Best book for beginners I have seen

by T. Ryan

Good coverage of a broad range of topics. Very easy to understand and perfectly illustrated. Many handy tips that an experienced machinist would already know, but are invaluable for a newbie. Terms not introduced in the text are covered in an extensive glossary. Lathe cutting is more thoroughly covered than milling, but the two are complimentary. I have only two complaints. There is no discussion of gear cutting. Although this might be considered an advanced topic, I think it should have been discussed at least generally. My other issue is with the index, which I found confusing. For example, if you want to know about threading, you need to look under "threading" and also under "lathe, threading". All in all, I found it well worth the price.

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