Got three books from the work shop of an old machinist friend last night -nothing beats speaking to a person who has worked on triple expansion steam engines to gear cutting !
1) "Machinery's Handbook" (1951) - wow it is really great - Even in the internet age its great to have reference book.2) "Audels Machinists and tool makers handy book" (1950) which is a nice all round techniques,drawing,marking out and machinists "arithmetic" book.
3) A strange book I also got is "Henleys Twentieth Century Formulas Processes and Trade Secrets" - 1945 edition that lists all sorts of formulas to make from poison,hair conditioner ,drinks to metal patinas using things like Hydrofluoric acid,Hydrogen Sulfide, Mercury bi- chloride, silver cyanide to name but a few of the "exciting" ingredients.My personal favorite in the pyrotechnics section is the formula to make Woods metal for the trick they quaintly call "To take Boiling Lead in the mouth" !!! There are only warnings for the most poisonous chemicals - I guess the liquid woods metal in the mouth is innocuous compared to some of the others!
Lots to read at night - and the pages don't make a noise like the ME mag according to SWMBEO.
Tim