New Year’s Resolutions

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New Year’s Resolutions

This topic has 51 replies, 24 voices, and was last updated 3 January 2011 at 22:30 by Chris Trice.

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31 December 2010 at 17:32 #61543
KWIL
Participant
@kwil
Here is an opportunity to have a say as to what you would like to see, or indeed what you would not want to see in ME and MEW.

The Edfitor would, I know, like some more contributions of articles from those who have something to offer.

As a provocation, no more “wooden handles for files” articles!

Edited By KWIL on 31/12/2010 17:46:32
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31 December 2010 at 17:32 #21772
KWIL
Participant
@kwil
31 December 2010 at 17:39 #61545
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
It would be nice to see some more Road Steam, its been very thin on the ground over the last year. I think all we had was Edward’s (Martin Wallis) GMT cylinder and his two part Out and About. I suppose there are very few new designs comming out and those that are are being well documented on the net.

Have to agree with Kwil on the file handles, were not even that elegantly turned IMHO.

Happy new year to all.

Jason

My personal resolution is to spend less time infront of the ‘puter and more in teh workshop
31 December 2010 at 18:15 #61547
Ramon Wilson
Participant
@ramonwilson3
Posted by JasonB on 31/12/2010 17:39:31:

My personal resolution is to spend less time infront of the ‘puter and more in teh workshop

My sentiment exactly Jason but how to do so when this gives us such an opportunity to communicate with others of similar mind on a daily basis.

KWIL I’m working on it – David is aware

I would like to thank all those who have responded to my request for input over the last year and hope that in turn my own has been favourably received. This really is a great medium of which we should all be proud , contributers or not.

Sorry about the double post but the enemy is here (MiL) and SWMBO is ticking about something to do with tea – total distraction I’m afraid

A truly happy New Year and ‘as much time in your workshop as you can manage’ to all

Regards – Ramon

Edited By Ramon Wilson on 31/12/2010 18:17:12

Edited By Ramon Wilson on 31/12/2010 18:17:31
31 December 2010 at 18:56 #61548
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi There

More articles are welcome.

The file handles were to encourage beginners.

I had an email today about there not being any tooling articles in ME.

So, would you like to see tooling articles in ME?

Would you like to see model articles in MEW.

The two magazines will never be combined in the forseeable future.

What would you like to see in ME and MEW

regards David
31 December 2010 at 19:26 #61551
Nicholas Farr
Participant
@nicholasfarr14254
Hi David,

I personally feel that MEW should be primerally about its title, and that model articles should not be included. I do however, feel that although very popular, Myford are not the only manufacturer of lathes and maybe attachments/improvements for other makes could be wrote about more often. I myself don’t consider myself as being much of a designer of such things though.

Regards Nick.
31 December 2010 at 19:51 #61553
Gray62
Participant
@gray62
I for one endorse Nicholas Farr’s sentiments, MEW should be about workshop related articles, tooling machine modifications, attachments etc etc, machining of models should be kept to ME.

I also agree that there should be more articles that are more generically focused and not biased towards Myfords.

I have nothing against Myford and in fact crave owning a ML7 Tri Leva, for posterity more than anytning, however, there are a lot of us that own machines other than Myford.

All said and done, it does need input from the ME community to cover articles that relate to other machines and I am in the process of developing some attachments that can be adapted to the generic chinese produced machines, I expect within the year to have a couple of articles ready for some interesting projects.
31 December 2010 at 19:56 #61555
KWIL
Participant
@kwil
My lathes are Myfords and a Harrison, I have written about and for them, it however up to others to come forward. If nobody volunteers there are no articles to publish. Perhaps the “other” lathes are so perfect or are so complete you want for nothing??
31 December 2010 at 20:34 #61562
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi There

The majority of articles about Myfords are relevant to other makes.

I don’t get many articles other than Myfords.

We have run a couple of Boxford articles recently and I hope to get some more Unimat articles when the chap has written them.

More articles about installing and using larger lathes would be welcome.

regards david
31 December 2010 at 20:58 #61565
Peter G. Shaw
Participant
@peterg-shaw75338
Agree that MEW should be about the tools and using them.

In respect of my non-Myford equipment I have submitted a small number of articles for my lathe, but have not seen any indication that they may be suitable for publication. In fact, I don’t even know if they have been received. The result is that I do indeed wonder if it is worth my while taking photos and creating articles. It would be nice to have confirmation of receipt, and if unsuitable, a brief reason why. At least then I would have some indication of where to improve, if possible.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw
31 December 2010 at 21:11 #61567
Flying Fifer
Participant
@flyingfifer
I fully agree with Coalburner`s comments in his first paragraph & I`ve got a Trileva Myford as well. Yes there have been a lot of articles about Myfords & also additional tools or gadgets for them in both ME & MEW over the years. However there have also been non Myford attachments described.

With a little bit of thought even they can be adapted/altered/redesigned to suit a Myford AND THE CONVERSE also applies (after all we are engineer`s aren`t we?). The same applies to most things, the only probem is can your existing machinery cope with “larger projects”

I`m currently doing a repair to a very badly abused Super 7 long topslide that I bought for a fiver at a boot sale a few years ago which I was going to write up for MEW so I suppose I needn`t bother now. BUT how I am repairing it applies to any other tee slot on any other machine ie its the principle or how too that counts not the fact that it happens to be a Myford part.

A Very Happy & Prosperous New Year to all & long may this forum continue.
31 December 2010 at 22:02 #61572
Steve Garnett
Participant
@stevegarnett62550
Posted by Flying Fifer on 31/12/2010 21:11:12:

I`m currently doing a repair to a very badly abused Super 7 long topslide that I bought for a fiver at a boot sale a few years ago which I was going to write up for MEW so I suppose I needn`t bother now. BUT how I am repairing it applies to any other tee slot on any other machine ie its the principle or how too that counts not the fact that it happens to be a Myford part.

Absolutely. I’m currently doing the same thing to my ‘new’ Kerry compound slide as a result of the previous owner letting clumsy students crash it into the spinning chuck. And I suspect that there may well be more than one approach to this, depending on what’s actually happened. And on that basis alone, I would have thought that an article that was specifically intended to be generic would be the way to go. Might require a slightly different approach to writing it, though…

Agree entirely about tooling-related articles staying in MEW, and also echo the Happy New Year, etc. stuff.
31 December 2010 at 22:02 #61573
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi There

I do have a small article bank and draw from it regularly.

Very few articles will never be used.

Often a reminder gets the article looked at and into the next magazine.

Apart from a quick glance I only get time to read articles as I select them.

Rarely do I not use them when I select them.

It should improve now with the new assistant editor.

I hope to have more time and we are starting to edit in advance of use.

regards david
31 December 2010 at 22:07 #61576
John Stevenson 1
Participant
@johnstevenson1
Posted by David Clark 1 on 31/12/2010 20:34:35:

More articles about installing and using larger lathes would be welcome.

regards david

How large? I have a small TOS here 22″ swing and 86″ between centres

John S.
31 December 2010 at 22:23 #61577
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi John

What will you write about?

regards david
1 January 2011 at 00:02 #61580
John Olsen
Participant
@johnolsen79199
Hi David,

I’d go along with what Peter Shaw said about not knowing if articles have been received…there are three or four partly completed articles sitting on my hard drive right now, but since I have spent money to send in their predecessors and don’t actually even know if they been received there is a bit of a disincentive to sending more. I know you are a pretty busy man, but I would have thought that an email that acknowledged arrival would not take too long. Even better would be the odd suggestion for improvement.

Among those articles there is one for the Unimat, there is another Unimat one here that could be out the door pretty easily.

I would prefer not to see Model Engineer completely devoted to models, I enjoy seeing the mix with machine tool articles. Of course naturally there will be more articles on modifications to the Myford, since there is so much more wrong with the Myford that needs fixing. (ducks for cover)

regards

John Olsen
1 January 2011 at 08:43 #61583
keithmart
Participant
@keithmart
Hi

I agree with many of the comments above, but one of MY pet hates is the inclusion of machine specific long articles.

I would prefer short articles without many detailed drawings and the inevitable comment “These dimensions are not critical”

What about distributing the magazine electronically?

It would cut the cost of distribution, and cut out delivery delays. Overseas readers would get their magazine at the same time as the UK

Happy new year to all

Regards

Keith

Leeds UK
1 January 2011 at 09:30 #61584
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi John

I usually do respond to email submissioms although occasionaly they do get missed.

regards David
1 January 2011 at 09:32 #61585
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi Keithmart

Digital subscriptions are available to ME and MEW.

Either costs £29 for a year.

regards David
1 January 2011 at 09:35 #61586
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi John

Did you send your articles by email?

If so they were not received.

Unimat articles would go straight to the top of the queue.

regards David
1 January 2011 at 17:53 #61603
magpie
Participant
@magpie
David,

How about an ideas page,for people who have done a mod to a machine,but do not wish to write a whole article. I am thinking a brief description, and maybe a photo or two to get folk thinking how they may adapt the idea to fit their own equipment. I am sure there are a lott of folk out there who dont need everything in detail to get o job done

Just an IDEA !!!!! Cheers Derek
1 January 2011 at 18:47 #61607
blowlamp
Participant
@blowlamp
David.

I’ve submitted a couple of articles within the last six months, but I don’t have any idea if they were suitable for publication.

How long should we leave it before either chasing it up, or giving up any hope of becoming published, as I’m forever mindful of how busy you must be?

Also, do you tend to get in touch with the author before sending it to press?

Martin.
1 January 2011 at 19:03 #61608
Keith Wardill 1
Participant
@keithwardill1
Magpie (Derek) partly beat me to the punch – I would like to see some kind of ideas forum in ME, (not only machines) but I guess this forum has taken the place of a published ideas page. IMO it is not easy to pursue creative ideas in the electronic forum, as things so often seem to go off topic.

I’m afraid I don’t take MEW (not interested in making tools, only using tools to make models), so I would also like to see ME revert to its content of some years ago, when it contained a much more varied mix of material than is now the case. Unfortunately, I suppose we all know that profit rules all, and the publishers can (probably) make more money from spreading subject matter over two magazines. I still can’t help thinking (and some of David C’s posts seem to confirm it), that submitted material is spread very thinly when it is split between two magazines.

No personal NY resolutions – I never stick to them anyway – expediency rules!

KeithW
1 January 2011 at 20:45 #61611
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi Martin

Email me with what articles you have sent and last name.

regards david
1 January 2011 at 20:57 #61612
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi There

Material is not distributed thinly.

I am not short of articles but do have some duplication and a lot of Myford articles and if I don’t keep requesting articles I will run out.

Unusual or interesting articles go to the front of the queue while some of the other articles get left behind a bit.

Also, over the Exhibition and Christmas period I have to select articles with few drawings as the office staff tend to take holidays in December to use them or lose them.

We have to do five magazines in less than four weeks.

We are now editing in advance of requirements so we can just select articles and put them straight into the magazines.

I also have a contributors budget to work to and have to try and keep the contributor cost to below a certain limit. The limit has gone up for 2011 which means I can run extra locomotive design articles which atract higher rates than standard articles.

This does not affect MEW as all articles are paid at a flat rate.

regards David
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