The Best of Model Engineer Volume 3 Now available

Ladies & Gents,

As I posted on 14th Sep, I had an E-mail dated 11th saying "despatched". I said then that I expected to receive my copy in the post within a few days, and sure enough, it did arrive a few days later. So no complaints from here on that score.

Reading some of the above posts perhaps I was just lucky, but that postal performance was much the same as that which I get here regularly with delivery of MEW (I'm not an ME subscriber).

With regard to content, of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion (and has the right to express it), but reading some of the above posts I do wonder just what it would take to satisfy some of you????

First off, the content is exactly as described by DC in his original heads up post - in fact there is rather more in the actual Special No. 3 than DC describes above. So personally, I don't think anyone can fairly say that they've been misled as far as content goes, though I must say that as I have not much more than a passing interest in steam I did not buy Special No. 2 so have nothing to directly compare with.

Secondly, my personal feeling is that although I doubt that I shall ever build the Stride 15cc 4 stroke engine (for example), for me the article was so well illustrated and explained that there was certainly a lot of interesting meat there - how to make camshafts and machining those cooling fins on the cylinder jacket was both very useful and easily applicable to lots of other jobs.

Similarly, I won't ever build that "O" Gauge live steamer but it was an interesting read in it's own right (sorry!), just like all the other stuff (2.5cc aero engines; shapers, etc). And similar comments apply to all the rest of the content - about the only "complaint" I have is with the layout, in that the excellent photos within the Stride article were A) a bit too small; and B) ended up being placed "out of phase" with the relevant piece of text.

That problem really does annoy me (you have to keep turning pages back and forth), but I also know enough about the economics of mag publishing to know that this is unavoidable, and indeed is a common problem in hard back books too, let alone in magazines.

So all in all I'm pleased with both the overall MHS service AND with the content, so fail to understand some of the above gripes - perhaps you're all much too expert to be bothering with such stuff, having been around since Pontius was a pilot, having seen it all before, and got the T shirt to boot. So why did you buy it then?

Personally, as very much a newbie I though it was very good in terms of both "entertainment" and in its expertise-building. Furthermore, it was exactly as advertised.

As said at the start, everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and has the right to express it. The above is mine.

Happy Sunday!

AES

Edited By AES on 22/09/2013 13:21:17

Edited By AES on 22/09/2013 13:22:06

Edited By AES on 22/09/2013 13:23:19

Also ordered last month ... and still waiting

...and explanation was there none! Drinking parties in breweries comes to mind

Rgds

Bill

Well i ordered mine on a Friday and it arrived the following Wednesday last week. Liked most of the articles but the one that interested me was the hand shaper which turned out abit poor in details and pictures( there rubbish).

Well, just tried to contact MHS, a recorded message..........They dont open until 10-00am.

I'm going to ask for a full refund and then purchase from WHS........

The whole excercise has been a complete and utter waste of time...

The only people to have benefitted from this is MHS, gaining the interest on the money they received up front.........

Just got off the phone to them............

My concerns seemd to be unfounded

It appears my mag has gone AWOL......Dispatched on the 11/9...

They're sending me a replacement....

All seems rather odd, our local postie is pretty good at delivering stuff.......

Well I guess we'll see what transpires....

Hi John

Interesting - it looks as though a whole batch of the mags have gone missing and all posted on the 11th Sept. In the last 8 or so posts on this thread there are 3 more of us that haven't received our copies and all suppiosedly sent on the 11th.

Keith

Yes mine was supposed to have been despatched on the 11th as well. They could have told us what is going on! I've just emailed them as the telephone number they give doesn't work from here in France.

Russell.

Serves you right for living in the armpit of Europe

My copy turned up last week and considering I'm in Australia it's not a bad effort .

I'm happy with content as I like IC engines and it is good to be able to read an entire article in one go instead of waiting for each installment.

My thoughts on content are as follows : If you are unsure of whether the magazine will have something of interest to you then wait untill it is on the shelf at your local supplier or newsagent and have a look at it - if you like you buy .

If you buy it without checking and get it home to read only to find the content is not what you wanted there is little point in moaning about it ,why not make a request or submit and idea for the next issue if there is one to be published ?

Keep up the good work Dc.

Ian

.....Always assuming that you can rely on it showing up on said shelf. Here (Canada) I haven't seen ME or MEW on the store shelves in months. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the special issue to turn up there

Edited By SLOTDRILLER on 24/09/2013 05:09:12

Posted by John Stevenson on 23/09/2013 11:06:38erves you right for living in the armpit of Europe

Agreed. It does have it's compensations though

Russell.

Hi There

I think this was a good special.

The shaper was put in because of the drawings, not the method of construction.

I tried to cater for everyone.

The photos of the Nemett engine were a little small but that was down to space considerations.

The shaper photos were taken from a 60 year old magazine as the originals were not available.

I hope most of you were happy with the magazine.

It is good it went on sale early in Smiths.

It usually goes on sale late and people have to get Smiths to check the stockroom.

Postal problems do happen.

The post Office is not infallible.

Also, there were over 600 to be sent out (probably a lot more) which does take a bit of time.

Let me know what you would like to see in Best of ME Volume 4.

I am thinking the Nemett 15cc twin and 7.5cc single.

The rest could be up to you.

Let me know what you think.

regards David

David is there any limit to what you have available, eg could it be anything since issue 1 or are there only certain things that you have the rights to?

I think if there is a Vol IV then rather than two long articles and a few short ones it may be better to have say 4 of equal size maybe IC, Stationary steam, Loco and Tooling that way there should be something of substance for everyone plus a few page fillers..

One other thing on the Thompestone engine has some text been removed as the last sentence of the second paragraph starts about the cylinder and ends up talking about the vee pullies It could make a nice project that is a step up from Stew's mill engine but not overly complicated.

Edited By JasonB on 24/09/2013 09:52:10

Finally emailed Customer Services re. non-delivery. Reply with stock apology and "As a gesture of goodwill (my italics) I have asked for it to be resent to you." !!!! Really?? - a gesture of goodwill?? ... not fulfilling their contract of supplying goods and services already paid for but not received???

Having already cancelled my subs to ME and MEW that "gesture" (translated as -" you are a thieving ***** trying to con us out of two magazines for the price of one"  has now ensured no further dealing with this disorganised shambles. Can't imagine what Percival M would have made of it!

Thank Heavens for the Forum

Rgds

Bill

Edited By Cornish Jack on 24/09/2013 11:23:10

Its not a problem with the topics - a wide variety but the detail.

Lynx fine, Bat fine, hand bench shaper (why?), vertical engine (drawings/castings?) small ic engine - lovely but where's the casting?, Storage cabinet (a what?), screw riviter (a what?) and some drawings that could be used if you add some dimensions of your own and get the castings run off.

SteveW