarm systems to optical communication and automotive instrumentation. But also odd bits and pieces of household gadgetry and mechanical curiosities.

Peter can be contacted by email

Paul Perkins

Paul’s principal interest lies in 3-D mechanical design, for which his weapon of choice is Autocad, in which he has a lot of experience. He has a home garage workshop with facilities to make small models, and which acts as a home for a great variety of tooling and materials collected over many years.

He has been involved in Reprap from early days, and is practised at building, repairing and using 3-D printers, including programming Arduino processors. He once decorated a cake with printed chocolate, but admits the learning curve involved was distinctly fattening.

Stemming from his use of stepper motors in 3-D printers he has diversified into servo motors. He is now involved in the design and build of motorised mechanical models using printed as well as machined parts.

Paul can be contacted by email

Brendan Phelan

Brendan's principal interest is in tooling for his home workshop, having made for his own use a Stent tool and cutter grinder, a dividing head, some vices, and lathe tooling for a Myford ML7.

 Using these and other tools in his comprehensive modelling workshop he has a continuing interest in the design and construction of jigs and tools for particular purposes.

He has a professional background in the electronic control systems of commercial jet engines. His experience in the manufacture of printed circuit boards using chemical process, professionally and for home use, is still relevant, although some are using engraving for prototype construction.

He has enjoyed building and operating model aircraft, and racing model yachts, power boats and cars, and when he has time he is working on a Seal 4-cylinder internal combustion engine and a Stuart mill engine.

He has been using 3D-CAD for a number of years, for which his weapons of choice are TurboCAD and Alibri. These are prerequisite for his own-design 3D printed objects which are intended for personal and domestic use.

Brendan can be contacted by  email

Julian Wood

I suppose I was born a typical engineer. From very early days I always wanted to build things that really worked. This interest centred on models and electrical devices which later provided me with a career. These included radio receivers, solar and wind power and engines of all types.

This latter meant I needed a machine shop, having learnt machining during early training, and led eventually to steam engines. For these, boilers were a necessary and demanding problem which was not solved to my satisfaction until I came across Stirling engines.

These provided an instant addiction: the fascination of thermodynamic cycles, production of efficient and silent energy and the seemingly infinite range of designs and arrangements. So I set about getting to grips with the various proportions and materials involved.

Since then I have made several hundred Stirling engines, both stationary and automotive, but mainly toy-sized to supply a demand, and have become keen to progress to larger sizes. Scaling up to more practical sizes is not straightforward but more recently some friends and myself have powered river boats with a few passengers with our latest efforts. Many horsepower is possible but has only been achieved using big-company resources and high-tech equipment which are beyond the scope of home modellers.

Meanwhile I am working on drive systems for model-sized Stirling powered vehicles (notably one to power a miniature "steam" railway engine), a Stirling freezer (Stirling engines also work "backwards" through their thermodynamic cycle) and several novel Stirling engine mechanisms with promising results.

Julian can be contacted by email