Machine shop trade secrets vs. Pocket companion vs. Engineer's black book ??

[stioc]

Of course I want all of them but which of these three books should I get if I were to get one of them?

Besides the Machinery Handbook these are the books I currently have and my fav are the bottom two. Right now leaning towards the Machine shop trade secrets as I'm not sure if the pocket companion and black books are similar to each other and similar to the Machinery Handbook?
Also I'm not much of a reader and rarely read any book cover to cover but like to flip through pages and read interesting parts.

 

[hman]

Trade secrets books are great for browsing/grazing. They're typically a bunch of short articles; you needn't have read the previous one to understand the current one. I've got a couple books of that type. You might also want to look at the three volumes of the Machinists' Bedside Reader. Again, mainly short, stand-alone articles.

The Black Book is more useful as a reference - look there when you need specific information. It's not really meant to be "read." Machinery's Handbook is a huge, thick 1000+ page tome. The Black Book and similar try to contain the "most frequently used" areas of information.

 

[ThinWoodsman]

I don't have the pocket companion or the black book, so I will just give you my impressions of Machine Shop Trade Secrets.

I classify it with the two Frank Marlow books (Machine Shop Know-How and Machine Shop Essentials): good, usable information from a practitioner, but pretty much in the format of "tips and tricks". It sounds like this sort of book may suit your style of reading; just be aware that it is not going to be a sufficient reference book, nor is it going to be a complete course ala Moltrecht's Machine Shop Practice.

 

[Tozguy]

The MH pocket companion is my choice.

 

[stioc]

Thanks, yes everyone high recommended the MH so I got it but even after a couple of yrs of machining experience I don't enjoy looking things up in it because as someone above said it's huge and it's daunting. Especially in the Internet era tables and charts are much easier to find online and even print.

I know the basics already (turning, facing, boring, threading etc) and just about all the books I have cover those. So, I guess I'm looking for a cookbook or tips and tricks type of a book where I learn the shortcuts or creative ways of holding work pieces etc. i.e. practical things beyond the basics (less theory lol). Sounds like the machine shop practice and the bedside reader are what I want. Which of these two would you guys recommend? I like the former because it has a section on CNC too.

Edit: Oh and I'm also looking at Tom Lipton's "Metalworking: Doing it better"

 

[mmcmdl]

Experience is the key . You can read books forever and end up " book smart " , but the key is to do what works and learn what doesn't work . You'll find order of operations is key . The most educating book I ever had was on Geometric tolerancing and dimensioning . This will teach you what and why things are important and why those order of operations are your friend . This is especially true when it comes to fixtures and workholding . The only reason I ever picked up my MH was for easy access to thread class limits which Greenfield will send you for free .

 

[Bill_729]

nor is it going to be a complete course ala Moltrecht's Machine Shop Practice.

+1 on this 2 volume set. Lathe is covered in the first volume; mill is covered in the second. I'm almost finished with the first volume, and based upon my satisfaction, I have already ordered the second volume. You can find used copies of either of them for less than $15, delivered. These are written more like "college level" textbooks compared to the workshop practice series. If you aren't interested in that sort of "presentation", then maybe these aren't the books for you.

 

[ThinWoodsman]

Sounds like the machine shop practice and the bedside reader are what I want. Which of these two would you guys recommend? I like the former because it has a section on CNC too.

I would pass on the bedside reader for now. People charge a lot for it because it is out of print and fairly popular, but it is not exactly information-dense. I found the three volumes to be enjoyable to read, and might do some of the projects, but a lot of the information was either obsolete (e.g. where to buy a specific lubricant or emery cloth) or has become common knowledge.

Machine Shop Practice is worth the price (which, as pointed out, is low) and thorough, but it is a bit dated. The book I wish I had started with is Technology of Machine Tools (the earlier the edition, the cheaper it is), which is basically a textbook for shop class.

Lipton's book is excellent. Of the "tricks of the trade" books, I would probably order them (best to worst): Bulgin, Lipton, Harvey, Marlow. The Marlow ones are neat to have in the shop because of their format, which is Q&A, but the information in them is basically right out of machinery's handbook. The downside of Bulgin's books is they are pricey, and the information is dispersed over something like five books (the "building shop" series and the lathe and mill books).

Recently enjoyed Spitler's Fundamentals of Tool Design. Currently waiting for Bradley's Shaping Machine and Lathe Tools to arrive from overseas. In case you couldn't tell, I'm a bit of a reader

 

[Bill_729]

In case you couldn't tell, I'm a bit of a reader

ThinWoodsman,
Did you ever read "Tool Design", by Donaldson, LeCain and Goold, or do you have an opinion on it?
I almost bought it, bought a different book instead, and added it to my "maybe" list.

Thanks!
Bill_729

 

[jbobb1]

Experience is the key . You can read books forever and end up " book smart " , but the key is to do what works and learn what doesn't work . You'll find order of operations is key .

Exactly!