The Amateur's Lathe [Paperback]

L.H. Sparey (Author), Lawrence H. Sparey (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is a course of instruction which embraces almost every process that can be accomplished with the small lathe, including information on tools, accessories and costs. The amateur's problems are tackled in a practical manner, showing how the model engineer or small industrial user can perform a variety of operations usually requiring a whole workshop of machinery.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Trans-Atlantic Publications, Inc.; 9 edition (July 10, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0852422881
• ISBN-13: 978-0852422885
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #608,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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  Books > Home & Garden > How-to & Home Improvements > Power Tools

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have Book!, February 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Amateur's Lathe (Paperback)

If your are starting out as a model, steam engine,gasolineengine builder or maybe just want to learn how to use a metal lathe,this is THE book. Although focused on English equipment, it's all good stuff. Many ideas, lots of pictures and helpful tips.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, April 25, 2007

By	Philip C. Jones (Iowa City, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Amateur's Lathe (Paperback)

I think some of the other reviewers read a different book than the one I read. The person who preferred Moltrecht's book to Sparey's as a source of information about turning obviously got the two mixed up. I too have the Moltrecht texts---they are great as an introductory survey of a huge variety of (mostly outdated) industrial machines and manchinery practices. Sparey's book DOES suffer from poor photography---that seems to be the case with a lot of these English books.

But, Sparey really does give a lot of great information. His duscussion, for example, of parting off and how to correctly grind a parting off tool is unsurpassed by any other source of information I have read. Moltrecht's book is better at giving formulaes for calculating cutting speeds, etc. But this is pretty trivial to derive for yourself given a knowledge of basic geometry. Additionally, some of the recommended speeds/feeds are directed towards maximum efficiency in an industrial environment with high-HP machinery--trying some of the cuts on smaller equipment with lower HP (< 5 HP, say) typically found in a home workshop is probably not a good idea. I think Sparey's book does a much better job of presenting information useful for the home workshop.

Sparey's quirky British humor is just terrific. His comment, for example, that "The acquisition and installation of the lathe is one of the highlights of life." is absolutely priceless. I've got quite a library of books on lathes by now, and I think this is probably the best of them all.

Still, I do wish the photographs were better.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointed, May 8, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Amateur's Lathe (Paperback)

I have quite a few books on machining and this book is very disappointing. The pages are very glossy but the text is very brief and the B/W fotos are unclear and blurred. The book only gets down to the business of turning in chapter 10 and just skims through the subject. This book is suitable for an absolute beginner who does not need too much information on the subject. If you are seriously interested in turning on a lathe I would recommend MACHINE SHOP PRACTICE, VOL.1 by Karl H Moltrecht.