Machinery's Handbook

Whilst reading Hooper's comments on the geartrain thread I saw his mention of GH Thomas' "Workshop Techniques". Since I was off up to the market place anyway I dropped in to Scriveners Books in Buxton, where I found a copy for a tenner.

Along side it were 2 copies of Machinery's Handbook, dated 1934 & 1937 for £25 each, should a copy be of interest to anyone on here. The earlier one was in better nick, but both were eminently usable.

Also for Southbend owners, "Southbend Lathe Booklets", "8 Complete How To Booklets from the 1930s" reprint by Lindsay Publications inc.

A few early re-printed bound copies of Model Engineer, I think vols 5-9

Another good old book to look out for is L H sparey's The Amateur's Lathe. I don't own it but rented it from my library, I have a mind to buy it though, there are a lot of good techniques not covered by all the books I've seen.

Definitely doesn't stay surface deep for long and quite quickly delves into a lot of specialist jobs he's done over his time.

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 27/02/2017 15:18:00

Mine came from my local library sell off for 20p, in a nice stiff clear plastic binding.

... Along side it were 2 copies of Machinery's Handbook, dated 1934 & 1937 for £25 each...

​I have the 15th edition, 1956, has anyone got a later version & what are they worth now?

​George.

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Presumably so that they could make room for more trashy paperback novels

I remember going to a big sell-off at Macclesfied Library a few years ago; where they disposed of at least 1,000 proper reference books ... the place is hardly worthy of the name 'Library' any more.

MichaelG.

Not worth £25 unless you have days to spare looking for things in them.

It's basically an American journal so biast towards imperial and American threads etc.

However they make some big whoppers like not listing the R8 wimpy taper until V27 ?

No D series backplates etc.

For us Brits the Newnes series of books are far better.

I have a big box full of early MH books around V11 up to 17 at a guess, remember they brought a lot out fast in WWll and would be over the moon to get £15 a pop for them.

The three most used books I have are the Australian Black book but again two copies US and rest of the world.

Newnes Mechanical Engineers Pocket book [ need a big pocket though ] and have to fill the last one in later as I can't place it at the moment.

...Newnes Mechanical Engineers Pocket book [ need a big pocket though ] and have to fill the last one in later as I can't place it at the moment....

​Have one of these too...1990 edition... priced at £14.95 at that time.

​Some other ref books I have...

​Model Engineers Handbook... Tubal Cain... 2nd edition... £6.95

Compact Lathe ... Stan Bray... £7.95.

​Introduction to Tribology in Industry...1969... Dr D.Summers-Smith...30s ( £1.50 )

Basic Engineering Technology...Newnes...1988.

​General Engineering Science.. Second ( S1 ) edition... 1970... 20s ( £1.00 ).

​Elementary Engineering Science... Third edition 1954.

​Mechanical World Year Book... 1975/76.

​All getting on in age ...like me... but still valid, plus a few handbooks from various companies, Presto, SKF, Macreadys steel specifications & others from college.

George.

My Machinery Handbook is 11th edition, 1942, I found it in a dustbin, having been thrown out by a vicar. I often use it. Designed some springs for HGV brakes, and a very big gear for a rotating oven from info' in it. These items were old and imperial, so info' still good.

I have a Kempe's Engineers Year Book dated 1983 twice as thick as a Machinery's handbook £5 from a clearout at Tameside Libraries. Also a Machinery's Handbook 19th edition bought new £8.25 in 1972 and a WWiI edition I keep in the workshop, this was given to me years ago. . A proper pocket book I have is a 1942 copy of Fowler's Mechanical Engineers Pocket Book, still 597 pages though, 20p from a 2nd hand book stall somewhere.

Another useful book I have is a Machinery's Screw Thread Book 20th edition bought new in 1972 for £1.95

Jonathan

Mine is 14th ed, I was given it by a landscape architect

Best are the old bits as they give hints on how things like flywheels and handwheels should be proportioned, useful when making models.

For those interested in the machinery handbook the 28th edition is free to download on the web

<edit as a publisher ourselves we don't want to encourage forum members to break other people's copyright>

Tom

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 28/02/2017 15:34:59

I have let Industrial Press know - In am sure they will want to get that taken down ASAP, given that the 30th edition is $105 dollars.

As compensation, however, why not download the 1914 edition and have a clear conscience (out of copyright and lots of gems):

www.woodworkslibrary.com/repository/machinery_handbook_for_machine_shop_and_drafting_room_1914.pdf

Neil

Machinery's Handbook is up to 30 edition and still currently available ( just treated myself) my old man bought me a 21 edition ages ago, its just a gold mine

Edited By Mike Lightfoot on 28/02/2017 15:56:14

I currently have some useful engineering books for sale in the classified section.

Eric

I got the 26th edition in about 2000 as a Xmas pressy, it came with a DVD inside the cover, containing the whole book in PDF form so it can be searched, for this reason the printed book never get used.

I've found Machinery's Handbook to be an excellent "bedside reader" with a diverse range of useful material, often on unexpected subjects, I found the the spring winding section accidentally whilst browsing and that alone paid for the purchase of my two copies

- Nick

Nick, I'm curious. Why buy two copies??

Alan.

I've recently bought a used but pristine Machinery's Handbook issue 28 in paperback for £25.58 through Amazon. It seems like a bargain. Surprise was that it was shipped from India.

My machinery handbook is from around 1st world war times, (cant be bothered to go and look for date). My most used book is a copy of Fowlers machinist and engineers pocket book fro recent times printed in 1933.......