Universal Grinding machine construction series?

Diane,

How about giving us a 'taster' of what may be to come, maybe a short article giving an overview of the machine and its capabilites, along with maybe a few pictures of the machine as is or a General Assembly drawing.

CB

Hi CB

That's a reasonable idea. Maybe once we get our new website template an intro would make a good website article. I'll think on that, thank you.

Diane

A long drawn out and neccessarily complicated article, might that be better as a stand alone publication rather than eat up valuable Magazine space?

Are you looking to expand readership? as I can imagine it being rather off putting for a new reader picking up the Mag in Smiths and flicking through it only to find many pages of a complicated part article.

Paul

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Thats because I am too nice to say it I subscribe to ME as I like to make models if I was interested in making workshop equipment I would take MEW, if I liked both then I'd subscribe to both.

I can put up with the odd couple of pages that you have introduced recently but would not want to see more.

As for all those that say thay want to see the article yet also say they feel MEW is going down hill would this not be the type of article that could bring it back from the edge rather than more variations on tool height gauges, vice modifications etc?

J

Following Jason's comments ...

I do not make "models" and have therefore never subscribed to ME; although I do have a collection of old issues, purchased at an average of about 10p each. (At which price, of course, they are great value!)

When MEW was launched, I presumed that this would provide the range of articles more relevant to my own interests, and that ME would focus on models.

200+ issues later ... it is evident that I was wrong.

MichaelG.

Edited By jason udall on 12/09/2013 09:21:59

A fair enough comment, Jason, and it might be more representative than has come across so far. This is what I am trying to establish. Although I think that if it were to run it would have to be, as I said, every other issue at most, with 'one-off' Workshop Topics in the alternates. Model making is always going to be the primary concern of Model Engineer, don't worry. We also have some first rate model making series on the stocks. It's a struggle to fit it all in these days!

Diane

really ?

then why has DC1 been begging for at least the last year for more articles ? if its that difficult to fit it all in then why cant you let some of the workshop topics you've just mentioned be published in MEW rather than in ME ? MEW is more akin to a trade mag now than a hobbyist mag. Especially when even the Eds special section contains nothing more than blatant adverts.

looking back through this thread im seeing the majority of answers are saying that MEW is the right place for an article like this. But obviously that doesnt have any bearing on the matter. Its going in ME no matter what anyone says.

Why not just merge the two mags together now, rather than in the future. Get the uproar and complaints over with now and merge the two as im pretty sure that thats the intent anyway. Gradually introduce workshop/tooling articles into ME [as your doing] so that the change over is hardly noticed in ME land. Then all your left with is just a load of MEW subscribers left out in the open without the mag they paid for.

Z

PS. i also think this article should be in MEW.......

Edited By Ziggar on 12/09/2013 11:40:08

Really? You obviously know more than me. Mind you, I'm only the Editor...

Can I just remind all readers that I am not responsible for MEW and have no say in, or responsibility for, its content. The two are completely independent magazines. The purpose of this thread is to gauge the acceptibility of an article for Model Engineer only.

Diane

That being the case then I think it would finally decide for me that MEW would no longer be the magazine I need. I'd go over to one of the Home Workshop/Machinist kind of mags

This is the kind of article that I bought my subscriptions to read. Please go for it!

I don't mind which magazine it is in, as I'm subscribed to both. ME is less interesting to me than MEW, but this would make me excited to open it again. I'm not one for trains (they are just a means of getting to work for me), and am far more interested in the workshop/tooling side of things, or just about any other engineering subject.

Diane, if you would like some feedback on ME specifically, there was a short series on building a canal-side crane a little while ago that I liked a lot. I will not pretend to be the typical ME subscriber, but articles on engineering models that aren't trains are what I'd like to see.

Luke

I think ME should contain a bit of everything as historicly it always has.

Most of our club members are interested in a bit of everything though there are a handful who are very narrowly focused. It results in a much richer club experience with opportunities for cross fertilisation of ideas and techniques. It would be terrible to take the view that some subjects must not be covered - would someone really say horology must go to Clocks magazine, Club chat to Facebook, reviews of commercial products to Shopkeepers monthly.

I've read the various recent posts regarding the future of MEW, the quality of articles submitted and into which magazine the 'Universal Grinder' should appear. It is now time to throw my hat into the ring and make a few observations.

Everyone seems to be knocking MEW and it's content, and maybe it's not perfect, but the magazine will only ever be what the readership dictates - it is they that supply the articles. As has been said many times before, DC can only publish what he receives. So, for those of you that are not happy with the content, why not have a go at writing some articles? Also, as MEW is basically a workshop biased magazine, it can never have the same wide range of potential subject matter as ME, so the range of articles is somewhat limited and repeats are more likely - however, even 'repeats' can offer a differing view of the subject matter.

For those of you that have submitted articles which have not been published, rather than moaning about it, why not ask "when, or if, they will see the light of day". After all, you will probably have spent many hours producing the article, so surely you have the right to know if it's acceptable or not, and the likely publication date. If it's not acceptable you always have the option to offer it elsewhere.

On the subject of articles, there has been much comment about the quality of articles published in MEW. I've had a couple of articles published, and have some more in the pipeline. Despite the criticism from some quarters, it is not an easy task - for example, at what level do you pitch the article? Do you want to attract the beginner or the more experienced worker? I would suggest ideally both, and so I try to pitch my articles for readers of average experience and ability, so that the beginner can advance their skills and hopefully the more experienced can also gain some ideas. That approach will, of course, be considered wrong by some people. As the old saying goes - you can't please all of the people all of the time.

Believe me, considering the hours spent producing articles, this is no cash cow as some people have suggested - there are drawings to be prepared, photographs to be taken and descriptions to be written up, as well as making the thing in the first place. For those of you who hold this view, my advice would be to try writing an article.

So, to those of you who knock MEW and it's content, rather than cancelling your subscriptions, how about determining it's future in a more positive way. Write some articles that suit your interests because the subject matter is obviously not being covered. Alternatively, why not ask DC to commission articles - after all he has access to both the readership and the authors.

Finally, to the subject of the 'Universal Grinder' - I say "please publish it". To me it makes no difference if it's published in ME or MEW, although I must admit it's good to see a limited amount of workshop articles back in ME.

Rant over - back to the workshop.

I would love to see this in MEW. I have a 1200 kg TCG but I have to duck for cover every time I start it.....

If it is done in ME and not offered to MEW only audience as a peace offering/freebie or something....I would feel completely gutted.

PekkaNF

We keep hearing that we must do something to encourage newcomers into the home metalworking pastime ( and I do not just mean those at the younger end of the scale) and I am sure most will agree to that.

However, I cannot see a few pages an issue in ME is ever going to satisfy this need, especially as some will be of the calibre of the one being discussed here. If therefore, MEW ceased to be published, and I do not see that, where would these individuals get their guidance.

Often it is suggested that they should contact their local model engineering club, but how many are near enough to a club to take that route I ask. I live some 25 miles north of London and am not near enough to do that, especially in the winter months.

Could though be good for the sale of my books.

Harold

As it's going to be a long series, it might be best in ME, or it will go on for years in MEW. Perhaps in a year or three, it could be published as a "Best of Model Engineer" book.

As an ME subscriber, I used to enjoy articles by those such as Peter Spenlove - Spenlove, and others. Others won't agree, but I have never really understood why two mags. Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 12/09/2013 14:03:38

I know this will not be popular with subscribers to both MEW and ME but why not run it in both magazines. I am only taking one magazine and I am sure there are others like me. Obviously, both camps are interested and not everyone subscribes to both magazines. MEW could run it in consecutive issues instead of every second issue proposed for ME. Just a thought, as I have no interset in building a locomotive or traction engine I will never see the proposed article if it only goes into ME. No offence Dianne, I just ended up on the other side of the fence because of my interests.

Alex

As this project was offered to Dianne by the writer for publication in M.E. and presumeably NOT MEW, why are so many people muddying the water by bringing MEW into the mix?

Let the editor of MEW find and publish his own material, Not that poached from Dianne because a handful of moaners put the screws on!
As Dianne stated, the two magazines are independent and, that it was intended for M.E publication, she made no mention of MEW!!

It would appear the writer wants it published in M.E. rather than MEW otherwise he would have offered it there, so his magazine of choice for publication is his prerogative Not yours, and if Dianne is prepared to run it for the benefit of the readership, then who are any of you to bitch about it!

It's very likely that if all the doomsayers here get their way, the project will end up being shelved by the writer simply because he'll be as sick of hearing the endless negative postings on this site as I am!

Publish and be damned Dianne, I don't subscribe to either magazine, but I do buy a full series of any runs containing articles of which I am interested, and This is one of them!

John.

I get GPO'd about some of the supposed hostility on here. As far as I'm concerned, publish and be damned. I think that this article will be of interest to quite a lot of people, especially for the manufacturing processes involved, not necessarily the finished article. The only caveat I would suggest is that the article should run for a reasonable amount of time (say) 12 or 15 issues, not up to Part 46 where readers get fed up with it. It might be best to break into logical chunks and make a feature of that chunk on the front cover.

My two pennorth

Dennis

I would love to see ME getting back to the wider spread of topics we once had. A tool grinder would make a very good project, the one envisaged sounds to me like a very useful bit of kit, with the price of castings now making most projects a non starter, it would be refreshing to see a machine such as this made from bar stock, the CNC aspect would also be worthy of investigation. So yes, please think about running the series.

Stephen.