The Machinery's Handbook, often referred to as the machinist's bible, is the information center for all machining processes. The machinist refers to this book on a regular basis. Specifically when a new material or a new machining process is to be used. As support for the previous three sentences note that the prototypical machinist's tool box (right) has a rectangular center drawer that is designed to hold this book. It serves no other purpose! To the machinist the Machinery's Handbook is as a necessary as a pair of micrometers.

In this topic there will be a step-by-step process for machining a fictitious part. Nearly every feature of the part will require Machinery's Handbook consultation. In this way it is hoped that the utility of this book is demonstrated.