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Can anyone point me to a thread giving a 101 on cam timing? I keep on building engines, but I've never done it before! The engine in question is an aircooled Westbury Seagull, inspired by Charles Lamont. (Then there's a Kiwi, Whippet and Wallaby...) Thanks! Andrew UK

Good afternoon, folks! My Father has had the good fortune to obtain a set of castings for this engine, and has been poring over the drawings for a week or three, on the basis that you can't f#£k anything up by thinking about it. However, both he and I are stumped by the workings of the valve...

Do you have any further details (even better, photos) of your recirculating setup, John? Did you make drawings, or was it a scribble pad job? Andrew UK

I don't know what Graham's method is, but I'll bet if it isn't identical to mine, it'll be similar. There was a recent Kiwi II build that went over it recently, and that should tell you all you need to know... The little computer program I used, called "camcalc" (you won't find it on Google) had...

Those are two very good ideas for the mental arsenal! I can't remember how I made the rear cover, but I do remember how I did the rear case- and thinking it was the dodgiest bit of chucking I had ever done! I used strips of lead, folded double, between the jaws and the casting, and took things...

It's easy to conceal documents within a base. I usually sign mine if I can keep my signature out of sight. Often this is inside cylinder cleading. I have nameplates for all my engines when they were shown (University open days, when I worked there) with a second plate showing the technicians...

My Dad has an impressive workshop... In his garage. He uses a dehumidifier. And an ML7 and a Super Seven, and a 1A miller as well, equipped with a Bridgeport head courtesy of John Stephenson, God bless John. (My Dad acquired that stuff in that order, by the way...) Rust ain't a problem, though...

Thanks for the tip on fuel, by the way! My local model shop feeds me all sorts of B.S. when they can't be bothered to get stuff for me.

The book was originally written by Albert Marshall, revised by Westbury, then by Tom Walshaw (Tubal Cain) and is still readily available as part of the "Workshop Practice" series. Well worth forking out for!

As an aside, where are people getting their diesel fuel from these days?

As Charles says. The Super Seven is "super" because of the superior headstock design, and worth having. However, EVERYONE who knows NOTHING about model engineering, knows they MUST have one, so the prices are extortionate; ditto for spares. I favour the Drummond/Myford "M" type lathes. Very...

I absolutely see your point! -Andrew

Hello Wally7! I will warn you about the top entabulature casting. It is as if a finished part has been used as a pattern, with no shrink allowance. It's too short. Tubal Cain fabricated his own; to use the Reeves casting, you'll need to adjust the positions of the outer support pillars in the...

For the book, the design is essentially modelled on half of the pumping engine installed at the Dancer's End water pumping station, near Tring. The original engine house is still there. Here's the prototype... I think it now resides at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum, around the corner from the...

But I notice that fella has chosen to side step the half round beading approach.... If the photo works, this is what a side cover should look like...

Thanks for that^^ I have terrible trouble uploading pictures here for some reason!

Hello Chaps! I'm building one of these engines, and I wonder if anyone has any advice regarding the lower covers? I have cut the steel, I've purchased the half-round brass beading, but I haven't worked out how to actually DO it! Of course, if anyone can let me have a copy of the EIM article(s)...

This is what we call "gadgeteering" in the UK. Need to make a gadget to make a bit of an engine... But damn! Need to make a different gadget to make the first gadget... Dammit! Need to make a gadget to make the gadget to produce the ultimate gadget! And so it goes on. Resulting in the deceased's...

I always have multiple projects going on. The reason for this is if I get hung up on one, either because I don't have motivation, or I'm thinking out a machining problem (you can't stuff anything up by thinking about it) I just get back to work on another. Whilst starting an engine for the...

Aluminium is fine if lubricant is present. The VW beetle originally had the camshaft running directly in the elektron case. It was an inexpensive car, but that cannot be said of the engine. Guess what? The cams used to wear out. Many modern motorbikes still do the same. Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha...