This book is terrific for those of us who enjoy working in a home shop to build models and to generally make repairs on things that are broken.

I have owned a fairly nice Atlas 12" lathe for several years and recently purchased a Bridgeport milling machine to replace an old Jet 16 vertical mill. I also bought a copy of Machine Shop Essentials to help fill in a few "knowledge gaps." The book came highly recommended on the CAMS (Capitol Area Machinist listserv) so I knew it would be better than most machine shop books but I was absolutely delighted when I received my copy.

This book is terrific for those of us who enjoy working in a home shop to build models and to generally make repairs on things that are broken. The author has prepared this book to be easy to understand and simple to reference. The many drawings and diagrams are clear and concise so I can quickly understand what is being explained. Whether I'm lookin for a refresher on using a rotary table and dividing heads or how to cut threads on my lathe, I can quickly find what I need to know.

Machine Shop Essentials is not full of fluff or huge charts of numbers that only a seasoned tool and die maker will understand. It is jammed with easy-to-understand explanations and diagrams of how to properly use common and some not-so-common tools and procedures in your shop. I have already dog-eared my copy and keep it handy in the shop while other books remain in the bookshelf for those times when I have plenty of time to absorb a more complex and in-depth treatment of a subject.

Machine shop Essentials will become your favorite reference for quick tips and easy-to-understand explanations of how you can use a wide range of machine tools to make your workshop jobs easier and fun--while getting the results you expect without a hassle.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes to work with metal and especially to thos of you who are thinking about pruchasing a lathe or milling machine for your home shop.

And if you're wondering...no I was not paid for this review...I simply think this book is excellent and think you'll love it too.

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