The Joy of CNC Machining

James A. Harvey's new book, “CNC Trade Secrets, A Guide to CNC Machine Shop Practices,” offers great advice and oodles of practical tips and checklists for shop personnel newly introduced to CNC machining. What makes the book readable and appealing is that the author clearly enjoys working with CNC technology.

This book bridges the gap between the skilled manual machinist and the CNC machining technologist. Both should read this book to understand one another better. Shop managers and manufacturing engineers ought to read it, too, to understand how they can work with CNC machinists more effectively.

However, the main purpose (and value) of this book is to ease the transition from conventional machining to CNC operations. Even if the reader made this transition years ago, revisiting this experience will provide refreshing and useful insights into the basics. This type of reader is also bound to find numerous tips or “tricks” that prove handy and beneficial. Of course, machining trainees and apprentices can learn much from this book as well.

It is well-written, well-illustrated and well-organized. In short, it’s a fun and useful book on entry-level CNC.

CNC Trade Secrets is available from Industrial Press Inc. or from Amazon.