Re: A Dieing hobby - Hardly

On Thu, 31 May 2007 21:00:07 +0100, "Emimec" <emimec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


"John Stevenson" <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:l23u5311aot2995426bnalo2d33l9fl0hn@xxxxxxxxxx
On 31 May 2007 09:10:34 -0700, jontom_1uk@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:


With all the negative comments over the last couple of years about the
future of home machining, the loss of traditional skills and the end
of an era etc; together with the moaning about the current lack of
good ME press,. I thought it might be worth posting a link to this
site, it goes someway to show where all those secondhand and new
import lathes go these days:

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=67820

This is a car site albeit a practical one where people actually build
cars from bits of tube, scrap etc, I thought it was interesting how
many lathes "appeared" in just two days. I've no doubt that a model IC
engine or RC model site would show the same level of interest and
activity in machining.

Rather than a reducing fraternity, my feeling is that we have a
changing one. Steam engines might well be giving way to other types of
constructive activity and manual machines might be showing the very
first signs of eventually giving way to CNC even in the home shop, but
home engineering on the way out - I think not. It is just changing as
it always has. I can't believe that there has ever been a stronger
market for small lathes and mills than now. No wonder one has to wait
a few weeks for that new Chinese machine to dock these days.

My question then, with all of this in mind why are the ME press
getting narrower and narrower in the scope of their articles and
appearing to pander more and more to a specialized and reducing
interest. I understand that they see this as their "core" market but
to me, there is a vast untapped mass of potential new customers out
there. Perhaps we need a new "Practical Mechanics" together with a
"Practical Digital Mechanics".

Just a few thoughts, not trying to start a "range war"

Best regards

Keith

The titles narrow it down.
Model Engineer and Model Engineers workshop.

I've never built a model in my life, most of my friends have workshops and
they haven't
either.
Many are into vintage cars and bikes.

I feel the Yanks have a better title with Home Shop Machinist.

Dave Fenner the just left editor of MEW told me that the two copies with a
motor cycle and
a Morgan on the cover sold better than the normal ones.

Lest face it a steam train looks like a bloody steam train on the front of
ME and a
dividing head on the front of MEW can only be recognised by 5 anoraks in
the whole of the
UK.

It definitely need a kick up the arse....
--
Regards,

John Stevenson
Nottingham, England.

Visit the new Model Engineering adverts page at:-
http://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/

Sounds to like a new magazine is almost born, ( Pat.Pending !!!) just needs
an entranapeur. I can see it now..... a regular "how to section", like a
Haynes car manual, on how to recon an old Briddgy, Colchester or whatever. A
section on how to repair a........ Boxford/Ad***/Meddings, for example(
These could be write ups from readers who have done the recon/repair jobs. A
regular "tricks of the trade", nicked from the "ingenious mechanisms" book
or similar. A newbie section detailing lathe tools, tips, what a morse taper
actually is, etc.An electrical project section, common topics seem to be
about inverters etc.
Or is this what the Model engineers workshop series was supposed to be
about?
Bob



And it needs to be web based in this day and age.
Time and time again I have seen references to past issues on CD etc
Forget copywrite, it can be done, many have done it but read any of the current mags
readers subscriptions and nowhere does it mention first electronic rights.

You wouldn't believe it was the 21st century would you.

hang on a minute, just gotta run to the beer off on the corner, the bob's running
out...................................................

..
--
Regards,

John Stevenson
Nottingham, England.

Visit the new Model Engineering adverts page at:-
http://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/
.

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