This months MEW are 3 CNC features two too many

[NJHParticipant @njh]

How so Gordon?

 

The survey takes about 5 min to fill in, the cost is the price of an envelope and stamp and everyone has their own axe to grind! The result gives the opinions of those people who can be bothered to spend this little time and money. Those who don’t respond can’t really expect their views to be taken into account as no one else knows what they are!

 

Cheers

 

Norman

Edited By NJH on 17/05/2011 11:26:49

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I drove back from Harrogate to Poole on Saturday afternoon to pick the wife and kid up and the following afternoon left for Scotland 720 miles away.

I drove overnight and arrived back Monday morning.

I have done about 2,500 miles in the last 7 days.

Although tired, I am now available to answer queries.

Diane did most of ME last week and is working on MEW this week.

I did prepare 3 magazines for editing before I left so am a bit ahead at the moment.

 

I will be spending a bit more more time in the workshop in the near future. I also need to get the KX1 CNC running again. It has not been used for a while.

 

regards David

 

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

CNC Articles

The beauty of CNC is that you can program it to do almost anything you want.

 

I learnt CNC using the machine manual in a couple of weeks. I had been employed as a miller previously. You can form and profile all sorts of shapes, many of which are damn near impossible manually even if you could spare the time.

I laos made many one off components, it was still quicker to program them and machine them than it was to machine them manually.

CNC is often used to perform manual operations, a typical example being to bore some stainless steel blocks to a tight limit.

I prepared the blocks all over so they were square and to size. I drilled the hole from both sides with a large U drill (a carbide tipped drill). That left the hole to bore.

I bored the hole using a CNC program. The boring tool kept puching off in the bore. I ran the program several times to get the bore to size occasionally increasing the diameter with the boring head. This saved countless hours over using a manual machine. The components ended up machined to correct tolerance.

 

Castings cost a fortune today. However, you can machine components to finished size and shape on a CNC without having to buy a casting. One of the problems with CNC in an amateur magazine like Model Engineers’ Workshop is that because articles are written by amateurs, they have no idea how to machine components to the limit of the machine.

 

Most G Code programming is not difficult. I used a cheat sheet with the basic operating codes on and just cut and pasted the code into a new program.

The cheat sheet include about a page and a half of short lines of G Code and it was also double spaced as well.

 

Unfortunatly I can’t find a copy of the cheat sheet but I will be creating another one in the future.

regards David

 

Edited By David Clark 1 on 17/05/2011 12:01:09

[EddieParticipant @eddie]

Hi All

I read the articles about CNC not so musch to do the concertion as I do not have the standard (Myford) Lathe.

My main hobby is woodworking, but there are seperate magazines supplying the required information. I am planning to build a CNC Router, as in past issues of MEW, But in the convertion articles there is some topics about toothed belt pulley cutting and many more, the bottom line for me is what can I learn from others schoolfees, without paying for the errors myself. I long ago accepted the fact. I don’t know how to do everything and my way might not be the only way. writing Computer Programs the whole day let you look for something to relax with. Subscription is your choice.

 

To the Editorial Team: Thanks and keep up the mix and varity.

Eddie living in the bush, next to the Kruger Park .

[EddieParticipant @eddie]

Sorry for the typo’s

It should say .. so much the converting and construction of the CNC Conversion…

Eddie

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Charlie

Just seen your post about the product catalogue included with MEW 177 being more interesting than the magazine itself.

I must disagree, pages 35, 36 and 37 where devoted to CNC machines and software as well as page 43 which had a rotary table controlled by a stepper motor.
Page 56 had all sorts of stepper motors and stepper drivers, page 57 had inverters and high speed spindles. Running at 25,000 RPM these spindles are rather slower than the ones I used to make parts for, they ran at 360,000 RPM. Perhaps ARC should be done under the trade descriptions act.

They also gave information and a parts list for a one shot lubrication system. What on earth is wrong with using the humble oil can?

I saw coolant systems but checking the index, no mention of a paintbrush for putting on coolant.

The entire catalogue was filled with stuff to make life easier and could also be used on a CNC mill but the really low point for me was page 44 onwards that had digital measuring equipment. What is wrong with the humble micrometer?

 

The entire catalogue was filled by tools and equipment to make life easier. Even digital measuring equipment. Give me a 6in. rule and a pair of internal callipers any day.

 

Mind, very few CNC haters will see this post as they obviously don’t have a computer.

regards David

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ian HewsonParticipant @ianhewson99641]

Hi

Having just read our editors opinion of those of us who do not share his enthusiasm for cnc equipment, I can see why we have had so many articals on the subject.

 

I object to being labled as being behind the times as he infers, just because I do not share his opinion, having spent most of my working life in electrical and electronic fields.

 

Some of those who spend all there spare time ranting to the rest of use mere mortals who have other interests apart from thier’s should get out more and smell the roses.

 

Regards

Ian

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

Three articles is not many.

However,

 

Article 1

Converting a Myford Super 7 to CNC.

4 pages – no G Code.

 

This article could be of use to anyone wanting to put a cross feed or even a longitudinal feed on any lathe.

*****

 

Article 2

An accurate CNC 4th Axis

2 pages – no G Code.

 

This article is of use to anyone with a manual mill who wants to do dividing in it.

*****

 

Article 3

An introduction to CNC milling

7 pages with 1/2 page of basic G code.

 

This article was about machining parts for a model petrol engine.

The engine concerned had 8 connecting rods so was an ideal project for CNC in the home workshop.

 

So all in, 1/2 page of G Code in the magazine.

 

So Ian, I am ranting?

I would have thought all the people complaining about CNC are the ranters.

Perhaps they should smell the roses.

 

The American magazine Digital Machinist has over 15,000 readers. Are you suggesting I should ignore this huge market?

regards David

 

 

 

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Hi Ian

 

No editorial bias there then!

 

 

David

 

Your post was, of course, delivered by the local messenger who carried a parchment copy in a conveniently forked stick. How useful and comforting these traditional methods are !

 

Your survey asks  for readers opinions of CNC articles  – do you intend to publish  the number of responses for and against ?

 

Regards

 

Norman

Edited By NJH on 17/05/2011 16:09:00

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by Ian Hewson on 17/05/2011 15:39:47:

Hi

Having just read our editors opinion of those of us who do not share his enthusiasm for cnc equipment, I can see why we have had so many articals on the subject.

 

I object to being labled as being behind the times as he infers, just because I do not share his opinion, having spent most of my working life in electrical and electronic fields.

 

Some of those who spend all there spare time ranting to the rest of use mere mortals who have other interests apart from thier’s should get out more and smell the roses.

 

Regards

Ian

C’mon Ian – give the lad a break – that was one of our esteemed Editor’s rare attempts at a tongue-in-cheek posting. Savour it while you can!

 

Regards,

Tony

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by NJH on 17/05/2011 16:02:42:

Hi Ian

 

No editorial bias there then!

 

 

David

 

Your post was, of course, delivered by the local messenger who carried a parchment copy in a conveniently forked stick. How useful and comforting these traditional methods are !

 

Your survey asks for readers opinions of CNC articles – do you intend to publish the number of responses for and against ?

 

Regards

 

Norman

Edited By NJH on 17/05/2011 16:09:00

Norman –

 

Rather that than the traditional delivery method all too often used in this forum – from the rear end of various farm livestock.

 

Regards,

Tony

[Ian HewsonParticipant @ianhewson99641]

Hi David,

ranting? – 4 long posts and sarcasm?

Cater for Americans if you must, but they have there own magazine as you state.

Regards

Ian

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I might sit down and add them up when I get a chance.

I will have to get my Abbacus down from the loft first.

regards david

 

[Brian ParkerParticipant @brianparker55786]

Until I found this Forum I was under the impression that Model Engineering was a Hobby to be enjoyed.

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Ian

You are missing the point.

If there are 15,000 Amercians interested in CNC then there will be many people in the UK and Australia interested as well.

regards david

 

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by David Clark 1 on 17/05/2011 16:49:50:

Hi Ian

You are missing the point.

If there are 15,000 Amercians interested in CNC then there will be many people in the UK and Australia interested as well.

regards david

 

What is the circulation of MEW these days David?

 

Regards,

Tony

[Ian HewsonParticipant @ianhewson99641]

Hi David

Your missing the point, read the number of people who did think 3 articles were too many.

Regards

Ian

[macmarchParticipant @macmarch]

I made a comment way back on page 1 of this thread, (fairly innocuous I thought), and since then I have watched, (not because of that), all manner of people comment, infer, express and in some manner, nicely or strongly, various opinions.

Great.

 

The tone has been a bit suspect, especially when David got involved. He can, after all,only print what he gets. No purpose is achieved by popping at him. I have found many times this kind of “banter”. Newbies to the hobby/pastime must be wondering what is going on.

 

This thread has finally finished me on this website and I will not be back.

 

Cheerio.

 

ray

 

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

I personally would not have though that Digital Machinist has a circulation of 15,000 but I may be wrong.

 

Having said that it must have a decent figure to keep going and judging by the scale of the adverts in the mag there is a good market out there.

 

John S.

[Diane CarneyModerator @dianecarney30678]

What is the circulation of MEW these days David?

 

Regards,

Tony

 

 

If anyone is interested, expressed as a percentage of the populations, it equates to about the same each side of the Atlantic.

 

Diane

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

David,

 

Just to redress the balance…

 

More CNC please! In particular (as I have converted my S7 then found that using it wasn’t as straightforward as you might think) articles on setting up the machine, calibration, detailed screw-cutting etc.

 

Shame we don’t have any articles yet on 3D printing machines – there are at least 2 different self-build versions out there. One could add a polymer print head to a CNC mill and use it to make plastic components.

 

One day when i have time I might start contributing some articles, probably on CNC!

 

I still read every issue cover to cover as there is always something to learn from the ways people have solved problems, even if I do wonder how many times you can tread old ground.

 

John.

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Ian and all.

I have just opened the MEW survey letters.

There are not many as the magazine has only just become available.

30 say CNC should be included.

28 say CNC should not be included.

1 did not answer the question.

 

regards David

 

 

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Digital Machinist, Winter 2010 had a print run of 13,000 Just rang the editor up.

 

Anyone want to guess what the print run of MEW is ?

 

Bare in mind that Digital Machinist only has 4 issues per year, MEW has 12 or is it 13 now ? Also DM is a specialist mag given that Village Press also publish two metalworking mags as well, Home Shop Machinist and Projects in Metal.

 

John S

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi John

I got circulation from inside Digital Machinist.

regards David

 

[Chris TriceParticipant @christrice43267]

So many people getting their panties in a bunch over what exactly? Have the editorial staff threatened to kill the readers children or burn down their houses? Three CNC articles in one magazine. Hardly the crime of the century is it? I get the feeling that no matter what the editor says, he’s going to be attacked by those who clearly have an axe from some other occasion to grind. You kids carry on fighting in the sand pit. I’ll be with the adults reading the other threads. By all means express an opinion chaps but try a bit of civility and there may be more chance of your opinion being listened to instead of trying to score points over each other.

Edited By Chris Trice on 17/05/2011 22:15:08

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