[.ca] Tabletop Machining: A Basic Approach to Making Small ... (ISBN 0966543300)

Very Good Introduction to Home Milling & Lathe Work:
Yes, it's rather Sherline oriented and Joe Martin oriented. But it is a very good introduction for the person who plans to get a small milling machine. Check your local library. The price is steep, and you may not feel you need to keep the book once you've read it.

Indespensible Guide for Sherline Owners:
I purchased this book before buying a Sherline miniature machine shop, as part of my pre-purchase asessment of that product. Based in part on this book, I bought the Sherline product. Now the book has become an indispensible part of my workshop! It functions as a excellent extended owner's manual for all Sherline products. More importantly for beginning and intermediate machinists, the book is full of all sorts of how-to knowledge and shop wisdom. In particular, this book is a great aid for learning to use a mill and lathe safely. Also check out "The Home Machinist's Handbook" by Doug Briney

If you own a Sherline, get this book.:
Joe Martin is a tremendous source of inspirational words about being a good machinist. The examples in this book will make you drool with anticipation to go out and "cut metal." However, there are no patterns, no step by step guides, just good examples that demonstrate good shop practice, and good machinist habits. Roughly 25% of the book talks about how Sherline was started and how Joe took it over after the Austrailian company couldn't meet the requirements any more. So if you didn't also get the book "Tabletop Machining" go back and get that book now. If you don't own a Sherline miniature machine tool this book will probably only rate 3 or maybe 4 stars with you.

Great color photos, practical advice, well written:
This book should be purchased by anyone doing small scale modeling or machining. It focuses on the differences between "big scale" and "small scale." The author gives freely of his advice. This is not a specific how to each step of any machining operation, but an overall how to. You get lots of advice. And, the book is stunning in its photos. The author gives you recommendations on which tools and accessories to buy, and which vendors he buys from. An example could be the advice he gives on finishing off your part once it's machined. He advises the use of small polishing stones after the piece has been deburred. You'll see pictures of the stones he uses. "I have found a 1/4" square shape the most useful. The end can be shaped on a bench grinder to get into tight spaces. The stone is dipped into kerosene frequently to keep the surface being cut awash with fluid..." This goes on for about 4 large paragraphs. Then he tells you about finishing off with sandpapers. "I have gotten excellent results with 320A wet and dry sandpaper glued to small sticks. I buy these wooden sticks at hobby shops and prefer spruce. I glue the sticks to the paper with instant "super glue" and make up a batch of them at one time..." He goes on for several more paragraphs on sandpapers. They he talks about powdered and liquefied abrasive polishes, then tumbled finishes. Well, you get the idea. The last chapter of the book describes how the author started his business and relays all the important lessons that he learned. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book. In fact, you should read what he says about the great value of their internet site. Again, this book is geared to the smaller scale of desktop machining... not using the big iron. He notes the differences. His comments on CNC, and on craftsmanship, CAD and engineering are also very interesting. Although all the examples in the book used the company's Sherline lathes, mills and accessories, it was not blatant, nor came across as self-serving. It's a big format book, paper back, with glossy paper with full color photos on just about every page. I highly recommend this book. My hat's off to the author for doing such a remarkable and detailed job.

A useful book, but parts are very manufacturer specific:
This is a book with a fair amount of useful material for the beginning home machinist. It could have been even better had it been more general in approach though, the author (who is the president of Sherline, a maker of small machine tools)devotes a great deal of print space to specific tools and accessories from his company's line, as well as the history of Sherline, etc. For users of other brand tools (such as myself) much of this is simply not very useful. If you own or plan on buying Sherline equipment, I'd give this 5 stars, if not, I feel 3 stars is about right.