# Links to FREEBIE books



## Blogwitch (Jun 12, 2012)

I am on a bit of a mission here, attempting to show that things can be obtained for free, and many of the old processes are still as relevant today as it was when they were first shown.

I am an avid reader and downloader of old, sometimes very old books, that show machining and model engineering processes.

Here is one that might just tickle your taste buds.

http://archive.org/stream/modelenginemaki00pocogoog#page/n6/mode/2up

Just look at the first date it was published, 1888, a little before our time, but if it was published today, with a bit of a clean up, people would buy it, as most of what is written is still recognised as valid today, and it gives you very good tips on how to do things the easy way.

From this very reading page, you can either read it, or download it, you have to search through the buttons that are on the page, but once you find it, no problems.

Here is a site to get you started, and is where I started the search for this very book, just put into the search box what you are looking for and see if they have anything to offer. 

BTW, if you want to search for a specific type of title, put your words in "inverted commas" in the search box.

http://archive.org/search.php?query=" model engine"

For all those that collect and pay for books, believe me, I have hundreds of these, and they didn't cost me one cent, just a little time searching.

OK, they come down as PDF's, but if you really want it in print form, then that is what printers are for, and for those with Kindle type readers, you can snuggle down in bed and read a few books before going to sleep.

So go out there and give us some links to good books you can find, there must be a few thousand I haven't found yet.


John


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## b.lindsey (Jun 12, 2012)

From page one of your linked book John..."Yet surely in the days of scientific and technical education, it would be well that at least the younger members of the community should have some clear perception of the method in which steam exerts the force..." Being now involved in educating tomorrow's young engineers...those words remain as true today (in many contexts) as they were 123 years ago. Thanks for starting such a thread and for providing the above links!! 

Bill


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## Blogwitch (Jun 12, 2012)

Just as an aside, type these searches into the second link I gave, in commas, and there are a few more books that will be of interest.

elementary lathe practice

model engineers handybook

Model engines and small boats

Three more books in a matter of minutes.

BTW, modern stuff isn't ignored, type in "CNC" and be ready to spend a few hours looking at what comes up, even videos you can watch.

Also I mentioned Kindle, some can even download direct for Kindle use.


John


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## Ken I (Jun 12, 2012)

As you say some of the older books can be very informative to the hobby machinist.

I had to make a worm gear for a jukebox I was restoring - my Machinery Handbook told me how to do it on a hobbing machine (not very useful) - so I dug out my Father's 1943 (wartime edititon) and it told me how to do it on a lathe - that I could use.

Thanks for the thread & the links.

Ken


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## gerritv (Jun 12, 2012)

An excellent resource indeed. Thank you. I downloaded the 1941 Machinerys Handbook from there just now!

Ken, what page in the 1943 book describes using the lathe for worm gears? I am hoping it is close to that page in the 1941 version 

Gerrit


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## Ken I (Jun 12, 2012)

Sorry, I don't remember and I don't know where the book is at the moment.
As I recall I found it via the index easilly enough.

Ken


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## Blogwitch (Jun 12, 2012)

It should be a very good resource for people, especially for those that have not a lot to spend on good engineering books.

If you do find a good one that might be of use to the members on here, then could you either put a direct link to it, or your search string.

BTW, that first search string that I gave you on my last post "elementary lathe practice", I have now had time to read a bit of it, and it is an absolute gem.


John


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## Rayanth (Jun 12, 2012)

Thanks for the heads up on 'elementary lathe practice', Bogs, I'll look into it!

- Ryan, still in preschool with his lathe.


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## Blogwitch (Jun 12, 2012)

Gerrit,

Did you type the search in correctly?

It really is "model engineers handybook", not handbook.

Ryan, 

this one would also do you a bit of good, lots of very useful info in it.


John


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## Tin Falcon (Jun 12, 2012)

The Model Engineer's Handybook: A Practical Manual on Model Steam Engines ... (1902)
Paul Nooncree Hasluck 
http://books.google.com/books?id=68VKAAAAMAAJ&oe=UTF-8
Lathe work 
http://www.archive.org/details/lathework00haslgoog
Model Making , Francis Yates [url]http://www.archive.org/details/modelmaking1017181mbp
[/url]

Complete practical machinist Joshua Rose.
 http://archive.org/details/completepractic00rosegoog

Tin


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## Blogwitch (Jun 13, 2012)

Very nice links Tin, a good list to get people started on their collection of freebie books.

So everyone by now should have at least half a dozen to be going at, now it is your turn to do a bit of searching to find links to books that will interest members.

If I get the time, I will go through my very large collection and pull out some more book lists for you to look at, until then, keep searching.


John


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## steamer (Jun 13, 2012)

Great work Bogs...!
Nice thread!
 :bow:
Dave


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## applescotty (Jun 13, 2012)

I started keeping a list of the ones I'd found several years ago, but stopped once I realized that it wasn't really easily maintainable. I wish archive.org would allow individuals to 'curate' their own collections, and make those available.

Anyways, here's the lists that I did come up with:
https://sites.google.com/site/applescotty/onlinemachinistbooks

There's links to the ones I found of two different series, plus general machining and steam related (sorry, only two under steam).

Scott


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## rebush (Jun 13, 2012)

A friend sent me this link. www.metalwebnews.org/ftp/machinery-repairman.pdf  It's the Navy manual for machinists. I think it's about 435 pages. On the cover page it says Approved for Public Release- Distribution is Unlimited. Roger


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## Rayanth (Jun 14, 2012)

Not directly related to engines, but still an interesting read of older drafting and design practices, and probably useful to someone :

from 1907, "Machine Design, Construction and Drawing: A Textbook for the Use of Young Engineers" by Henry John Spooner,

Google has for free reading at https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=GVdDAAAAIAAJ

- Ryan


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## Blogwitch (Jun 14, 2012)

Scott,

What a fantastic series of good books, anyone who has downloaded all of them has got months of reading to get through.

I never read the whole of a book through from cover to cover, because there is usually info in them that is way above me, but what I do is look at the index, then only read the items I am interested in at that time. Eventually, over time, the whole book will get read.

Basically, use it like a free reference system.

Nice links by everyone else as well, I will soon have a few hundred more 'freebies' in my archive, and I do hope everyone else takes the same opportunity as myself.


John


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## speedyb (Jun 14, 2012)

gee, no one likes the Public Library anymore ?  

and seriously I told my Daughter that an MS in Library Science was not the best of ideas.  8)


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## tel (Jun 14, 2012)

> gee, no one likes the Public Library anymore ?



True enough, I haven't been in the library for years! But then again, I no longer write letters in copperplate with a quill and ink neither.


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## Tin Falcon (Jun 14, 2012)

Hasluck wrote on a lot of machining related subjects as did Colvin and Stanley.

I will throw a bit history into the mix here. In my home town many years ago .closed about 50 years ago there was a press manufacturer. Metal forming presses is a major technology that allowed Henry ford to develop the assembly line and mass pro-duded cars. The man behind these presses was Oberlin Smith.Mr smith wrote a book on Press forming of metals. I can not justify buying the book as it is rare and long out of print but. 
We can read it 

http://archive.org/details/pressworkingmet01smitgoog

Tin


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## Annie (Sep 7, 2012)

What an amazing resource   I've just been downloading titles on lathework and model engine making into my e.reader....... and one of the books shows how to make a 'piddler' (sigh).  Not being rude here btw, by 'piddler' I mean those Victorian live steam toy locos with simple pot boilers and single acting 'wobbler' cylinders.  I've always wanted one of those and it should be a nice little project to keep myself amused.


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