NEW MAGAZINE FOR MODEL ENGINEERS

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Space decks and spindle speed have signed up with the same MO.

No details other than gmail address and neither have validated their account.

I am getting something checked prior to deleting the entire thread.

 

Could not check yesterday as email was not working but now OK.

regards David

 

 

 

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Gray,

Nice to see you back on the forum. “space decks” has certainly shot himself in the foot with his last comment proving he has not followed this forum.

 

Les.

[Chris TriceParticipant @christrice43267]

Oh please. Let me play with ‘them’ some more.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

This post has brought some valid points up though in that another mag will dilute the subscription pool, by how much is hard to say.

There are always subscribers moving, leaving and joining all the while.

 

I feel the same applies to shows but more so as they are not so regular and the cost is higher than a subscription.

 

Just my take on it but there are too many shows at present and more being offered.

 

If you look at the build up of a show it’s three sided, like a triangle.

You have models and clubs, lets just call these models ? Trade and stands and gate money.

 

All are required for a show because the show has to make money or break even,

 

Take one side of the triangle away and the other two sides fall flat. Gate money is always needed.

Models are needed to get the interest level up but they do not contribute to the running of the show. In some ways they are a drain because of the free tickets handed out to the exhibitors.

 

Trade is needed because they contribute the bulk of working capital.

 

The problem, and again this is my personal take on this, is that whilst money is tight, trade has to make cuts. Do they or do they not go to a show ?

 

If they don’t, their competitors will reap their rewards, if they do go can they break even ?

 

If they don’t go they can save a lot of money, remember most have to shut up shop and loose phone, internet and passing trade whilst they are away.

 

The Internet is now far bigger than it was a few years ago and will continue to grow and the lack of travelling, hotels, overtime wages etc can enable them to keep prices down.

 

Shows need trade to survive, Pickering proved this, the trade basically boycotted it and it folded. We do not need more shows but condense what we have. Sandown in December in London followed by Ally Pally in London in January is far too big a strain on resources.

 

John S.

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

Hi All

 

It is pretty shabby if the two posts are some sort of subterfuge to try an lever a few members off the forum in another direction. To me it is also a clear sign of weakness, and it certainly is unethical.

 

The fact is a web site and a quarterly rag is not enough to make a real difference to the model engineering community. that is only a small part of the real difference that ME MEW makes. These two magazines “enable” the focus of a huge community effort that not only covers model making but small business engineering as well.

 

These are difficult times for business, It is clear to me that the way forward is to “get on with it”; The ME and MEW community is a group the spans two world wars and tens of thousands of pages of published work. What is needed is new younger members and maybe a more engrossing approach to new technology, we need more engineers to make our very special interest more viable.

 

As to the fete of the new Duckling? Alfred Noyes put it very succinctly Here ….

 

Cheers

John McNamara

Edited By John McNamara on 28/12/2011 12:08:31

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by John McNamara on 28/12/2011 11:57:03:

Hi All that is needed is new younger members and maybe a more engrossing approach to new technology, we need more engineers to make our very special interest more viable.

 

 

Cheers

John McNamara

 

Could not agree more John but as soon as we get articles on CNC and David has said CAD is a no – no, then the flat earth society come out all in a rash.

 

There are no centre lathe turners or millers in industry now, it’s moved on, so should we.

 

John S.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

On the ( unlikely it seems) assumption that there is to be the launch of a new quarterly magazine need ME/MEW fear this? Surely the readership is well catered for by the content of both these publications. (OK John I know you crave CNC/CAD fixes which are on ration!) Why should there be a defection to a new mag? If it is good I’m likely to shell out for those mags in addition to my current purchases. If, as seems likely, this is some elaborate scam/ hoax well at least it has kept us entertained at our computers and away from all the washing up/ silly games / excessive boozing / overeating. Sorry I should say kept some of YOU not US!

Hope you all had a good one.

 

Regards

 

Norman ( Still recovering from losing to the Grandbrats at all those games!!)

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by NJH on 28/12/2011 13:00:25:

Surely the readership is well catered for by the content of both these publications.

That sounds awful like a rhetorical question Norman. For my part, the content of ME has never particularly suited me. That of MEW did, very much so, up to a few years ago; less so since then. I gather from this forum that there are others.

 

In addition there are issues other than content for some.

[Ompa OmpaParticipant @ompaompa11814]

I may appear a bit lost at some time or other, the thing that struck me as almost a reason for this topic to be brought up was the suggested month of starting this ‘new’ magazine, APRIL!! Could this not be just one big April 1st ploy by somebody??

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

John S, (remember you started this again) I agree, too many shows. They should close all of the ones south of Birmingham, and just have MANCHESTER, and Harrogate. To all you southern folk, dont be afraid, you will not fall of the edge of the world just north of watford. Manchester is ideal, motorway right to the door, brand new venue,and somewhere for the wife to go right next door

 

Cheers Derek

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Derek

 

Where’s this Manchester then – is it somewhere up north near Bristol?

 

You get on down ‘ere to Devon my lovelies !

 

Cheers

 

Norman

 

 

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

Ooh arr as we say go to Brizzle exhibitional ar be best and oi gets me zider there at not rip of prices.

 

Everybody have a good new year

 

Bob

[Ompa OmpaParticipant @ompaompa11814]

Looking back at the entry by Jason B, the name suggested as to be the contact for this ‘new’ magazine reminded me that a similar named person was once involved with the east Somerset Railway and has now moved up towards the Nottingham area, wonder if it is the same person? Future are publishers of many magazines covering varies interests I believe.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Future publishing and Future Structures would seem to be two completely different companies.

 

The question has also been raised is Cliff Almond AKA Space Decks the same person currently doing the series on the 7 1/4″ William Spence in ME at the moment?? the plot thickens.

 

J

Edited By JasonB on 29/12/2011 09:57:58

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I doubt it is Cliff.

I have emailed him to look at the thread but have not heard back.

regards David

 

[Billy MillsParticipant @billymills]

Future Structures (Europe) Ltd. were incorporated on 12/12/2011, the registered address is a private house :-45 Covert Crescent, Radcliffe-on Trent, Notts NG122HN which is somewhat different from the West London Post Box number. The phone number is 07595 284874 on their home made web site. All of this information is in the public domain and very easy to find. It is possible that the postings were not made by anyone connected to Future Structures however as such a very newly listed Company it is strange that anyone else should know about them.

 

 

Billy.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

If the website gets enough interest he knows whether to risk actually printing something, and if he can collect advance subs then that might pay for some real articles. If he goes the way of some ebay etc ripoff sites that sell you a book but just send you a pdf that costs them peanuts then it can be easy money with only a thousand people taken in.

 

Anyone remember back in the pre computer ’80s a major publisher churned out a 6 issue per year ME mag by literally cut and pasting photocopies from a few old mags that I assume they had bought the rights for? They didn’t even have the decency to retype the copy.

 

Some big publishers punt new mags all the time based on a months printing investment. After all mags are their business like chocolates are to Nestles. Only if they can sell the advertising the mag survives. Readers are only important because they have to have some to justify the advertising rates. Exhibitions are the same if you do it right. The trade stands cover all the actual costs and the door takings are profit and funding the admin to get the next year’s show off the ground.

 

eek, I’ve only just joined the forum so probably just here to sell something

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

At work we print a magazine for our members, about 3,500-4,000 copies. It’s not for profit, sand we find advertising more trouble than its worth. The national mag we send out as well has dropped its advertising -it was so unpopular with members as it took up 50% of the mag and then there were up to half a dozen inserts as well.

 

Advertising for the national one (a few hundred thousand copies) was done via an agency and losing it made very little difference to the price, which was interesting, but the models for how they are produced are very different.

 

What is amazing is how little the cost has changed per issue over the past 16 years, despite going from cut-n-paste to desktop publishing to professional designers, and at the same time evolving from 12 pages of single colour uncoated recycled-with-bits-in to 16-20 pages in full coloutr glossy recycled.

 

The rate at which printers go out of business and get taken over (I reckon their half-life is about 2 years max) makes it an incredible achievemnt that ME has been going for over 110 years.*

 

Neil

 

PS: did anyone notice that at one point the ME show was advertised as being the 10o-and-somethingth, when it was really about the 75th, there having been some hefty gaps in the annual cycle, due to world wars etc.

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Ok, I don’t think we need to worry about subs suddenly falling off just because another mag may be launched (although I am sceptical bout the provenance of this particular post)

I started subscribing to MEW, then added ME and have since added EiM to my mags. I will shortly be adding HSM thanks to a Xmas gift.

If there is enough interesting info, then people will continue to subscribe and will not ‘jump ship’ just because another magazine appears.

The publishers of HSM and MW have also added a specialist mag for Digital Machining and as far as I am aware, their subs have not suffered as a result.

Maybe MHS could look at this route to remove all of the ‘discontent’ at the inclusion of CNC and related subject materiel into the current magazines.

 

Oh, and Derek, All of the shows south of Birmingham serve those of us who were born and bred North of Birmingham whilst we are down here on missionary duties educating the natives LOL

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Further to Billy Mills’ post (29/12/2011)

Companies House “WebCheck” is the place to look for details

… wherein; this is interesting …
Nature of Business (SIC):
None Supplied

Nothing sinister in that, but it does go nicely with “Covert Crescent” doesn’t it ?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

There is an interesting Press Release on the web site.

http://future-structures.co.uk/

MichaelG.

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

Hi Guys,

Having just read the press release it looks like the thing might well go ahead, but to repeat my last question, just who is writing for them?

chriStephens

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Good question Chris but I’m more interested in the ” …..to fill a need in the market ” bit. I thought most areas had an airing via the current publications – I wonder just what the need may be that warrants the launch of a new periodical. I guess the answer to your question might well answer mine and vice versa. (Just so long as it isn’t Gulliver!!!)

 

Regards

 

Norman

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

At least they are going to “compliment the current offerings in the arena” so we can look forward to them saying lots of nice things about ME, MEW et al.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

For info …

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/clifford-almond-aciat/28/bb7/8b8

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