# My Webster model 4 stroke engine



## cox24711 (Oct 2, 2017)

Hello HMEM 

for those who don't know
I am Greg and I am 14 years old
I have been making this webster model 4 stroke engine for about a year,
 due to not having a lathe (mine is on the way!! I'll give you a hint: it is grey.)  I had to use school's Hercus 260  (which hadn't been used in 10 years)
on Thursday lunches. My dad is the worst DIY person in the world. Once he ripped a light bulb and the socket right out of the ceiling!  I asked him 'what the hell are you doing?' he said 'im changing it'! Rof}

 The lathe at school had no boring bar,(I had to make one) reamers or anything like that, just a parting tool and some tool steel to make some turning bits.
Unfortunately, my school doesn't have a mill :toilet: so I had to make the cam and conrod etc using a hacksaw and a bastard file.

Despite the lack of scratch.gif _skill_, know-how, equipment, and numerous other things (correct tolerances and whatnot)  

 It is finished! woohoo1 

I proudly present You guys with _the biggest disgrace_ (machining wise) on the internet that has not been made out of chinesium and perhaps the biggest eyesore on this website! And probably is considered an insult to Joe Webster himself!


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## raspii (Oct 2, 2017)

Hi Greg,

Nothing wrong with that at all mate, just imagine what beautiful work you can do with your own lathe once it arrives, 

Keep your head held high as i'm sure in future you will show people this was my first engine, and now this is my 10th and look what more time and my own tools can do.

I was in your boat not that long ago and some of the proudest memories are of the times you made do with what you had rather than had every gadget under the sun.

Keep up the great work and hopefully post a video when you can of it running!


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## cox24711 (Oct 2, 2017)

Thank you raspii 
All jokes aside I am extremely proud of what I have achieved!
I have had a couple of pops out of it!
I have just put new rings in it the old ones had a load of blowby
I will certainly post a video of it when it does run!

Greg


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## ShopShoe (Oct 2, 2017)

That's a great first project. You did a very good job working with the resources available to you.

Congratulations. I'll be looking for a video as I am confident that you will get it running.

--

BTW, I think this project also demonstrates for all that the Webster is indeed a very good engine for first-time IC builders.

--ShopShoe


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## the engineer (Oct 2, 2017)

keep up the great work we need kids like you to  join the work force  and not afraid to use their hands or brains I work as a small engine tech and every day I wish I could find some one like you to train and learn this trade 
 the general run of  kids these days   wouldn't know  how to even start to make what you have achieved here  
great work
 regards john


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## crankshafter (Oct 2, 2017)

Hi Greg.
Nice work on the Webster:thumbup: keep up the good work.I buildt my first engine(Steam) at your age, I got it running at last after much struggle I remember. If you have lived in my town you have been welcome to borrow my machines/tools. Now that I have all the time I have dreamed of for years(first day in pension) We, all old farts have to teach and support  the young guys.
P.S: I have allso build the Webster 

CS


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## Blogwitch (Oct 2, 2017)

Greg,
Just remember this, everyone has to start at the beginning, you are not born with it.

Some people need to spend years on the learning process, others, a very short time. Normally 2 to 4 years will get you to be a fairly respectable model engineer.

Don't fool yourself that you ever get to be a complete model engineer, I have been at this game for nearly 50 years, a lot of that was industrial and high precision machining, and I reckon that if I am lucky, I know about 1% of what there is to know. Every page you turn to in say a magazine or engineering book., you will find out about something new.

What you have achieved at such a young age is inspirational, even to us old pharts.. We need a lot more like yourself to carry on this great pastime.

I hope that you will continue to grow into a very proficient model engineer.

Have a look at my signature line


John


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## Herbiev (Oct 2, 2017)

Great little engine. Looking forward to seeing more of your projects when your lathe arrives. Thanks for sharing


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## Walsheng (Oct 2, 2017)

Want a job??
You have done what very few people, let alone teenagers, are capable of doing.
You should be very proud, nice job.

John


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## TonyM (Oct 3, 2017)

Very impressive You should be very proud of what you have achieved with so little practice and limited equipment. I would love to have been able to do that when I was fourteen.  Tony


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## Brian Rupnow (Oct 3, 2017)

Tony--great job!! I know the "rush" you get from seeing something you built with your own hands come to life. I hope you will grow and learn in the hobby, and have many good years of enjoyment at it.---Brian


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## sdju (Oct 6, 2017)

Looks cool to me! If you can do this at your age, imagine what your future projects will look like.


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## cox24711 (Nov 4, 2017)

Hello to the HMEM Community!
After (the big G in the sky) knows how long.
I am proud to say that my webster runs!
now i bet you guys are wondering why did it take so long:
lets start from the beginning, (no not Genesis!) 
One of the 2 problems was that my crankshaft kept on falling apart because I used blue lock tight to put it together (I had no red)  so the weekend after I bought some red at Bunnings  . 
Main Problem Number 2
With the crank shaft fixed, I was able to get it running for about 10 revolutions it just had no power to keep it going. This puzzled me a bit so I did the logical thing and checked every thing. I then decided  that the intake spring was too stiff. So I made a new one. It did the same thing :fan: . So then messed around with the exhaust timing which had little to no effect  .
So then I decided to mess with the ignition timing (it was set a little before tdc) and I advanced the timing by 30 and tried it and it ran!  (after 2 weekends dickin' around with intake springs, blue lock-tight and exhaust timing !)

I have put a video together for you guys to watch :thumbup:
here is the link to it on youtube: https://youtu.be/x-4moqvFLB8
enjoy my method of madness


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## Cogsy (Nov 5, 2017)

Congrats on getting it running. When you said the timing was out by 30 degrees I expected you'd used one of the Rxcel type CDI ignitions with auto advance. They advance the timing by about 30 degrees once the engine is running - I guess it's for easy starting. I know it caused me weeks of bother trying to get my first IC to start as well. I wonder if your lawnmower ignition has a similar feature?


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## Rickl (Nov 5, 2017)

It's a great feeling when you get something running.  Well done!


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## Sansspaceship (Nov 5, 2017)

Hi Greg,

Congratulations on build and getting it running.

Cheers,
Adrian


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## cox24711 (Nov 5, 2017)

Cogsy said:


> I wonder if your lawnmower ignition has a similar feature?



I believe it is called operator error with my ignition!


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## minh-thanh (Nov 8, 2018)

Congratulations !
Only with age 15, you should be proud !


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## XD351 (Nov 9, 2018)

What ?????  15 and you built an engine that runs that good ?  Mate you should be super proud of yourself !  You also did a top job on the video ! I added my subs to your channel and hope you will post more of the projects you are working on in the future .


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## Aerostar55 (Nov 9, 2018)

cox24711 said:


> Hello HMEM
> 
> for those who don't know
> I am Greg and I am 14 years old
> ...


Very nice work Greg! I was well over 40 before I built my first engine , you have done very well


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## mohavegun (Nov 9, 2018)

Good Job!,  your effort echoes my first engine build, I did not have a lathe or milling machine either and yours looks better than mine did!  Mine was a "fabricobbled" steam engine, it did run but poorly, the boiler was never made operational, ran the steam engine on compressed air.  The entire base and frame was made of wood, the flywheel was an old iron caster wheel and the cylinder was a car brake wheel cylinder.  Like your engine, it took a long time to complete.  It was lost to a fire a few years back!  I was about 14 or 15 at the time...


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## cox24711 (Nov 9, 2018)

Thanks guys, it has been a while since I have had the old webster running, it needs new rings after I ran it so much! now I have got my own lathe and mill I am working on more ambitious projects, the diesel Kiwi.


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## nel2lar (Nov 9, 2018)

Cox
You did a fantastic job not just at 14 or 15 but with the lack of real tools. I do not know where I would start and I doubt I would even finish.
Cheers
Nelson


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## bmac2 (Nov 10, 2018)

That my young friend is a thing of beauty. And yes you should be very proud.


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## NickZhang (Dec 4, 2018)

You did an amazing job.  Thank you for sharing.


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