Books and Videos

Listed below are some educational resources that I have used and feel that they are worth buying... or borrowing if you can.

Books

"Uncle" Dave Gingery's Shop Notebook 1 - many source book ideas for getting your shop built and organized. I used drawings in this book to make my shop table and metal rack. Gingery has written a small library of practical books, geared especially for the do-it-yourselfer. His philosophy is along the lines of "why pay money for something you can make yourself."

How to Run A Lathe the 1942 edition from the South Bend Lathe Works contains a thorough description of lathe anatomy and basic principles. Over 60 years old but the information is just as relevant today as it was then.

Doug Briney's Home Shop Machinist's Handbook is an excellent introduction to the small hobbyist lathe, with explanations of modern accessories and their use. It is a more practical guide than the South Bend book. Excellent, clear illustrations throughout.

Moltrecht's Machine Shop Practice volumes 1 and 2 are essentials for understanding metalworking operations. It is actually a guide for the career machinist but if you have the patience to read it as a hobbyist you will gain a lot of useful knowledge.

Videos

There are very few instructional videos available on the market, and those that you will find are fairly expensive. Quality varies, too. Since I am learning on my own, I have found that watching videos on machining is the closest I will get to observing a live demonstration. Nothing beats learning from a living, breathing mentor, but the videos are better than books in my experience.

Rudy Kouhoupt has produced about ten videos on various topics including lathe operation, milling machine operation, layout work, grinding your own lathe tools, and even a two-part series on making your own steam engine. They are pricey (about $55 each) but if you compare it to the cost of a trade or vocational school it is easier to justify the expense.

Jose Rodriguez has also made some videos at more reasonable prices, though I have only watched the one on making spur gears. The technical info on that video was pretty good but I was left with many unanswered questions, so I felt the instruction was incomplete.

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©2004 R.Alexander Griffin. All Rights Reserved.