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Reference Books 8

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ChickenEngineer

ChickenEngineer

Mechanical
Feb 17, 2005
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I don't know about you guys, but I sold all my books during college. I figured once I got a job I could buy only the needed books.

So I'm in need of some reference books. I don't think it's necessary to buy all the latest additions at the high prices. I was wondering if you guys kept a list somewhere of recommended reference books?

I’m just looking for some basic books to get my collection started…statics, thermo, materials, hvac all the basic stuff.

I'm an engineer in the chicken buisness. I deal with little bits of everything. If I need to get more in depth I'll look more closely at the books, I just need so good old basic reference books.
 
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Use the search functions at BarnesandNoble.com, they have affiliations with used booksellers. You can find some cheap stuff there, although it might be kinda ratty looking.

Best to ya,

Old Dave
 
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Maybe try the engineering department at a university. Try looking up the introductory courses, most should have the required texts listed -- then look for older/used copies wherever they sell used ones.

cheers
 
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Here are several books on my office shelf:

Mark's Std. HB for Mech. Eng'rs
Machine Design by Norton
Structural Analysis by Hibbler
Engineering Mathematics Handbook by Tuma
Pressure Vessel handbook by Megsevy
Formulas for Stress and Strain by Roark
Advanced Mechanics of Materials by Seeley and Smith
Fluid Mechanics by Finnemore and Franzini
Metals Properties (an ASME Handbook)
Engineering Design by Faupel and Fisher
Design of Process Equipment by Mahajan
Petroleum Production Handbook by Frick
Design of Piping Systems by M. W. Kellogg
Practical Use of Mathcad by Benker
Theories of Plates and Shells by Timoshenko
Strength of Materials Vols 1 & 2 by Timoshenko
Elastic Plates by Marguerre and Woernle
Floating Drilling Equipment and its Use by Sheffield



DowneastTech
Mechanical Engineer
Magnus R & D, Cypress, TX
 
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At the top right of your screen is a link that should say "Mechanical Engineers Sale". It is a ebay link to new and used engineering books. Might check it out to give Eng-Tips a count on the hit meter.

Hope this does not violate the promo rule.

Barry1961
 
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These days books are available in electronic format from or
Membership of an Institution such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the UK or Institution of Engineers Australia gets you a subscription to a limited range of books as part of being a member. I am not sure about ASME, AWWA or other US institutions.

So for a yearly memebership fee with the benefits that brings you would also get access to the books you need. Youu also save on shelf space and get to access the books from any web enabled computer. So if you work in different offices as I do its great. The other benefit is you can cut and paste into reports text, graphs, figues and the like.

I have access to over three hundred books on line.
 
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Desk-top references, IMO, should be either a general reference guide, or a topic-specific reference that I am already familier with.

I personally do not recommend one purchasing, for example, an advanced fluid dynamics text, unless you were already familer with this text fom college.

For general references, I like the "standard" handbooks (I have "Marks"), I have the PE review manual by Lindeburg, and I have a few of what I call "lower lever reference guides" such as Engineering Mathematics by Tuma.
 
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Bak Bak Engineer, (I love the name) anyway...I did the same thing once I graduated, sold off all my books to buy more important things like beer...but later on I wished I hadn't. I found another aspiring graduating engineer and asked him if he would "unload" his books to me. I got some nice stuff and dirt cheap prices since I was willing to pay him more than the college bookstores.

Good luck with the books...and the chickens!

Brian

Brian

Opinions expressed are my own and are not those of the company.
 
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(I hate it that you can't edit posts!!!!!!!)

Flow of Fluids Crane Technical Paper 410
(I think these are hard to come by these days, but I got my local Crane dealer to get me one...for FREE...it still had whomever he borrowed it from's business card inside it! LOL)

Lots of great info in there.



Brian

Opinions expressed are my own and are not those of the company.
 
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I would avoid buying any book such as a handbook without a recommendation from an experienced engineer. I have had a chance to look at many books recently and they are so full of generalizations that you are better off without them.

Onc eyou have selected you discipline and area of work get some classic recognised books for the subjects.

Stress & Strain Roark & Young
Heat transfer Incropera & De Witt
Fluid Transient Streeter & Wylie or Thorley

The web has some great stuff

ie Stainless steel Pumps
You will out grow your college books very fast as you specialise. So borrow them from alibrary or mates as you need them. Photocopy relevant sections and move on.
 
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Hmmm... it is nice to know that the devil is everywhere. I sold my books for cigarettes after college and again started buying when I got a job.

The following books are my favorites and I got them all(most of them are already recommended above)

Fluid Mechanics by Streeter
HVAC by Shan K Wang
Refrigeration by Roy J Dossat
Heat Transfer by Holman; Incropera and Dewitt
Process Heat Transfer by DQ Kern
Thermodynamics by PK Nag (This excellent book is available only in India)
Crane TP410
Hick's Handbook
Perry's Handbook
Introduction to Physical Metallurgy by Sydney Avner
Pressure Vessel Handbook by Megyesy
Excell Programming in VBA by J Walkenbach
Engineering Mechanics by Timoshenko and Young (Singer is pretty tough)
Unit Operations in Chemical Engineering by McCabe and Smith
ASHRAE Handbooks
Compact Heat Exchangers by Kays and London

Books on my hitlist (1,2 and 5th books are very costly)

CRC Handbook of Physics and Chemistry
Pump Handbook by Karassik
Cameron Hydraulic Databook
Carrier's HVAC Handbook
Thermodynamics by Zemansky
Applied Process Design in Chemical and Petrochemical Plants by Earnst Ludwig
Pressure Vessel Handbook by Bednar

Regards,





 
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I think;

Machine Design by Norton,
The Science and Engineering of Materials by Askeland
Thermodynamics – An Engineering Approach by Çengel and Boles

are the basic reference books for a mechanical engineer.
 
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