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Authoritative. Comprehensive. Invaluable. Practical. Updated.

Updated?

29th Edition of Machinery's Handbook now available.

I have relied on my 20th Edition copy since I entered the metalworking industry as a supervisor in the early 1980’s. It has served me well through the years, and while respectfully used, is showing evidence of ‘serious use’- missing thumb tabs, dust jacket in tatters, a host of bookmarks…

Here are 5 reasons why I’ll probably upgrade to the new 29th Edition:

  • New sections added on Micromachining, Statistics, and Calculating Thread Dimensions;
  • Expanded Metric content. The jobs we see in our shops today are increasingly metric as we serve a growing global market;
  • Easier to use- they have added tables of contents at the beginning of each section;
  • Extensive revisions to key sections including Mathematics, Gaging and  Dimensioning,  and Machining Operations
  • It has been re-typeset (including tables and equations) and many figures redrawn.

Now the problem for me is choice: Do I get the ‘regular edition’ to replace augment my current 20th edition handbook? Do I jump into the electronic age with the CD version? Or do I acknowledge I no longer have the eyes of a younger man and buy the “larger print” edition?

It’s time for me to buy. My investment in the 20th Edition sure paid off. How about you?

Which  would you  choose? What other books have you found critical to your practice in our precision metalworking field?

Machinery’s Handbook 29th Edition can be purchased direct from Industrial Press.

7 thoughts on “Machinery’s Handbook-29th Edition of the Machinist’s Bible

  1. Dick Reiling says:

    I have the 16th edition Machinery’s Handbook from 1959 that I paid $8 for back then. Retired now and would consider passing it on to anyone interested.

  2. Miles,

    Get the electronic version. You can enter a term into the search function of Adobe Reader and it will return every instance of that term in the entire book. For that alone it’s worth going digital. Plus if you have a laptop you travel with, then your handbook is always with you.

    You can also make the print as large as you need. I can only imagine how huge the large print printed version is size wise.

    On the other hand, I do like a good old fashion printed book that I can peruse through when I have some idle time. It’s too bad they don’t throw in the CD when you buy the print version.

  3. speakingofprecision says:

    Readers, Dan Murphy is one person whose advice is the genuine article and always worth taking. His advice to members on the PMPA list serves is considered to be the Gold Standard.
    Dan, I’ll be ordering that CD version.

  4. martin balus says:

    Dick,

    If you still have it I’d love to have take ownership and will make good use of it. Happy to pay for shipping.

    Marty

  5. speakingofprecision says:

    Thanks Murray. It is a good update and we’re glad to help get the word out.

  6. Jon says:

    Dick, if by chance it’s still available I’m also interested.

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