The device has entered a vaguely quantum state of being both finished and not finished, working and not working, simultaneously.
Which is to say, the heat engine works and I got a correction out of the thing, but it took about a quarter hour where it should be six minutes at the absolute most.
This, I'm thinking it's safe to say, is largely due to the fact that I'm trying to extract useful amounts of solar energy from Germany's north in October.

If I was attempting a design based on oppressive grey and misery I could probably power the entire god forsaken region.

As it happens, however, this is not a problem, as in about three weeks I'll be back in Australia, where I can more realistically expect blue skies, 40º, and ozone depletion.
Roll on summer!

Again!

Things are circling some kind of belated conclusion in a sum-to-infinity style equation; as in, when one draws perpetually closer to something without ever reaching it.

The design has entered a state of flux, what little scraps of direct sunlight I'm able to gather from the formidable Saxon weather are scrambled frenetically about in, testing what's been made and discarding all the things that turn out not to work. The little micro-updates have been appearing on the Facebook page, but once there's actually something to show, photos and jubilation will appear here.
Touch wood- I think it's not unrealistic to expect something very soon.