magazines and books

[nkalbrr]

I consider a book/magazine to be a tool and was wondering, what magazines/books do you read. I subscribe to Live Steam and Outdoor Railroading and my Father-in-law gets Home Shop Machinist. I just purchased Machine shop tools and operations by Audel. So whats in your library

 

[wareagle]

There are a whole lot of books for shop use and research, so I will limit this to the ones relevent to this forum. Here we go...

The bible (Machinery's Handbook), of course. Let's see, there is Machine Shop Trade Secrets, a couple of welding books, a milling maching book (can't remember the title, and too lazy to look ), Ingenious Mechanisms I - IV.

Catalogs are there as well, Enco, J&L, MSC, and a couple of others are in the inventory.

Magazines are HSM and MW.

The one thing that I refer to more than anything, however, is my little notebook. I have notes in there that outline the problems and solutions that have worked for a variety of machining methods and processes. It has saved me much frustration in breaking tools and ruining parts due to simply not remembering how to (insert item here) and having a favorable result. This has worked well for me, and grows every time I am in the shop.

 

[rake60]

If you ever buy but one book the Machinery's Handbook
(aka machinist's Bible) should be it. On average it runs around $75 for
the most current volume. You'll refer to it on average 3 times a day in
the model building hobby. Over a year that works out to about 8 cents a
day for the most valuable reference book ANY machinist could ever own...

 

[shred]

If you ever buy but one book the Machinery's Handbook
(aka machinist's Bible) should be it. On average it runs around $75 for
the most current volume. You'll refer to it on average 3 times a day in
the model building hobby. Over a year that works out to about 8 cents a
day for the most valuable reference book ANY machinist could ever own...

Older versions are also frequently available at steep discounts in used book stores.. I just picked up a 19th edition (1974) for $9.95 in such a place. Most of the content doesn't change, they just add to it. I don't use it quite that often, but when you need to know something, it's in there.

 

[jagwinn]

High school text books such as Technical Drawing by French are usualy had for under a dollar at yardsales and library sales.
These are an excellent source of information, including, in the assembly drawing section, some complete plans for some vintage machines (Gould 4 piston water pump and and .049 glow engine, etc.).
Technical books from the Technical Book Society, Chicago (Machine Shop Practices; with some fantastic pictures of the era such as a drilling machine thate drills 18 holes in the nose of a radial aircraft engine by using 18 spindles at once).

 

[ronm]

I buy HSM & Machinist's Workshop at B&N, gives me an excuse to go in & get a mocha frappucino...I have the "bible" & the Audels books mentioned above, but honestly, the best source I've seen for model machining is Strictly IC mag...I've bought some issues from the publisher, & quite a few on ebay. I'll have to live to 120 to build all the neat projects in there, but it's highly inspirational. Piston rings, cam grinders, cranks, radials, V8s, it's all there...sounds like an ad, but I'm not connected w/them in any way.
Ron in CO...

 

[Sprocket]

Relatively new magazine, but seems to be trying to take up where STRICTLY I.C. left off is Model Engine Builder. All old issues of Strictly I.C. are available through their website.(Strictly IC website)
Catalogs are one of my great resources.

 

[zeusrekning]

I just bought an issue of The Home Shop Machinist from Barnes an Noble today. I am very impressed with the quality of this magazine. I was expecting a bootleg mag with pages of unuseful advertisements. But is has some good articles and the advertisements within actually pertain to what we do. I have no connection with this magazine , just impressed and what others to know that B&N had this in. I had no idea till Cedge told me.
Tim

 

[Brass_Machine]

I get 5 magazines regularly. HSM, Machinist's Workshop & Digital Machinist. The other 2 aren't really machining mags (Make Magazine & Performance Bikes). I do want to subscribe to Model Engine Builder.

For books... I got a few. The bible OFC, The tabletop machining book Sherline put out, Two Shop Masters, a few welding books etc...

The ones I want:

The 3 Rudy Kouhoupt Plan Sets books
Steam and Sterling Engines you can build vol 1 & 2
The Machinist's Bedside Reader (all of them)

Eric

 

[te_gui]

I have mentioned it before, but get Lindsey Technical Books free catalog, its a fun browse just for the funky nature of it, and there are enough projects and inspirations in there to keep you busy for several lifetimes

http://www.lindsaybks.com/

No connection, just a satisfied customer

Brian

 

[PTsideshow]

Another magazine that had troubles, but disappeared from the scene is Modeltec. George the former owner, has nothing to do with the magazine now. He does still retain and sell the disks and some plans on Ebay under Camelback press imprint.
You can get just about any of the back issues of Modeltec from Daniel Smith the current owner and also the owner of the Wood-Met plans service of wood and metal shop plans.
He was at the NAMES show.
he still planning and working out the details of a web based modeling magazine.

He also owns the rights to Elemer's engines, and is planning on republishing it in the near future.

Daniel Smith WWW.Modeltecmagazine.com you can use the contact at the site for him.

I have no connection other than a satisfied customer of some missing back issues to complete some plan sets.

 

[PTsideshow]

Machinery's Handbook Pocket Companion
Edited and compiled by Richard P Pohanish
Industrial Press small trade paperback
copyright ©2000
ISBN# 0-8311-3089

You might call it Machinery's Handbook lite, as it is slim smaller volume with what the editors consider the most used area's.
It has the stuff that comes up from time to time in most type shops dealing with metal and machines. If you have wanted a copy of the Machinery's handbook but have been stopped by the hefty price. Because it would only be be used on occasion. This may be for you.
it covers the areas that comes up more than the other stuff.

* Math tables, formula's
* Threads
* Grinding wheels
* Properties of materials
* Gearing among others

Small enough for the glove box or tool box. It might be one to considerer.

Here is the publishers web site and they have a shelf full of othe books.http://www.industrialpress.com/en/default.aspx

http://www.mtroubleshooting.com/ here is another source for a number of books on subjects near and dear to our hearts. They also have the Full size version of the handbook,large print edition last editions versions at a discount.

Again just a satisfied customer!

 

[PTsideshow]

Machinist's and Metalworkers pocket reference
by: Ronald Walsh
McGraw-Hill
copyright ©2000
ISBN#0-07-136092-1

A handy glove or tool box field guide for the metal worker. It has 12 chapters and is divided into sub chapters to cover each area.

* Modern metalworking machinery,gages and measuring devices
* U.S. customary and metric (SI) measures and conversions
* Materials physical properties characteristics and uses
* Thread systems
* Fastening devices properties and dimensions
* Machining,machine tools and practices
* Tool steels
* Sheet metal practices
* Heat-treating steels and nonferrous alloys
* Electroplating and other finishes for metals
* Societies,associations institutes and specification authorities
* Safety practices in the metalworking industry


It does pack a lot of information into a small book. But when you need it it is there. From the dictionary of alphabet soup letters and which societies they belong to, to the address, to the list of ANSI standards by category (ANSI/ASME B1.20.1-1983 pipe thread inch). You might see on plans/drawings to the trademarks and who they belong to. B&W pictures,charts,tables and drawings. It is all in here.

 

[PTsideshow]

You can see more books with info about each here @ Madmodder's site
http://madmodder.net/Forum/index.php?board=28.0

 

[bentprop]

Of course the machinist's handbook(mine's a 1944 edition,picked up locally for $8)
I use it almost every day.
I also have several of the "Workshop Practice Series"books,formerly from Nexus (UK)publishing.They are aimed specifically at model engineering type situations.
They are now part of http://www.specialinterestmodelbooks.co.uk/
Dave Gingery's series is interesting,but doesn't appeal to everybody.
I also pick up the odd older machinist book on a local internet auction site.They often show processes that are still useful in a home shop.
Having said all that,there is no substitute for "hands-on" experience.It teaches you much more than a book ever can.
Hans.

 

[zeusrekning]

I just recieved three issues of Model Engine Builder magazine, finally.
I am so impressed with these magazines. Not on does it have some really interesting build but each one came with full sized blueprints of the builds covered in the issue. So cool.
Tim