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46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Really Weird Book----But Highly Addictive, February 22, 2006
This review is from: Machine Shop Trade Secrets (Paperback)
This has to be the most unusual book I have ever read. Each chapter contains a number of separate numbered paragraphs. Each paragraph contains the author's thoughts about some specific aspect of machining. This organizational format is almost bizarre, but somehow strangely effective. This book has the best description I have ever seen on what cutters are best used for particular functions. I also really enjoyed the do's and don'ts on NC machining. I've gone through it twice now in one week and will probably read it a third time before long.
This is not the usual textbook on machining with numerous pages devoted to cutting theory that somehow never quite gets to the point of telling you what feed and speed to use to accomplish a specific task. Nor does it have an entire chapter telling you what a lathe is and how the various parts are named. The utility of many such treatises is probably exhausted once past the point of contributing to some academician's case for being awarded tenure. This one is really different. It really has a lot of good advice that's applicable to virtually any environment.
Some of the points the author makes may seem trivial at first (buy lots of tools, for example)as noted by at least one other reviewer. But if you take the time to read and understand what he's saying, you'll see there is some interesting and really decent advice here. Buying special purpose tools rather than the 6-in-1 kind, for example, not only produces better work, but helps avoid time consuming setups and reduces bad parts.
I've got a suggestion for the author for another book. He might organize it by "how to" topic. For example, "how to cut an interior keyway". There are lots of ways to do most of these things, ranging from simple hand tool methods to megacredit special purpose machinery. It would be interesting (for me at least) to see 4 to 5 ways presented for each "how to" with a brief discussion of their pluses and minuses.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fills in the gaps few other books address, January 16, 2006
This review is from: Machine Shop Trade Secrets (Paperback)
Machine Shop Trade Secrets provides tremendous value for it's cover price. I've been a home shop machinist for about 4 years now, and purchased half a dozen different books on the subject. This one stands out.
This book is not a reference volume, nor an introduction to machine tools. It is, however, a wide-ranging collection of tips, techniques and observations by a master machinist. None of the tips are deep, dark secrets given only to a chosen few, although his description of how to easily drill compound-angle holes without a universal vise comes close.
The material is clear, concisely written, and well-illustrated. He assumes that his audience has a basic familiarity with machine tools, and offers ways to use them which increase both accuracy and job speed. Some of the material is most relevant to working in a production shop, and some covers specialized tools and techniques. Most, however, is useful advice for a wide range of machining tasks.
I particularly enjoyed his section of advice for engineers specifying machined parts. He provides a number of clear observations about choices which seem to be equivalent from an engineering perspective, but which make producing the part much more difficult. This advice is just as relevant for a home shop machinist designing parts for their own project.
Throughout, the book is written to be accessible to the reader. He doesn't belabor observations which can be expressed in one sentence, nor does he skimp on explanations for more involved tasks. This book is the closest I've seen to having a friendly neighbor, who happens to be a master machinist, who is willing to come over and show you the easier ways to get good results.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly Informative., November 1, 2007
This review is from: Machine Shop Trade Secrets (Paperback)
This is not a machining primer. It does give you unusual access to the mind of an obviously skilled and experienced machinist. The book obviously reflects a great deal of work and preparation. It is entertainingly laid out. The photographs are outstanding and numerous.
If you are anything but a seasoned machinist, this book is worthy of rereading many times. My son and I have separate shops in the same business. This is the only machining book that I felt compelled to buy two copies of, one for myself and one for my son.
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