Portable engine by Tony Webster.

[Samuel Brown 2Participant @samuelbrown2]

I notice that once again the 2" scale portable engine by Tony Webster has disappeared from Model Engineer. The last article mentioned that design faults etc had all been corrected.

Have a complete set of working drawings for this engine been produced and are there intentions to make them available to purchase?

[Samuel Brown 2Participant @samuelbrown2]

[Jeremy Moore 1Participant @jeremymoore1]

Having started this engine I also would like to have an up-date on the abvailability of correct drawings.

I was given to understand tha these would made available. This was a long time ago, and since then, NOTHING !!!

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I expect we will start working on the articles around the first of February.

There is a lot of work to do to make sure they are right.

regards David

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Jeremy you have a PM – JD

[Samuel Brown 2Participant @samuelbrown2]

Thank you for your replies. I look forward to the restart of the articles.

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

Did anything ever come of this?

Thanks

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

It was dropped.

[S.D.L.Participant @s-d-l]

Posted by fizzy on 05/09/2016 13:01:43:

Did anything ever come of this?

Thanks

As Jason said it was dropped as there was lots of discussion re errors in the drawings. A book was subsequently published by Toby Webster but I don't know if the errors were worked on and removed or just published as was.

Steve

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

The portable in the book is a different one but it's no better than what appeared in the mag, infact some bad errors on the boiler for example that could have you building it from one of two thicknesses!! All drawings are no more than pencil sketches.

[clivelParticipant @clivel]

When the series was first published in ME I was very much a beginner with limited experience.
Looking for a next project, Webster's portable described as "written for the complete newcomer to model engineering with a detailed description of the construction of each part" seemed ideal. Unfortunately given the large number of errors that Webster apparently had no inclination to correct, the then Editor David Clark was forced to drop the series albeit incomplete.

I was really keen on a portable, especially one supposedly described as suitable for a beginner, so when the book came out I immediately rushed out and bought it, mistakenly thinking that it was an updated and corrected version of the series of articles in ME.

Unfortunately It turned out that not only was it for a different engine, but the quality of the book was no better, and if anything actually worse than of that described in ME. It contains a number of poor drawing, many bits are missing, and there are no assembly drawings, not of the complete engine nor of any of the sub-assemblies, only isolated bits and pieces with no apparent relationship to each other. I spent some time trying to visualise how some of the pieces go together, but with little success Except for a few nice photographs, the book is a complete waste of money.

Clive

Edited By clivel on 05/09/2016 20:06:48

[Jeremy Moore 1Participant @jeremymoore1]

Jeremy Hi, Like others I started this engine and made the wheels and started on the boiler before realising that there were numerous errors in the drawings. At one point I understood that although the series was being dropped sketch drawings would be made available for those that wanted to complete the portable. This idea was also dropped. I was then referred to the book which as has already been pointed out is for a different engine and is even more sparse with regard to drawings. One would have hoped that the editors of Model Engineer would have made sure that the series was of sufficient standard that an engine could be completed, from the drawings, before publication and before subscribers had spent hard earned money and time on a model which could not be completed. I have Model Engineers going back to 1979 and as far as i can seen this is the only time that this has ever happened. In the past when a series has not been complete other Model Engineers have stepped in and have been invited to complete, as happened with an earlier portable.

[Author]

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