A preview of Model Engineers Workshop

Hi There

I have posted a preview of Model Engineers' Workshop Issue 200.

You can access it from the home page or click here.

Comments are welcome but it is too late to change the magazine.

Edited By David Clark 1 on 31/01/2013 21:23:40

The construction of an external hone system was already covered in MEW in 1997 as I recall.

It was but that was over 15 years ago.

We have new readers that won't have seen that article.

regards David

Harold Hall's "Direct Feed Rotary Table" is described here.

MichaelG.

That rotary table looks like the one I made over twenty years ago to a design by George Thomas.

Phil

Won't long term subscribers/magazine buyers effectively be paying twice for content if articles are repeated? It's a question of value for money I think, rather than span of time between printings.

How much new stuff can you put in a magazine? Everything has already been done (to a first approximation). The fly fishing magazines I subscribe to are the same every year. March- looking forward to the new season, May - flies for the Mayfly season, September - catch grayling on the fly. There's usually a new fly guaranteed to catch everything (the wing is mid grey instead of dark grey). Fifteen years between articles seems pretty good to me. Lest we forget, MEW is a commercial undertaking - the circulation figures will tell whether the approach is successful. Don't complain too hard or they will take away access to the back issues!

cheers,

Rod

I was surprised Phil that you had made a rotary table like the one I have produced as it has a number of features that I thought were new, still, I am not well read so I can easily be unaware of such a situation. I like to create designs which I feel are my own, actually, I often get more satisfaction from that than the making.

One such feature that I thought was mine is the method for easily locating, say the bore of a link, precisely on centre and then securing it with a single central screw. It can cope with any size bore and has four fixing screw threads, M3 to M6 for bigger or smaller workpieces.

Two other features that I realised were probably not unique, but I thought not that common, are 24 holes for accurate divisions and fine adjustment on the rotational stops.

Would be nice to know how George Thomas achieves these especially the location of parts.

I agree Rod!

Harold

Edited By Harold Hall 1 on 01/02/2013 09:01:44

That all looks good to me.

Love the car on the cover, so will look forward to the Petrol Heads feature as well.

The carpers have started before they have even see the magazine. What is wrong with some people?

Perhaps DC should invite some of them to be a guest editor for a month - they may not be so critical then..

By it's very nature the magazine is relatively backward facing if it's going to be about metal work

I seem to recall a different moan about computer and CNC stuff, but that's forward facing stuff

Models made from new materials like plastics and depron have drawn criticism too

Finding a happy medium means some people will be disappointed

Lambton,

I don't see the problem ... David gave us a preview, and invited comments

MichaelG.

.

Hi DC1,

Is that picture on the cover the new giveaway for subscribers, if so I shall send my cheque this PM?

There is nothing wrong with having articles on subjects previously covered, with the proviso that they are re-written and just not reprints. Two views on a subject can help the hard of thinking and so can be helpful and not be a "con", as some might think of them.

Now for Harold, it is a mistake to think that you can come up with something new in this field. There is a very good chance that some clever Victorian got there first. All we can hope to do is to bring new ideas (to the reader) and if they turn out to be truly original then it is feather in cap time. but it should not be expected. A classic example would be the swing up threading tool holder, a brilliant idea fore sure but it now turns out to have been patented in 1880's!

chriStephens

The only thing new in this game is electronics and materials.

Everything else has been done bigger and better by great grand dad.

The problem with the rotary table is that it is round and rotates. What is needed to be different is a square fixed rotary table. I'm sure Harold will rise to the challenge and I look forward to articles on tool bluntening rests and an SCTP (slow change tool post ) neither of which I can find in the index of past issues.

Yours, too?

Actually, things do improve over time. Old techniques, ones that maybe you needed when tools were the way they were, change.

On the locomotive front, LBSC did great work, but his methods and designs are, (in many cases) quaint. His Tich book needs updating, but I don't think anyone has the courage to do that!

I can see many other workshoppy items being made better, or design flaws designed out.

I'm finishing up a Worden, some of which came CNC punched/folded/welded, some of the remainder is being CNC'd in my workshop.

Another JohnS - http://cnc-for-model-engineers.blogspot.com

I note it is Issue 200. This equates to a total of well over 2000 article to date, most of which I found of interest in one way or another. David can only print copy he receives or writes himself. He has the same difficulties as any editor of a club magazine, copy does not appear out of thin air. Except he has to satisfy a much larger membership. Not an easy job.

The cost each month is similar to a coffe and a traybake. I know which I would prefer to spent the money on.

Hi There

The first issue I did of MEW was issue 124.

I finished this and it went to press and I had time to read some back issues.

Every article had appeared before in one form or another.

Currently working on issue 201.

regards David

" The cost each month is similar to a coffee and a traybake"

Very true - but they are not mutually exclusive. I recommend a coffee and tray bake whilst reading MEW. So I guess I prefer both!

Now that gives me an idea.........!

Cheers

Norman

Still "like a pig in muck" when Postie delivers....