On Apr 3, 12:39*pm, JoanD'arcRoast wrote:
I see several old copies available on eBay.

Is there a particular edition/year that is considered "best" in some
way?

(Such as: Better illustrations? Easier-to-understand writing style?
More applicable to current machine designs? Layout or presentation of
information? Other considerations?)

I am a lurker w/o a lathe - who will someday get one; in the meantime
would like to bone up on the basic principles.

-j

I have the 1942 and 1965 editions. There isn't much difference and
neither addresses modern geared-head machines, the South Bends had
leather belt drives. The headstock controls accomplish the same
functions as on a modern lathe, they are just arranged and operated
differently.

Manual lathe operation has barely changed since 1900 when High Speed
Steel came out. I'm reading a lathe book from 1906 and almost
everything in it still applies, especially to the small lathes for
hobbyists which are if anything a step down from a good machine of 100
years ago.

Jim Wilkins