Good Old Handbook Suggestions…?

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Good Old Handbook Suggestions…?

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  • #26066
    James Jenkins 1
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      @jamesjenkins1
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      #360462
      James Jenkins 1
      Participant
        @jamesjenkins1

        HI all,

        I looking for some suggestions of a good old school handbook I can keep in the workshop, one that has tap drill sizes, cutting rates, the weight of steel, number of teeth per inch of BSW – you know the sort of thing. The sort of thing my grandfather would have bought when he started his training 90 years ago! I perhaps don't need one quite that old, but something from the 50s would be fine.

        I think in America they have the Machinary's Handbook, but obviously I want something with a more British focus. Ideas?

        James

        #360463
        Ian Parkin
        Participant
          @ianparkin39383

          The Zeus book is good oil resistant and a handy small size

          But I tend to find tables of the things I need and print out to a4 and place in a display folder

          #360465
          David Standing 1
          Participant
            @davidstanding1

            My go-to first reference is normally Metalworker's Data Book by Harold Hall, no 42 in the Workshop Practice series.

            #360469
            Oldiron
            Participant
              @oldiron
              Posted by James Jenkins 1 on 02/07/2018 22:00:42:

              HI all,

              I looking for some suggestions of a good old school handbook I can keep in the workshop, one that has tap drill sizes, cutting rates, the weight of steel, number of teeth per inch of BSW – you know the sort of thing. The sort of thing my grandfather would have bought when he started his training 90 years ago! I perhaps don't need one quite that old, but something from the 50s would be fine.

              I think in America they have the Machinary's Handbook, but obviously I want something with a more British focus. Ideas?

              James

              The machinery's handbook is probably the most informative guide out there. It has served in the UK for as many years as I can remember. Engineering tables are Engineering tables world wide. What was good 50 years ago mostly still applies now. I use the small Zeus pads and some others but still use TMH often. I believe the newer versions have been metricised somewhat. There are of course many other good reference books around.

              regards

              #360479
              Hopper
              Participant
                @hopper

                Model Engineers Handbook by Tubal Cain is pretty, erm, handy.

                #360488
                Brian G
                Participant
                  @briang
                  Posted by Hopper on 03/07/2018 00:18:58:

                  Model Engineers Handbook by Tubal Cain is pretty, erm, handy.

                  I got mine by chance when I paid a fiver at a Warco open day for a job lot of books that included two Unimat books I wanted. I found it so useful I bought a second copy to keep by my desk.

                  Brian

                  #360489
                  Chris Evans 6
                  Participant
                    @chrisevans6

                    See if you can hunt down a copy of "Fowlers" machinists book. Smaller and easier to look through than Machinery Handbook. I use mine (an early 1933 copy) often. It has all the things like sizes of Whitworth hexagons and across flats/corners. Weight of steel etc. A good section that is understandable about Trigonometry. I think it was published up until the mid 1960s.

                    #360514
                    Russell Eberhardt
                    Participant
                      @russelleberhardt48058
                      Posted by Hopper on 03/07/2018 00:18:58:

                      Model Engineers Handbook by Tubal Cain is pretty, erm, handy.

                      +1

                      It's often my first goto reference.

                      Russell

                      #360525
                      SillyOldDuffer
                      Moderator
                        @sillyoldduffer

                        +1 for Tubal Cain; it's concise and cheap enough to replace if it gets mucky in a workshop.

                        I rate my 1947 Newnes Engineer's Reference Book highly. It has an emphasis on British practice (also covers metric and US)

                        For wider reference, it's hard to beat Machinery's Handbook. My copy (1975) covers US, British and Metric. Newnes is 1378 pages (and does most of what I want). Machinery's has more depth and coverage in 2482 pages .

                        My Newnes and Machinery's were both bought cheap secondhand; the internet is wonderful.

                        Be aware that although older books cover all the basics well and are very helpful with long obsolete standards needed to do a restoration, they don't cover important modern techniques and materials like DROs, Carbide Inserts, VFDs, 3D CAD and adhesives etc. etc. Another common booby trap is the wild goose chase resulting if you try to source long discontinued brands and material sizes. Sometimes they are unobtainium, or, as is the case with Whitworth fasteners, only available from specialists at top-whack prices. The older the book, the worse the problem.

                        Dave

                        #360540
                        James Jenkins 1
                        Participant
                          @jamesjenkins1

                          Thanks all – some really good suggestions. I will check them out.

                          James

                          #360567
                          Neil Wyatt
                          Moderator
                            @neilwyatt

                            Tubal Cain's book. Mainly because it is also a good read, not just boring tables (sic).

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