I found the best books ever in my junk..

[tattoomike68]

"Amateur Craftsman's Cyclopedia of Things To Make" 1937

http://www.rubylane.com/shops/twinkler/item/03824

back in the old days people had to make cool stuff from things they could find.

It has plans for everything from sailboat plans, steam engines, short wave radios , seismograph, How to electroplate metal, even how to MAKE an arc welder.

I found mine in a used book store for $6

I also found "Mechanical details for product design" 1964. by Douglas C Greenwood. that book has trick stuff in it. Ways to do thing you would never think possible yet are easy to make.

Used book stores rule.

 

[Cedge]

Mike
Try Ebay and search "Popular Mechanics Encyclopedia". Look for the 12 volume set from 1955. Take my word for it... you won't be unhappy with it. Lots of metal machining info and how to's for damned near anything you can think of. Some of the stuff is from a kinder gentler time and would have Homeland Security visiting you on a regular basis, today. I've had endless hours of fun with my set of these books.

Steve