Dok’s Engine Shop, P.O. Box 292, Weeping Water, Nebraska
68463
This engine was bought new by a Mr. W. J. Radamaker of Johnson,
Nebraska, in February of 1914. Mr. Radamaker passed away before the
engine was sold to me, and the information I have is from his
brother who is still living Mr. Hye Radamaker (who was 87 when I
bought the engine.). Although these brothers farmed close together
in Johnson, one didn’t always know what the other was doing, so
some of my information is rather vague!
As told to me, the brothers went to the Johnson Depot and
brought the engine home via team and bobsled. The first job it was
used for was to run a fanning mill for cleaning grain. Then it was
used to power a saw for wood cutting and then it was used to pump
water. We are not sure whether it had a cooling system or a gas
tank (factory made). Mr. Radamaker thought they used a 2 gallon gas
can for gas and a ten gallon cream can for the cooling system. The
Ellis was mounted on two skids to sit on and never had a truck to
move.
I purchased the Ellis at the estate sale just the bare engine in
the junk pile for $1050.00. I also got the original book that came
with the engine, but it is the wrong book, as it is for a 4-6 HP
Ellis.
The first thing I had to do was to clean the engine up and
dissassemble it before restoring it. I think I have about 300 hours
of time in restoring broken parts that had to be remade:
distributor shaft, governor shaft, distributor disk and wiper
arrangement, fuel mechanism and check valves. I had to make a
coolant tank, a gas tank, and battery box. The cart was built as
close as I could get to pictures I have seen. The wood in this cart
is native Weeping Water oak. The wheels and hardware are just what
the pictures looked like.
Now we come to the start-up after most everything had been done.
I said ‘Well, we have to have lots of fuel,’ so I turned
the fuel valve open about 1 turns. On the first turnover, it fired
about twice and then no more. It was really flooding, with gas
coming out the exhaust and governor disc or speed adjuster. With
nothing to tell us what to do and no one to ask, we experimented.
When we finally got it started it ran real well on about 1/3 turn
open for 1 HP and about 1/3 to 1/2 turn open for 3 HP.
The unique feature of this engine is that it turns equally well
clockwise or counter-clockwise (although it seems to have more HP
turning counterclockwise.)
The first time the engine was shown was at Steel City, Nebraska,
in October of 1984. Since then, it has traveled about 3000 miles to
be shown in places like the Camp Creek show in Waverly, Nebraska;
the Mid-states show in Oakland, Nebraska; Harvest Days in Minden,
Nebraska; and the James Valley Threshing Association show in
Andover, South Dakota. My Ellis was also written up in three local
papers.
The Ellis is a real attraction at shows a real crowd-pleaser. I
have several other engines, but none of them attracts as much
attention.
Mr. Dokter, who is 75 years old, is a machinist and tool and die
maker and a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. Earlier
n life, he repaired small gas engine tractors and steam engines and
then spent over 35 years in the trucking business, which he has now
turned over to his son. Since retirement, he has been able to
pursue his restoration hobby. He is currently in the process of
restoring a 1917 Oakland car which has been made into a truck. Mr.
Dokter tells us of other Ellis owners with whom he has
corresponded: Mr. David R. Aikens of Water ford, PA, and Mr. Marvin
E. Ruebush of Staunton, VA. Those interested in Ellis engines are
invited to join in the correspondence. Ed.