What do you think of MEW as a magazine

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

So what do forumites think of model engineers workshop as a magazine?

Years ago I used to have RC&ME which had lots of engineering articles. Now, however, it is aeroplanes & helicopters. Whilst I am a member of a model aero club I find the mag disapointing as it does not give much " how to" info

So having seen the note that there was an article about the Drummond ( i have an "M" I shot off to W H Smiths. Disaster, – not on the shelves. If the mag has lots of info on machining I will invest in a subscription, but if it is all about steam trains chuffing up some valley or other than it will be of no interest

However without getting my hands on a copy i just wondered if model engineers actually think that it is an informative mag, or like a lot of magazines – all about someone's latest holiday

 

Finally – why has that little smiley plonked itself in the script? have I a little lodger?

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 19/01/2016 18:11:33

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 19/01/2016 18:12:37

Edited By JasonB on 19/01/2016 18:17:40

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I have moved Sam's post here rather than have it tagged onto an old one.

If you follow " with ) you get

Sam there is an example of MEW here

MEW has very little on models or days out etc, thats reserved for ME

 

Edited By JasonB on 19/01/2016 18:29:24

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Useful that Jason.

John

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[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Hi Sam, why not look at the workshop series of books, these are ideal if you are looking for basic advice and step by step help. I have been an engineer for a long time and certainly do not know it all. If I am stuck I have a browse through them and I usually find what I'm looking for.

Bri

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

I tend to search youtube! Some really nice work comes up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yopcz-IYDyQ 

 

Edited By Steve Withnell on 19/01/2016 20:54:24

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I think it's a bl**dy brilliant magazine.

But seriously, look here http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/editorial/page.asp?p=250 for a preview of the latest issue.

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 19/01/2016 20:57:20

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

Hi Sam,

I would recommend MEW to anyone interested in model engineering. Lots of interesting projects and practical advise from members. I would also suggest that you subscribe to the digital archive so you can access older publications which contain many beginner articles.

Paul.

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Posted by Paul Lousick on 19/01/2016 21:01:06:

Hi Sam,

I would recommend MEW to anyone interested in model engineering. Lots of interesting projects and practical advise from members. I would also suggest that you subscribe to the digital archive so you can access older publications which contain many beginner articles.

Paul.

That would be a good idea. All I need to do now is follow the links & find out how to subscribe.

by the way- Apologies to the mods for putting in wrong place.

Being new here means i do not know my way around yet & there are many different blocks of thread. The notification email is not as good as some & i do tend to forget where i have posted. Too many blocks is my first thought. Buy Hey! I am new here

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Posted by Boiler Bri on 19/01/2016 20:05:48:

Hi Sam, why not look at the workshop series of books, these are ideal if you are looking for basic advice and step by step help. I have been an engineer for a long time and certainly do not know it all. If I am stuck I have a browse through them and I usually find what I'm looking for.

Bri

Birthday in Feb & 4 titles have already been selected. Just see what transpires

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

Posted by Sam Longley 1 on 19/01/2016 18:10:56:

So what do forumites think of model engineers workshop as a magazine?

Brilliant, always something to learn.

I even started to read about topics that do not particularly interest me because hidden away in the articles are some gems about a technique which could be useful for other projects.

The only problem here in Australia seems to be the local subscriber's distribution tales of woe so I obtain my (reserved) copies from my friendly local newsagent and so help to keep them in business (small town).

Also the correct title is Model Engineers' Workshop to be a bit pedantic lol.

* Danny M *

Edited By Danny M2Z on 20/01/2016 03:24:09

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Neil, when you preview the next issue as mentioned above can you include on sale date in the preview?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Danny M2Z on 20/01/2016 03:23:37:

Also the correct title is Model Engineers' Workshop to be a bit pedantic lol.

.

Noting that the all-important and oft-discussed apostrophe is missing from the text in the 'current-issue' link in the menu frame on the forum pages …. SHOCK, HORROR

.

Now; as for the contents … Quite well balanced, and very good value

MichaelG.

[I.M. OUTAHEREParticipant @i-m-outahere]

It tops my list of all the magazines i read !

Although Model Engineer and Australian Model Engineers magazines are nipping at its heels as far as i'm concerned .

I also subscribe to home shop machinist and machinist workshop and Model Engine builder but a few things i see that differ significantly from the UK and Australian magazines are :

The U.S based magazines are smaller and seem to have much more advertizing and the seem to have gunsmithing tagged to the magazine , while i personaly don't mind that 3 or 4 pages of modifying an AR15 Assault rifle is of little use to me as they are banned here in Australia .

I think i will trim my subscription list this year back to MEW ,ME & AME .

If you modify machines or build your own tooling MEW is for you , If you're into Making models then ME is what you want and if you live in Australia you should buy AME anad support the local rag .

Ian

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

I think that MEW is a super magazine. I have recently changed my subscription from ME to MEW. ME is also very good for long series on particular models but I prefer workshop projects. I agree that the digital subscription option is very good giving access to the archived editions which contain a wealth of information.

Neil, keep up the good work as editor and many thanks for always producing an interesting and informative magazine.

Eric

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

The only thing I find frustrating is the splitting of articles. This means that I get keen to learn how certain problems were addressed, only to find that by the time the series ends (several months later) I have completely lost track of the early stuff (or gone on to something else).

It does put an extreme load on failing memories when articles start in the middle with no paragraph saying 'The story so far …'

It also can cause problems if you want to separate the sections of a story page by page to keep them together, only to find that you have removed pages with other stuff on the back …

I wonder how many other readers are well down the slippery slope of failing memory?

Regards, Tim

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by Tim Stevens on 20/01/2016 10:20:30:

I wonder how many other readers are well down the slippery slope of failing memory?

I would answer that if only I could remember

Now, what was I doing?

Russell.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Tim,

If I want to keep pages of an article together for whatever reason, I simply scan them and print if needed. That way they can descend into the workshop and it does not matter if they get a little oily.

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

I haven't taken either magazine for a long time now but I suspect that ME will still give more details on actually making things. That makes the articles rather long. MEW was generally more short and quick with varying amount of detail.

I was trained as a toolmaker. That's ok and useful but working at home is a little different. The toolrooms I have been in have every conceivable piece of equipment. There is no need to make do with what's about.

Where I would be inclined to point people is towards certain books. The workshop practice series for instance. Some are a bit indifferent but many for the cost are pretty good. A good book on "making do" that covers a number of things is one of the Projects for a Unimat books. It includes plans for a small traction engine.

ME as I see it is largely concerned with making everything on a Myford lathe along with a vertical slide and one or two other bits and pieces. Maybe milling machines are expected now. No idea as it's a very long time since I bought one. If everything is going to be made on a lathe the difficult aspect is just how to set the work up. There are plenty of ideas concerning that aspect in ME articles especially for making tooling. Some have been reprinted into books. From what I have seen these can be a bit mixed.

I haven't much interest in chuff chuffs on rails either so can appreciate the OP's feelings. Actually I did know some one that made some of the difficult bits for people making these. He made jigs and took no notice of what was in the articles as he knew it would cause problems. He was a toolmaker. Covering making a loco in fine detail would take rather a lot of editions.

People like Neil have a tough life when asked to keep everybody happy. At one level people just want plans and at another lots and lots of detail.

Google can be useful eg making model ic engines bought up this page

**LINK**

Youtube can be too but there are some people about that have some strange ideas. It pays to take info from a number of sources and spend some time thinking about it. I suspect a lot of the problems people have comes down to confidence really and wanting to be told exactly what to do. There are lots of ways of cracking an egg. Some are better than others.

John

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[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

"I haven't much interest in chuff chuffs on rails either so can appreciate the OP's feelings."

That's a bit like saying I don't drink beer so will never go into a pub. The locomotives are only a part of the content and even those articles have useful machining information.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

John W suggest you have a look through a few recent MEs, not only will you find milling machines in use but it has even moved on to CNC. Can't remember when I last saw a vertical slide in the pages

I too have little interest in Locos but find enough in there to make it worth keeping up my subscription. Chuff Chuffs are only one aspect of model engineering

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by David Clark 1 on 20/01/2016 09:37:35:

Neil, when you preview the next issue as mentioned above can you include on sale date in the preview?

Probably, although they aren't 100% reliable.

Neil

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Posted by JasonB on 20/01/2016 13:38:31:

John W suggest you have a look through a few recent MEs, not only will you find milling machines in use but it has even moved on to CNC. Can't remember when I last saw a vertical slide in the pages

I too have little interest in Locos but find enough in there to make it worth keeping up my subscription. Chuff Chuffs are only one aspect of model engineering

Well I did say that it had been a long time since I bought an ME. CNC, I vaguely remember a brief article where some one had added cnc to a dore westbury.

Frankly if it has gone entirely like that it just can't be good for model engineering. At times I have gained the impression that people come along wanting to get into model engineering and start off looking for a large lathe which might well be a clapped out colchester etc and bridgeport milling machine – which might also turn out to be clapped out. Some people haven't got the space or the money and it's a fact that lots can be done on a lathe along with some other bits and pieces.

One good thing though is gear of that sort is definitely still in use even if the mags don't cover it any more. A lot can be done with 3 jaw, 4 jaw, face plate, steadies and maybe a few collets. A vertical slide adds even more. A milling machine may add more capacity but lathe set ups can be surprisingly rigid. Add a tool post spindle, easy to make, not so easy to power, and maybe a slotting attachment and even more can be done. The only problem really is the prices of some items even used especially for myfords – £999 for an ML7 dividing attachment for instance – some one having wet dreams I suspect but there are other ways and mags have covered them. Or did at times once. A lot of this is all about set ups.

John

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