Machinery's Handbook for machine shop and drafting-room; a reference book on machine design and shop practice for the mechanical engineer, draftsman, toolmaker, and machinist (the full title of the 1st edition) is a classic reference work in mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...

 and practical workshop

Workshop

A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...

 mechanic

Mechanic

A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...

s in one volume published by Industrial Press

Industrial Press

Industrial Press, Inc., is a privately held corporation headquartered in New York City. Its primary areas of business are publishing technical books for engineering, technology, and manufacturing....

, New York, since 1914. The first edition was created by Erik Oberg (1881–1951) and Franklin D. Jones (1879–1967), who are still mentioned on the title page of the 28th edition (2008). Recent editions of the handbook contain chapters on mathematics, mechanics, materials, measuring, toolmaking, manufacturing, threading, gears, and machine elements, combined with excerpts from ANSI

Ansi

Ansi is a village in Kaarma Parish, Saare County, on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia....

 standards.

In 1917, Oberg and Jones also published Machinery's Encyclopedia in 7 volumes. The handbook and encyclopedia are named after the monthly magazine Machinery (Industrial Press, 1894–1973), where the two were consulting editors.

Today, the phrases "machinist's handbook" or "machinists' handbook" are almost always imprecise references to Machinery's Handbook. During the decades from World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 through World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, these phrases could refer to either of two competing reference books: McGraw-Hill

McGraw-Hill

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., is a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its primary areas of business are financial, education, publishing, broadcasting, and business services...

's American Machinists' Handbook

American Machinists' Handbook

American Machinists' Handbook was a McGraw-Hill reference book similar to Industrial Press's Machinery's Handbook. The somewhat generic sound of the title American Machinists'...

or Industrial Press's Machinery's Handbook. The former book ceased publication after the 8th edition (1945). (One short-lived spin-off appeared in 1955.) The latter book, Machinery's Handbook, is still regularly revised and updated, and it continues to be a "bible of the metalworking industries" today.

Machinery's Handbook is apparently the direct inspiration for similar works in other countries, such as Sweden's Karlebo handbok (1st ed. 1936).

External links

• Industrial Press official site
• History of the Machinery's Handbook, on the publisher's official site