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Brookesy

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Good morning All,
I'm looking for book recommendations for lathe/mill work for beginners.
Opinions on the best books on these subjects and maybe why?
Metric or imperial measurements are both ok for me
 
See if you can find old high school shop books on lathe work I have few and they are very good on fundamentals of machine work...
 
The American army had some excellent "training manuals" for basic lathe and mill work. Someone sent me the pdf files of them when I was first starting out seven years ago, and they were very good. Maybe somebody in USA can help you out.---Brian
 
The amateurs lathe by Sparey got me started. Covers all aspects from basics to milling on the lathe along with making some simple tools.
 
G'Day Brookesy,
If you can find a secondhand set of NSW TAFE Fitting & Machining trade technology books, you will have a very good resource.
There are three books in the old series, stage 1 (orange cover), stage 2 (red) & stage 3 (Green). Failing that, the Vic TAFE Fitting & Machining publication is also good.
Regards,
Don.
 
An internet search should turn these up. A person should be able to find them for free.

Im on my iPhone due to a busted laptop so finding links is pretty hard at the moment. However there is a military web site for current documents. Older documents float about the internet.

The American army had some excellent "training manuals" for basic lathe and mill work. Someone sent me the pdf files of them when I was first starting out seven years ago, and they were very good. Maybe somebody in USA can help you out.---Brian
 
You could also lob into hare and forbes and check out the fitting and machining book they sell , it has a bit of everything in it .
Another good (but old ) lathe book is how to run a lathe by southbend .
The workshop practise series which i think is available through minitech up there in QLD or i think E&J winter out at bathurst . Some of these are really good and some have projects you can make .
While i'm here i may as well give my favourite youtube channel a flog - thatlazymachinist or his website thatlazymachinist.com . There are many videos there ranging from basic metalwork right through to toolmaking , reading drawings and much more .

Ian.
 
I'm with Herbie. LH Sparey's book "The Amateur's Lathe," is my favourite lathe book. Cheap too from Book Depository in the UK, free shipping worldwide. It's an oldie but the best I have come across for getting across the basics.

And any of the Workshop Practice Series of books is good too. They do a good one on Milling a Complete Course by Harold Hall and a similar one on the lathe.
 
Thanks, I was looking at Harold Hall's books. They seem to have useful projects in them. I'll check out the other one too
 
A lot of today's books and such are merely copies of the past such as Sparey and a 'Nest of Singing Birds' from Model Engineer.
I've had Sparey since I ran rather a vastly larger library which dealt with 12" to the foot things like Spitfires and Merlin and Griffon engines with a dash of radials and what the part number was for Biggles helmets and goggles :confused:
Probably the most informative series of books is dear old Holzapfell but I'd suggest that a copy of Advanced Machine Tool Work by R.H. Smith will about knacker your lazer printer and fill your mind with a graded course in machining on pdf. The only gripe on Smith is perhaps lathe tooling and that can come from such sources as Hoffman or if you really want get excited, The Quorn by Chaddock.
Chaddock certainly sorts the guys who can make a simple engine lathe do what it can and should do.

I suppose that once one has made a Quorn tool and cutter grinder and had repeated nervous breakdowns, lesser contributions get even smaller.

Norm
 
Thanks Norm. Quite an interesting response. I can guarantee that the Quorn is definitely not on my list of things to tackle. The books by Harold Hall appear to have useful projects in them which is why they interest me. Is Sparey similar or more technical information and are Biggles goggles WH&S approved for use in the home workshop?
 
Sparey starts as we all were- basic but goes on to describe and use photographs to illustrate what CAN be done on a a fairly average lathe with a 7" swing and can screw cut . Again, he suggests Lathe tool shapes for a beginner to copy. What has to be remembered is that he hadn't a mill and - look what he achieved.

Chaddock also uses an even more ancient lathe and then sets out to make tooling for a Dore Westbury mill which he has just made. Earlier he made an atom bomb or at least bits for one!He also made ball bearings on the lathe but after making atom bomb bits, it must have been quite simple!

What must be remembered is that having access as an editor of Model Engineers Workshop provides access to what Shakespeare described as a 'Nest of Singing Birds' who were folks like Thomas, Westbury, LBSC, Jack Radford, and Tubal Cain to mention only a few.

Surprising little is really original. Have a go at Smith and Sparey and perhaps move on.

Let us know of YOUR discoveries, please.

Norm
 
I understand the importance of Tubal Cain, Westbury etc. And how (rightly so) revered their work is. Cain's 'simple engines' books are on their way to me and one of Westbury's also. I will look into all the above and get cracking
 
If you want a different slant on making things, why not Google John Moran's Gadget Builder site?

One thing that springs to mind is that he concentrates on what can be done on a 'newer' Chinese/Taiwanese lathe rather than the classic ( but no more) English lathes. IMHO he suggests easily made gadgets that which are applicable today as they ere in earlier times. Worth a session?

Cheers

N
 
George Thomas 'The Model Engineers Workshop Manual'. Lots on techniques and the fiddly detail of making a good job. Numerous very useful tools you can make for yourself from the very simple to the somewhat complicated. Some tooling is designed for Myford 7 series lathes, but could easily be adapted.
 

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