How to Make a Steam Engine

Co-authored by Bess Ruff, MA

Last Updated: April 15, 2024 Approved

The words "steam engine" often conjure images of large locomotives or Stanley Steamer cars, but these machines have many more uses than transportation. Steam engines, which were first created in primitive forms around two millennia ago, have become major power sources in the past three centuries, with steam turbines now producing 80 percent or more of the world's electrical energy. To gain a greater understanding of the physical forces at work in a steam engine, build your own steam engine with common home materials using one of the methods in this article! See Step 1 below to get started.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making a Soda Can Steam Engine (For Kids)

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Use tin snips or shop scissors to make a smooth horizontal cut about 1/3 of the way up from its base and around the can’s circumference.
Fold the rim on each piece of the can in on itself to eliminate its sharp edges. Take care not to cut yourself as you do so.

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Most soda cans have a circular base that curves into the interior of the can. Push this out by flattening it with your fingers or using the bottom of a small glass or jar to smooth it.
You can use a paper punch for this, or you can make the holes with a nail and hammer. You will need a hole slightly larger than ¹⁄₈ inch (3.2 mm) in diameter.
Crumple foil and place it under and around the candle to hold it in place. Tea light candles come in small tins, so the wax should not melt and spill into your aluminum can.
The ¹⁄₈ inch (3.2 mm) tubing should bend easily around the pencil. You will need enough coiled tubing to stretch across the top of the can, plus about an extra 2 inches (5.1 cm) of straight tubing on each side.
Center the coil over the wick of the candle.^{[1]
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Research source} Try to have about the same length of straight tubing sticking out of each side of the can.
Bend the straight sections of the tubing so that they go in opposite directions on each side of the can. Then, bend them again so that they reach below the base of the can. When you're done, you should have a coiled section of tubing in the middle over your candle that stretches downward into two opposite-facing "jets" on either side of the can.
Your "boat" should float comfortably. If the tubing ends don't quite sit below the waterline, try weighing the can down slightly, but be careful not to sink it.
The easiest way to do this is to place one end in the bowl of water and suck through the other like a straw. Alternately, you can hold your finger over one end and hold the open end under a running faucet.
Over time, the water in the tubing will heat up and begin to boil. As it evaporates into steam, it will shoot out of the "jets" of the tubing, causing the entire can to spin in the bowl.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making a Paint Can Steam Engine (For Adults)

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1
Cut a rectangular hole near the base of a gallon paint can. Mark a 6 in × 2 in (15.2 cm × 5.1 cm) rectangle horizontally on the side of the can 1 inch (2.5 cm) up from the base.
- Note that for this paint can (and the other one you'll use), you'll want to ensure that the can contained only latex-based paint and that it has been thoroughly washed with soap and water before use.
Bend 2 ¹⁄₃ inches (5.9 cm) at either end of the 4 ²⁄₃ inches (12 cm) side down at a 90-degree angle. This should create a 4 ²⁄₃ in × 4 ²⁄₃ in (12 cm × 12 cm) square "platform" with 2 2 ¹⁄₃ in (5.9 cm) "legs". Place this mesh inside the paint can, "legs" down, lining it up with the edges of the hole you cut.
3
Make a half-circle of holes along the lid's perimeter. Eventually, you'll burn coals inside this paint can to provide the heat for your steam engine. If these coals don't have a steady supply of oxygen, they won't be able to burn well. Allow ventilation by drilling or punching a series of holes in a half-circle pattern along the edge of the can's lid.
- These ventilation holes should ideally be about ²⁄₅ inch (1.0 cm) in diameter.
Take about 20 feet (6.1 m) of soft copper tubing ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) in diameter and measure 1 foot (30 cm) from one end. Starting from this point, wrap the tubing into five coils 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter. Wind the remaining length of the tubing into about 15 coils 3 inches (7.6 cm) in diameter. You should be left with about 8 inches (20 cm) extra.
Bend both ends of the coil so that they're pointing upwards and insert each through one of the holes in the lid. If you don't quite have enough length in the tubing, you may need to unwind one of the coils slightly.
Place the coil on top of the mesh platform. Fill the space around and inside the coil with charcoal briquettes. Close the lid tightly.
In the center of the paint can's lid, drill a hole ²⁄₅ inch (1.0 cm) in diameter. On the side of the can, drill two ²⁄₅ inch (1.0 cm) holes - one near the base and one above it near the lid.
Use the ends of the copper tubing to bore holes in the center of two corks. Insert one 10 inches (25 cm) piece of hard plastic tubing into one cork and one 4 inches (10 cm) piece into the other so that they fit snugly and extend slightly from the other end of the cork. Insert the cork with the longer tubing into the bottom hole on the small can and the cork with the shorter tubing into the top hole. Secure the tubing in each cork with hose clamps.
Place the smaller can above the larger can with the corked tubing facing away from the larger can's ventilation holes. Use metallic tape to secure the tubing from the bottom cork to the tubing extending from the bottom of the copper coil. Then, secure the tubing from the upper cork to the tubing extending from the top of the coil in the same way.
Use a hammer and screwdriver to remove the center portion of a circular metallic electrical junction box. Secure an electrical cable clamp to the junction box with the retaining ring inside. Insert 1 6 inches (15 cm) copper pipe with a diameter of ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) through the cable clamp connector so that the tubing protrudes a few centimeters below the hole in the junction box. Blunt the edges of this end inward with a hammer. Insert this end of the pipe into the hole in the lid of the smaller can.
11
Insert the skewer into the dowel rod. Take a standard wooden barbecue skewer and insert it into one end of a ³⁄₅ inch (1.5 cm) hollow wooden dowel rod ³⁄₈ inch (0.95 cm) in diameter. Place the dowel rod and skewer inside the copper pipe in the metal junction box so that the skewer points up.
- The skewer and dowel rod will act as the "piston" when the engine is running. To make the motion of the piston easier to see, you might want to attach a small paper "flag" to the top.^{[2]
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Remove the junction box assembly from the small upper can and fill the upper can with water, allowing it to drain into the copper coil until the can is about 2/3 full of water. Check all connectors for leaks and ensure all seals are tight. Secure the lids of both cans by tapping them with a hammer. Replace the junction box in its spot above the small upper can.
13
Run the engine! Crumple up pieces of newspaper and place them in the space enclosed by mesh at the bottom of the engine. When the charcoal has caught fire, allow the briquettes to burn for about 20-30 minutes. As they heat the water in the coil, steam should begin to build up in the upper can. When this steam reaches sufficient pressure, it will push the dowel and skewer piston upwards.^{[3]
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Research source} Once sufficient pressure has been released, the piston will be pulled back down by gravity. Trim pieces off of the skewer as needed to reduce the weight of the piston - the lighter it is, the more frequently it will "pop" up. Try to whittle the skewer down to a weight such that the piston "runs" at a constant clip.
- You can speed up the burning process by using a hair dryer to blow through the ventilation holes.
14
Be safe. It probably goes without saying that this DIY steam engine requires careful handling and operation. Never run the steam engine indoors. Never run it around flammable material like dry leaves or overhanging trees. Only run it on a tough, non-flammable surface like concrete. If you're working with children, ensure an adult is present to supervise at all times. Do not children or teenagers approach the engine while the charcoal is burning. If you're ever not sure how hot the engine is, assume that it's too hot to touch.
- Also, be sure that the steam is able to escape from the upper "boiler". If the piston becomes stuck for some reason, pressure can build up inside the small can. In a worst case scenario, this can cause the can to explode, which can be very dangerous.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Can I use a slightly bigger copper tubing for the soda can steam engine? About 4.76 milimeters in diameter? (about 0.1874016 inches, slightly bigger than 1/8 icnhes)

Bess Ruff, MA
Environmental Scientist
Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group.

Bess Ruff, MA

Environmental Scientist

Expert Answer

This is fine. You mostly want the wiring to be thin so that it's more pliable for making the coils so as long as you're still able to do that it's okay if the diameter is slightly larger than the one used here.

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Where can we find material?

Bess Ruff, MA
Environmental Scientist
Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group.

Bess Ruff, MA

Environmental Scientist

Expert Answer

You can find the vast majority of these materials at a hardware or home improvement store. Others, like the soda can, aluminum foil, and tea light candles are available in grocery stores.

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Question

How I can convert this piston motion to rational motion?

Community Answer

By making a special type of shaft as present in car or motorcycle engines.

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Tips

Place the steam engine in a plastic boat, with both tube ends facing off the back and into the water, to make a steam-powered toy. You can cut a simple boat shape from a plastic soda or bleach bottle to make the project "green."

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Warnings

If you must handle the engine while it is in use, do not point the ends of the tubing toward anyone, as hot steam or water could cause scalding.

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Do not seal the copper tubing in any way other than submerging the ends in water. Though unlikely, excess pressure could cause the tube to burst and result in injury.

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Be sure to use tongs, pliers, or an oven-mitt if you need to handle the engine while it runs.

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Do not attempt to build a more complex steam engine with a boiler unless you thoroughly understand how to do so. A boiler explosion, even in miniature, can result in serious injury.

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