Ken Sprayson

Looking at 217 MEW I see Ken Sprayson will be in the next edition of MEW.

In my younger days on motorbikes he was legend on frame building a wizard building frames for many of the leading circuit racers plus Thrust 2 record car.

Hurry up next edition of MEW I have also just ordered his book.

Paul

This is what home workshops should be about, not just models and choo choo's

He made some interesting frames for the old british bikes and vastly improved on the factory frames. To be honest tiddly little models and machine tools that you can sit on a table top don't do it for me, a bit of full sized home engineering would be welcome in the magazine , and something i think i am correct in saying , that no other magazine caters to ?

Assuming that this one proves popular [as, of course, it should] ...

How about a follow-up by Tony Foale ?

MichaelG.

The whole issue of Models versus "Real World" seems to polarise opinion.

Well, my take is that it takes all sorts to make up our world and each has it's place. Some things interest me not in the slightest and other facets of engineering grab 100% of my attention. But I just can't be having the "it's this or nothing" brigade.

Personally, I will be going CNC soon. Something I hope to be reading more of in the Mag.

graham.

I think the contents are changing, it's attitudes that are proving stubborn

What is engineering anyway? In my humble opinion, a good deal of "engineering" is problem solving. And that can be electrical, electronic or mechanical. In the case of some home workshops it can even encompass Civil.

graham.

Stop All Engines!!

Gentlemen.

Perhaps one should consult a thesoreass. Therein you will find several synonyms for the word "model" including the word "replica". Personally, I would be in favor of replacing "Model" in MEW with "Metal". After all, metal crafts existed long before the advent of electricity and "Sparkies". Metal work is the Senior Craft, is it not? ... Stir-Stir-Boil and Bubble

I have said for years that the Yanks [ Hawk - spit - ding ] got it right with their magazine called Home Shop Machinist in that the title covers everything.

Many of my friends [ all 2 ] that have workshops do so to support another hobby be it vintage bikes, RC models or, hang on that's the 2 covered.

Doesn't stop you making models or choo choos if you want.

When Dave Fenner was editor he produced a few mags with cars and bikes on the cover and apparently they outsold other covers from the same time period.

Lets face it only an anorak could spot a mag with say a dividing head on the cover from 15 paces in W H Schmitt and Co GMBH.

Rather fitting the Sprayson article having just watched the first of the sidecar TT's from the Isle of Man on the box

I have to say I have never made a model and will almost certainly never will. I'm more of a machine builder than a scale modeller but I've been reading ME since the mid seventies as then it was the only way a boy could read about how to make stuff at home.

I'm fine with the shared content, even in MEW. However like a lot (some?) of the current readership, I move with the times and so 3D CAD, CNC etc is definitely on my current radar.

And cars, bikes, engines, steam, machine tools, welding, electronics.... It's all fine by me!

Murray

Reading a write up on Kens book it says Completely self taught he shows what a person can achieve when you have a passion for your job, hobby or sport.

Paul

Engineering is engineering no matter what the size of the end product. Model engineering due to the size of the finished article uses techniques from instrument making and watch/clock making as well as other size methods. I doubt that anything is unique to model engineering.

Mike

I'm going to follow up Ken's article with one by a motorcycle builder whose designs are about as different from Ken's designs as you can get...

As far as I'm concerned the magazine's brief is to cover light engineering in the home or small workshop. No hard limits on materials or subjects.

The two articles relating to 'modelling' (mandrels and 'milling a flywheel' both got good receptions - they may be about 'modelling' but the principles have far wider application.

I also have a few shorter tool builds coming up - probably 3-4 parters, and planning to fit in a lot more short articles as well.

Stay tuned...

Neil

Hi all ,I will be polite and say " Who cares what the mag is called . we all make things of all sizes and in any material" as long as we know where to look for what we want.

Happy building Maurice

Hello Neil , you beat me to it ,carry on as is.

Maurice

+1 for dropping "Model" from the title. My home workshop started off for restoring vintage cars but since retirement has been used for model making, clock making, machine building, and above all repairing household items that would otherwise cost a fortune to have repaired or replaced.

I also think the scope could be widened to cover all branches of engineering.

Just my two Euro cent's worth

Russell.

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I can supply the Myford

I note that George Daniels had a Myford in his workshop amongst a selection of desireable machinery.

Mike

Yes please, get rid of the word "model" from the title of MEW, it sends out the wrong signals to many people. From now on let's have EW.

Doug