Replica Mills 1.3 - Who made it?

[John Wheddon]

I have a Mills 1.3 replica which is beautifully made. It is all-machined, no casting involved at all. It is in a plain cardboard box with 'No 46' and the name of the previous owner written in one corner. The engine serial number 46 itself is stamped in a series of dots on the underside of the RH engine mount. The only instruction sheet enclosed is a photocopy of a Mills Sheet. A good look at other sites, including Adrians, lead me to think that this might be a Derek Giles replica. Does anyone out there have any opinions on this nice little treasure please?

[buster prop]

No, but I know Derek and am seeing him next week. I'll ask giving him your description of the 1.3. He has made some gems, like a twin 0.75 Mills that I marvel at.

[John Wheddon]

Thank you Buster. Hopefully the photos will help. If it is one of Derek's please offer my compliments on a super little engine. I wonder if he ran each of his engines after making them.....

[buster prop]

John, I asked Derek about the replica Mills 1.3 and from your description he thinks it is one he made. His later engines had black prop drivers and comp. screws but the earlier ones were all natural metal. Derek did engrave serial numbers on the mounting lugs as you say and the crankcases are machined, not cast. Without showing him a photo of your engine I think we can be reasonably sure that it is a Derek Giles made replica. The engines were all run and the compression lever and needle valves left in the running positions. He also made replica 0.75cc’s, a 1.5cc (two 0.75 cylinders in line), a 0.5 and a 0.3 singles! All based on the Mills design.

[brokenenglish]

It's difficult to identify an engine without a photo!!!

Statistically, the most likely possibility is the "Attachport" Mills.

If the head fins are parallel profile and the prop nut is hex. steel with a rounded nose (and possibly blacked), then it's most likely an Attachport.

Edited By brokenenglish on 16/02/2017 11:47:33

[buster prop]

The plot thickens! Derek rang me soon after I sent my previous post. He said that after checking up, he only made 30 Mills 1.3 Mk1’s and about 10 Mk2’s. He thinks that if yours is serial 46 it may have been made in Market Harborough, Leicestershire by Attachport. I’ve never heard of this manufacturer but Derek knows a lot more about old British model Diesel engines than I do, he's a mine of information about them and their long gone manufacturers. Attachport also machined their crankcases and included copies of the original Mills leaflets. Apparently the Mk1 1.3 crankcase had straight sides and the Mk2 sloped slightly. . Sorry if I gave you incorrect info earlier and it seems from my second chat with Derek and brokenenglish's post that your engine was made by Attachport after all.

Edited By buster prop on 16/02/2017 12:07:00

[John Wheddon]

Thanks for your efforts and the info buster and brokenenglish. I wondered about the Attachport replica, but had not seen any pictures of that one. There are two pictures of my engine in the Mills 1.3 Album. That's the 'Photos' mentioned under my name. I've had a few problems adding them into this post. Maybe the size.

[Greg jenkinson]

I have an Attachport mk1 replica.

Don't have access to it for a few weeks, to check numbers.

Mine came in a box with "Mills 1.3 Replica" and "made in England" (no instructions or paperwork)

The only thing I can think of until I see engine and box again, is that it has a distinctive black hex prop-nut

with a "domed" front to it. (different to any other replicas I have seen, not that there are many mk1 replicas)

Hope this is of some help

cheers from Oz

[Greg jenkinson]

Sorry, didn't see the photos first time.

My Attachport is a "slab-sided" mk1

This looks like what I have read what Mills did to a few mk1's, where they turned them down to a

similar look to the mk2 in the transition period.

Is that a spring from the intake? (If so does it have a shut-off?)

About the only history I know of Attachport is they were made around 1983, with maybe some parts

or work subbied out to Dunham, don't know if they did a version as your or not.

cheers

[John Wheddon]

Yes Greg there is a spring and shut-off. I've just added in another photo to the Album. Thanks for your interest. It has not been as straight forward to identify this engine as I expected. And to think that back in the day I worked in the office next door to Trevor Wooderson. He had a prototype in his desk drawer - just for old time's sake.

Thanks, John

[Doug Campbell]

These are my Derek Giles 0.13 and 0.3cc Mills. You can see they are virtually identical to your engine even down to the blue fuel tubing. I think we can safely say that yours is one of Derek's. What size it is is the only question as Derek made them in a few capacities.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Here are John's photo's.
John it's fairly easy to add pictures to a thread like this once they're in an album (if you wish). Just above the white "post a reply" box are a number of "buttons". Top row, second from the right is one that looks like a camera. Hover over this and it says "Insert image from album". If you click on it, a box opens up where you can select your photo.