Member postings for Gone Away

Nothing new. Every month, the new issue is published and placed in the archive some days before the home page gets updated.

Personally, I think they have their priorities correct. YMMV

Why? David is still the MEW Editor

Train = steam locomotive doesn't it? ..... unless they've invented other kinds, I haven't been watching.

I must admit I hadn't considered hovercraft - mea culpa.

Some people, in earlier threads, have expressed a wish to be able to read the mag offline on various devices. Say on a plane/train/bus for example. The new reader will allow that.

The question that's being begged, for me at least, is: does the archive now become a static resource or what? That is , when a new magazine edition is published is it added to the archive:

- immediately (as now)?

- sometime later (e.g. 6 months)?

- never?

If it's the first of course, then the new reader is an addition to what we have now and will address some peoples' stated concerns. If it's the last, then it replaces what we have now.

Must be another one of those subscription glitches that seem to happen with monotonous regularity around here. It worked fine for me when I did it 5 or 6 days ago.

I did (to be safe) go into "My Details" and cut/paste the subscription numbers. There was some confusion at one time over whether leading zero's, if any, were needed in various boxes and I never could remember the outcome.

Never mind, I've got it. In Library mode there is a "Refresh" button at top right. Clicked on that, then when I open a magazine, the Print icon is there.

Graeme, it's explained here.

Nothing has actually changed for me, Diane - I still don't see the printer icon. When you say "We have now fixed ..." does that mean it's fixed in the newest release of the (beta) reader software and that I need to download such newer version?

Keith,

yes I'm aware of all that with respect to the existing, online archive (both ME and MEW) ... but that wasn't what I was talking about. I was responding to Dave's comment, immediately preceding mine, about the new Digital Editions via PocketMags (see my earlier post farther up) .... which seems set to replace the current online digital copies and which has no apparent way of printing (even though it claims to).

Hasn't anyone else obtained the PocketMags reader (for PC - because printing from iPad or Android might be problematic anyway) ) and can confirm my impression of the (lack of) printing capability?

I get the impression that the editors are no more in the loop on this than the rest of us. It may be that they want to get the facts straight before commenting.

When you have a magazine open, the "Help" says that you can print "a page" by clicking on the icon at the bottom left. I can find no such icon. I presume MHS/MTM have had it defeated in their version.

If anyone else can find it, please let me know.

I got an email describing the new digital app (iPad/Android/PC) for downloading and reading ME/MEW via the PocketMags reader. As part of that it stated:

"In addition to downloading and keeping each new issue of Model Engineer via the app, you can of course still access the online archive* (previously referred to as the Digital Subscription) for the duration of your subscription at www.model-engineer.co.uk in the usual way."

(The asterisk led back to the "Terms and Conditions" published on this website)

That "duration of your subscription" caused me to wonder whether it meant only the current subscription (in which case it's to be expected because that's what I payed for with my digital subscription) or whether it includes renewals and new subscriptions too.

Renaming the online issues from "Digital Issues" to "Archive" might lead one to suspect that that is all they will be - a repository of old issues for magazine subscribers with ongoing issues being covered through Pocketmags.

I did install the PocketMags reader on my PC. I've used this reader before and personally I don't like it much although I guess it isn't any worse than the current, online flash reader. The pocketmags app does allow you to download and read issues offline but despite the fact that the help tool clearly states that there is a button available to allow printing of a page I could find no such button in my installation. I suspect it has been defeated in the MTM/MHS (whatever) implementation of the app.

If the current online access is curtailed, this would be a killer for me. And since I refuse to pay the rip-off charges for the paper mag in Canada .....

If it helps, ME Issue 4218 (2 - 15 April 2004) had an article on John Smith's "Busker" organ.

Considering the probable incremental cost of a single issue to the publishers, I really can't believe it's worth the time, effort and cost on your part to return it. Or on the publishers part to process it if you do.

Give it away to a worthy recipient. Who knows, it may lead to him taking out a subscription. The publisher can write it off as advertising.

Big myth: .... stainless steel is nonmagnetic ..... some alloys are, some aren't.

If basic machine cost were the only consideration I don't think there would be an problem in that case. But cost is only one issue and not, perhaps the most significant. The logistics of installing a 12" lathe in the workshop are a whole different ball game from a Myford-7 even for those with an outdoor, accessible workshop.

In my case, my workshop is in my basement and I had enough trouble, and needed a fair bit of (amateur) help, getting my ML7 down. I wouldn't attempt it with anything as large as a 12" ...... even assuming it's feasible (probably not) and even with professional - and probably expensive - help).

Probably "oil".

I used to feel that way but now I generally use solid dies. The only real use I ever found for split dies was to open them out for the first pass in "difficult" situations but I never noticed much gain and there is a finite risk of breaking the die if the die-holder is not a fairly close fit (many aren't) and you overdo it.

Now, in those difficult situations, I prefer to use the "Tubal Cain" method (of increasing tapped hole sizes to greatly reduce the cutting torque while only marginally affecting the ultimate thread strength) .... modified for external threading.

I do recall one occasion when I wanted a thread to be a tight fit with minimum backlash where I might have used a split die, but it was a special size and I would have had to purchase the die anyway. In the end I cut it on the lathe.

Bet that gives North American readers a chuckle