Machinery's Handbook - Finally a replacement !!

The subject of the infamous Machinery's Handbook comes up here from time to time, and I usually manage to make fun of it's propensity to go into the tinest minutia of information that is pretty much worthless today, like charts on Brown and Sharpe tapers and yet completely leave out info on what folks today really need to know about...like CAT, BT, R8 tapers and such*.

So, the conversation usually leads to ...well, if Machinery's Handbook sucks, what do you recommend ? So I mention the SME published Tool and Manuf. Engineer's Handbook, volume 1 and ASM Handbook volume 16....and the end result is tumbleweeds rustling past and crickets chirping....in fact, I don't know of a single other member here that has even mentioned owning these two books ! I wonder if this is partially because they are full size big heavy books ?

Anyway, at IMTS I discovered that someone has finally done a proper substitute for Machinery's Handbook. Same physical size, same sorts of info...but current stuff ! Chapters on CNC, EDM, lasers, water jet, CNC tooling, indexable insert info...even has HSK tool holder dimensions !

Also, more metric info...metric retaining rings, etc, etc

And still has all the 'basics' in great detail as well...drive belts, retaining rings, pins, springs, milling, alloys, taps, drills, reaming, etc, etc, etc

It's called 'Handbook for the Metalworking Industries' and is published by Hanser Gardner...the same folks that publish Modern Machine Shop magazine. Cost is cheaper than MH also...about 55 bucks. Same physical size as MH..maybe a 1/8 inch taller.

So, put your MH copy on eBay before folks wise up and order a copy of HMI !

Thank you Woodrow Chapman !! (the editor)



Humorously, the one irritant with HMI is they also waste paper with charts on Brown and Sharpe tapers !

*I'm basing this on info up to Edition 24 of MH and anedotal talk here. I haven't looked at the very latest edition of MH, so perhaps it has been updated since E24 as well, but judging from their past performance in that area I'd say it unlikely

I have had it for about 2 years now (the small-sized version).

It's been on the shelf most of that time, though, guess I bought it when I had more cash but was super busy and didn't read it thoroughly.

But I will now.

Matt- Yeah I was shocked to find out it's been available since 2002. Surprising more hubub has not been made about it.

If you like that book, check this one out by the same guy!
Chapman book on Ebay.

Can be had for less than $45 incl shipping from various folks on Abebooks.com

Andy

HERETICS!!!!! Blasphemy of the Holy Writ of the Supreme Order of Machinists. You shall burn at the stake of ignorance!!!!!

Anyway, thanks for the info Don. I will have to get a copy. Been looking to get a later edition anyway but I think I will give this a try.

Wooderson....funny....I paid $50 "show special" price at the Hanser Gardner booth ! But at least that got me my free 'Heavy Metal' tee shirt, that they mysteriously 'ran out of' earlier in the day !

Ya, I bought that MMS handbook like 3 years ago (before I bought my MH). Both books compliment each other...and both delve into infinite minutia on silly things, when all you really want is a straight answer (i.e: How best to use a parabolic drill?......NOTHING!). I would recommend it, though it's not going to answer all your CNC/Machining questions...

D. Thomas,

Free Heavy Metal tee and instant gratification. I say that is worth $5.

Andy

applied, how do you figure HMI and MH "compliment" each other ? What is in MH that is not in HMI that matters ? My thought is throw MH in the trashcan once you get HMI.

Re 'not answer all your CNC questions'...of course, but at least it answers many of them, which MH didn't.

So what's on the shirt? I have always been a fan of Heavy Metal.

www.mmsonline.com/heavymetal

AC/DC playing in the booth while I was there...I'll bet that's Ox's fav band. Maybe some Axl Rose for RR..

You can buy a copy on Amazon marketplace sellers (new) for $39 + shipping.

Cheers,
Bob Welland

applied, how do you figure HMI and MH "compliment" each other ? What is in MH that is not in HMI that matters ? My thought is throw MH in the trashcan once you get HMI.

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Don, I've found (and it might just be from my dyslexic ways) that MMS book's feed/speed in endmilling and drilling can be sort of convoluted/confusing. I think MH does a better job of giving numbers in HSS and carbide depending on varying material. The MMS book does it more towards various carbide/ceramic grades charts provided by Kennametal(which I'm not certain they are helpful, since every manufacturer grades seem to change monthly!).

I don't think it's worth throwing out your MH just yet. I think the MMS's book leans more towards production troubleshooting (it definitely covers more modern machine tools technologies...ah hmm....Boston Digital!), where I think the MH book is better for general machining. My $.02.

But then again I might not be understanding MSS's figures and charts properly....but then again, again, I shouldn't be giving ammo to Gary E to insult my intellegence...again

There is no replacement for the MH, maybe a supplement.
Or, for that matter, the Kent's Mechanical Engineer's handbook.
In my opinion, the harig speed/feed calculator is still the best starting point, other than the cutting tool mfg's listed specs..
As to the new book: will it fit in the drawer?

That name (author) sounds familiar.. I have a diemakers handbook (It's on the bookshelf behind a big steel tabletop that I can't move by myself)
maybe that's where I've heard of him.

I shouldn't be giving ammo to Gary E to insult my intellegence...again

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I looked forward to that thread all day, only to find it's petered out.

Now, wait just a minute here. Whaddaya mean we don't need to know about Brown & Sharpe tapers? Elsewise, how am I gonna make tooling for my #0 Steptoe? Damn! What's an R8 anyway? LOL.
Seriously, this book does look like a good supplement to the MH, which does still contain a lot of information that I even use on my day job where there's not even a flatbelt in sight.

Regards,
Tom

There is no replacement for the MH, maybe a supplement.

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Sure there is...how can you say that when you haven't actually seen the insides of HMI ? I doubt you've read the other two books I mentioned either.

(as an aside, I can't help but mention you might enjoy the fact that HMI uses drawings of Maho mills as examples of CNC machines !)

Seriously, this book does look like a good supplement to the MH, which does still contain a lot of information that I even use on my day job where there's not even a flatbelt in sight.

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I say again, for the vast majority of machinists, as best I can tell with direct comparisons of the two books, HMI is not a "supplement" to MH, but is a total replacement for it. HMI contains mostly the same info and charts as MH, even that confounded Brown and Sharpe taper mess, just properly updated with metric and CNC info added.

If anything is a "supplement" you guys have it exactly backwards...MH would be a supplement to HMI for your "antique" manufacturing info.

Re: The Brown and Sharpe tapers, I have a Cinci #1 Universal Mill with #10 Brown and Sharpe, can't buy
much new, need to have specs somewhere Dividing head has a #7 B&S. Those Charts come in very handy if
you get a pile of unknown tooling........Not everyone has a brand new CNC in the garage......
MH does need to update/add a lot of modern CNC stuff tho.....

Not everyone has a brand new CNC in the garage......
MH does need to update/add a lot of modern CNC stuff tho.....

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Right, but in that case you do what most old machinery guys do anyway..you buy a *used* older edition of MH. There's only about ten billion copies of MH floating around....the supply of them should last another century or two