- Joined
- Mar 22, 2023
- Messages
- 129
I lived right next a river that dried up about 7 years ago.
I was down there checking stuff out. there was some old car frames that had what was left of a wooden spoked hub.
I seen a piece of rounded metal sticking out of the sand by a inch or two.
I kind of kicked,, what ever it was IT WAS SOLID.
I dug down a few inches with my fingers, it was like large iron wheel,. I went and got shovel but that was almost worthless.
There was like thousands of pieces ol thick wire all around the wheel . I was allot digging out the wire and I think a old radiator core.
After digging for a couple hours The one wheel was connected to another Iron wheel about 16 to 20 inches apart.
And the wheels are connected something .. I am thinking at first its a old cannon.
I know this a terrible picture. Then I see its a crankshaft with connecting rod. At that point I really didn't know what is was.
There is also glass and nails in the dirt,, Its almost impossible to dig with a shovel or by hand and its not moving in the dirt. Not even a wiggle.
It was slow going, after 10 or 12 hrs of digging I wrapped a tow strap to the wheels and to my truck about 40 or 50 feet above what ever it is.
Even after getting out of the river it was covered with hard packed dirt and still not exactly sure what it is. I washed it off with garden hose.
Then I seen the spark plug
No idea still what it was I called a guy who collects stuff like this He came right over photographed it , called me the next day told me he thinks is
Asked me if I wanted to sale it and made me fair price .
He is rebuilding it, I bent the crank shaft pulling it out of the river, the piston was not rusted/frozen, cylinder is cracked where it had cracked before several times by the looks.
This is a 1886 webster INVERTED 3 or 3.5 hp hit and miss stationary engine.
Here is one running
duckduckgo.com
The owner is now recovering from a stroke.
I can straighten the crank never poured Babbit bearings
I would think it would be super cool to see this make smoke again .
I was down there checking stuff out. there was some old car frames that had what was left of a wooden spoked hub.
I seen a piece of rounded metal sticking out of the sand by a inch or two.
I kind of kicked,, what ever it was IT WAS SOLID.
I dug down a few inches with my fingers, it was like large iron wheel,. I went and got shovel but that was almost worthless.
There was like thousands of pieces ol thick wire all around the wheel . I was allot digging out the wire and I think a old radiator core.
After digging for a couple hours The one wheel was connected to another Iron wheel about 16 to 20 inches apart.
And the wheels are connected something .. I am thinking at first its a old cannon.
I know this a terrible picture. Then I see its a crankshaft with connecting rod. At that point I really didn't know what is was.
There is also glass and nails in the dirt,, Its almost impossible to dig with a shovel or by hand and its not moving in the dirt. Not even a wiggle.
It was slow going, after 10 or 12 hrs of digging I wrapped a tow strap to the wheels and to my truck about 40 or 50 feet above what ever it is.
Even after getting out of the river it was covered with hard packed dirt and still not exactly sure what it is. I washed it off with garden hose.
Then I seen the spark plug
No idea still what it was I called a guy who collects stuff like this He came right over photographed it , called me the next day told me he thinks is
Asked me if I wanted to sale it and made me fair price .
He is rebuilding it, I bent the crank shaft pulling it out of the river, the piston was not rusted/frozen, cylinder is cracked where it had cracked before several times by the looks.
This is a 1886 webster INVERTED 3 or 3.5 hp hit and miss stationary engine.
Here is one running
Webster 1886 inverted 3.5 horse hit and miss engine at DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.
I can straighten the crank never poured Babbit bearings
I would think it would be super cool to see this make smoke again .
