Announcement re: Model Engineers' Workshop

More thanks ... This time to Stephen Bondfield

Although I'm most unlikely to ever build the Miniature Drilling Machine that he describes in MEW No.209 et seq. I am grateful for the concise introduction to brushless outrunner motors.

MichaelG.

It's an interesting point Carl raises, and not to be dismissed lightly.

Many readers of MEW will not realise that in many of the earlier issues much of the content was written by the editor, initially Stan Bray and then Harold Hall. I know Harold was quite open about this when looking retrospectively at his time as editor.

If your read old copies of ME, you'll find many articles by Edgar T. Westbury, Ned, Artificer and Kinimette. Many of these are stand alone articles - all written by the same man. Now ETW was an exceptional talent, but spoke in different 'voices' for slightly different audiences and areas of model engineering.

If there was a deception, it was only to try to give the impression of a larger band of regular contributors to the reader.

Tom Walshaw's use of a pen-name was probably to keep his hobby distinct from his professional writing.

I adopted the Stub Mandrel nickname for a simple reason. When I started using this forum, in the days of the all-powerful search engine, I wanted to keep my hobby separate from my professional work. I wanted to share my hobby with other hobbyists.

I won't pretend my writing is in the same league as these folks, but I do know that, from time to time, I may need to fill small gaps in the magazine. Is it deceit to keep these distinct from truly editorial content?

What I am more interested in is being able to remain actively engaged with this forum. I may not be the greatest expert, but I do try to help beginners where I can and be part of the general life of the forum. Having the two names would help clarify when I am speaking in an official capacity, and what is simply day to day participation as a fellow model engineer.

I could change the Stub Mandrel account to Neil Wyatt, which might have the confusing effect of making my past ramblings look like official policy. It would also break conversations as posts would reply to the 'invisible' Stub Mandrel. Or I could abandon poor Stub altogether, at least for the time of my tenure as editor.

If I do run parallel accounts, I would make sure that the profiles for both accounts made it clear who was whom (or which witch is which?)

It's not a subject I expected to raise much heat, but if anyone has strong feelings on this, please make them known.

I think the point about long versus short articles is completely separate from the name appended to them. I agree totally that each issue of MEW needs to offer interest and value to the casual reader, and this can't be of most of the content is long series. Equally, a monthly magazine does offer the chance to explore more complex subjects and provide regular readers with something to look forward to, through running connected articles.

Finding the balance is not an easy task as views range the whole spectrum. Trying to find the 'sweet spot' that satisfies the most (or annoys the fewest) readers will be one of my main challenges.

Neil

(Edited because I am going to look pretty daft if don't correct my own bad typing!)

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 11/02/2014 18:25:05

RE: Jumping in at article 3 of a series.

Hyothetical question.

Ok, if you create a niche product and sell it, within 6 months, you'll find copies on EBay for a fraction of what you could make it for.

So, what is the Intellectual Property worth of the contents of ME or MEW 6 months down the road? Is it better just to give the content away at a later date?

How looses/gains in this scenario? Advertisers win, the reader wins, maybe the author wins. Only the old-magazine sellers loose, or am I missing something?

If you give it away for free after six months then you risk everyboby waiting for the freebie and nobody will buy the mag be it on the shelf or digitally so no income therefore no mag.

J

I take HSM and Digital machinist.

If we are talking about all articles being 3 pages long then we must be talking about different magazines.

Just picked one up and there is an article about a carriage stop for a mini lathe - not really rocket science is it.?

That article took 5 complete pages but took 8 up in the mag due to adverts

I think I have been looking at the same HSM as you John, some build articles spread over 10mags and don't forget they only publish 6 a year.

I also take Model Engine builder, again engines spread over two or more issues with 4 months between them not uncommon and maybe upto 20 A3 pages of drawings for an engine

Maschhinen im Modellbau don't have that many article sspread over more than one bi-monthly mag but do dedicate 10-12 pages to one subject

EIM, again long series.

J

Yet another good three-pager, in MEW No.213

Mark Noel's article about using an optical mouse for DRO is an entirely adequate introduction to the subject ... Three pages properly filled. It almost compensates for that disgraceful "Review" on page 62.

MichaelG.

Yes, we are talking about different magazines. I was attempting to compare Machinist's Workshop to MEW. Home Shop Machinist is also excellent. In the current episode, out of 14 articles (16 if you include a classified page and a Advertisers index) only two are serialised.

In the current issue of Machinist's Workshop, we find:-

An Unusual 4 Jaw Chuck For Clockmakers:- Constructional article with description and photographs, 41/2 pages.

A Studebaker Hydraulic Vice:- Restoration article, 21/2 pages.

Cold Casting with RTV:- Making rubber bushes using RTV, 1 page.

Give Your Vice Swivel Jaws and Pads:- Simple mod to give angled jaws to milling vice, 1 page.

Improve Leadscrew Reverse Latch on Mini Lathe:- What it says on the tin, Constructional article, 2 pages.

Machine Rebuilding: Bearing Surface Renewal:- Serialised, machine rebuild, this episode concentrates on surface grinding, 7 pages.

An Accurate Experiment:- Gunsmithing article, not really relevant to British readers but interesting nonetheless, 2 pages.

A Vertical Shear bit for the Lathe:- essentially a gunsmithing article but covering a ground up finishing tool, 21/2 pages.

All this makes for a very interesting read with some good solid constructional material. Readers are invited to contact the authors by email if the have any queries. I know that HSM and MW also have a thriving forum. The copy of HSM I have also contains 14 main articles, 8 of which are constructional and only 2 of which are serialised. So HSM and MW prove It CAN be done.

I take the point about serialisation to an extent. However, I would venture to suggest that serialisation is used in MEW to compensate for lack of copy and to ensure repeat purchases. And before anyone tells me that if I want something I should write it myself, that argument does not stand up to scrutiny since it is the job of the magazine's staff to recruit good writers and commission potential articles. There are plenty of great ideas for constructional and tooling articles on the forums with people who I'm sure would not take much persuading.

With regard to articles of a few pages length, the ME copies of old also prove that it definitely CAN be done.It is all down to the writing. Much of the stuff in MEW and ME is rambling and full of digression. Perhaps this is precisely so that the articles can be serialised. I have looked at several ME backnumbers from the 40s to the 70s and they are generally informative and interesting whilst retaining brevity.

I really don't mind what people call themselves either in here or anywhere else. I accept the idea of a nom de plume for the editor when copy is needed. Hubert Lansley did the same as "Spanner" in the Meccano Magazine, for many years. That said, this sort of thing adds to the air of elitism in ME and MEW.

I wish to make it known that I do not intend my comments to be inflammatory or to offend anyone. I would simply like to see a Quality British Workshop Magazine rather than having to buy an American one.

Edited again By JasonB to separate quoted text from reply

Edited By JasonB on 11/02/2014 20:50:05

I just read your article on cams in HSM, 7 pages. That is the sort of thing I'm talking about. It was excellent by the way.

One thought I have is that the advent of the digital camera means effectively free photographs. I shot the equivalent of two rolls of film last night just to get one good shot of Jupiter and one of the moon.

This means that when documenting a build it's tempting to photograph every single operation. That operation then gets described, so are digital cameras a potential cause of bloat?

Neil

They quite possibly are, I typically have 200-300 photos for any of my engine build threads but as I'm not so good with words they may replace a paragraph or two of text. There is also the thought that a newbie may more easily understand a setup or proceedure from looking at a photo than trying to follow a long text that uses terms they may not understand.

J

Edited By JasonB on 11/02/2014 20:42:14

.

Yes; and, as authors are paid by the page, it must be tempting to submit lots of images.

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that it's part of the Editor's job to moderate this

MichaelG.

In the past I have submitted a selection of photographs with the expectation that the editor would choose which to publish, the size and placement being dependent on the house style. I think it was Stan Bray in ME who started the rather lazy trend (in my opinion) of collating some photographs together with captions and calling it a constructional series.

Rod

So this didn't fit into your 3 pages at the most ?

Edited By John Stevenson on 11/02/2014 20:42:18

Carl,

Use of the down arrow will allow us to separate the quotation from your comments. At present it sometimes looks as if your comments have been made by others which is rather unfair to them.

cheers,

Rod

You can see it doesn't so there is really no need to be facetious. I was and am trying to make the point that much in MEW is long winded, esoteric and digressive. It can be and in fact is done better, so we can all hope for a better and more informative magazine. Seeking to undermine the points that I and others have made about the shortcomings of ME and MEW only further reinforces the image of a cliquey, elitist set of publications that are aimed at and controlled by and for a select few.

It wasn't being facetious, you say one thing in one post and contradict yourself in another.

You say it can be done better but this is only your view.

Out of a publication figure of say 20,000 [ just making numbers up ] you will only please 10,000 at the most on one subject but only 5,000 on another.

When was the last time you read a mag and thought every article ticked all the boxes for you ?

As regards being elitist not really sure what you mean?

If you mean the authors then it's perhaps that the management realise that without them there would be no mag and there are no staff writers any more and hasn't been for years - simple fact.

Also true that HSM has an active forum but as I pointed out the the other day why does this one have so many whingers and whiners ? They don't exist on HSM. Is it because they actually DO things and not stay welded to an armchair expecting everyone else to write the mag for them .

Sorry if you don't like this reply but to be honest I couldn't give a hoot.

You are entitled to your views and I'm entitled to mine

Well congratulations Neil. I wonder if your referee qualifications are upto scratch?

If not this might be useful **LINK**

You do realise it's now your fault that the articles are too long, too short, all CNC, all Loco, too many ads, print is too small, drawing standards are shite not like they were in the 40's when Billy edited the magazine and while you are sorting that lot out your website's crap!

Seriously, very best of luck and if I ever get time I will try and contribute an article that's not too long, not too short...

Best regards

Steve

The old armchair epithet, brought into play whenever someone disagrees with the status quo. I'm not a bad welder but I'm not good enough to fuse myself to a Parker Knoll.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but whenever one is expressed that doesn't fit in with the cognoscenti the furniture metaphors get trotted out.

Why are there so many "whingers" here and none on the HSM/MW forum? I wonder why that could be.

3 pages, 5, 7, you get the idea. Concise and informative would make for a more enjoyable read is all I'm saying. And I do not think I am alone.

Edited By Carl Wilson 4 on 11/02/2014 22:36:22

Edited By Carl Wilson 4 on 11/02/2014 22:58:09

Well I read the recent one on screw cutting with a gearbox equipped Myford to do oddball threads.

I personally thought it was well written and informative and I don't even have a Myford [ well working one anyway ]

Same as Neils threading article on the C3, I do have one of these but admit it hardly ever sees the light of day. However still informative and with a bit of working outside the box able to be translated to virtually any lathe.

Quality of HSM could be that they have 8 weeks to get the next issue out instead of 4, greater circulation given the US of A is a tad bigger than the UK ?