Machining books and brands?

Well, I'm soon to be able to get a lathe and mill.
I'm currently thinking strongly about 3 brands/ setups
1. Sherline 4410C with milling column and some add ons.
2. Proxxon (iffy here, not much to choose from, and VERY pricey)
3. Toyo MA-360 (nice selection but seems quite pricey..3000us for just a lathe)
The main reason I'm also interested in Proxxon and Toyo is that they have offices here and I can get customer support locally.. Where-as with sherline the closest dealer is in HK. (Three hour flight lol)
So... My questions are:
1. Do any of you have an opinion about the proxxon or toyo brand and/or have any of you had experience with these machines?
2. What amount of play is there when sherline (or any of the listed) machines leave the factory? Is there the need of a rebuild?

Since I'm going to be starting real soon I would like to ask if there are any specific books or dvd's that you would suggest to the total noob?
Is there a 'machining bible'?
I have sooo many more questions but I'm guessing that reading a proper machining book will probably answer 90% of them.

Thanks
Steve

Can't help you with Proxxon or Toyo (don't they make tyres?), as I've never seen either. Sherline tools absolutely do not need to be rebuilt- they are ready to run out of the box. Of course you can rebuild them whenever you want, but they don't need to be 'cleaned up' like many generic machines. They have a backlash of about 0.002"- but it's not the same as play.

I've never dealt with a dealer- there just isn't one in my part of the world. I can understand you're wanting to have one close by (and envy those that have access to one), but it hasn't slowed me.

Machinery's Handbook (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinery_handbook) is the bible of the machining industry. It could probably be compared to a graduate level text. Useful but likely overkill for a hobbyist. A separate guide is even published on how to use it.

A less comprehensive but more practical introduction might be Tabletop Machining (http://www.amazon.com/Tabletop-Machining-Joe-Martin/dp/0966543300/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224634408&sr=8-6). It was written by the president of Sherline, so it certainly has a Sherline bias. But the info in it is inherently useful on all small (and most large) machines.

Thanks for the info MPWR.
Yeah I was a little surprised when I saw the company Toyo. So far I know of 3 companies named toyo 1.tires 2.plumming parts 3.machine stuff... Must be due to the Japanese using their last names for brand names... ie: Yamaha bikes and Yamaha pianos.
I was reading about the machining handbook and was quite surprised at the size and price of it. So, I'm guessing its not a must have for a newbie then?
Thanks again for answering.
Steve

No, not a must have for a hobbyist- I don't have one. But you probably won't find a professional shop anywhere without a copy.

Thanks for the info MPWR.
Yeah I was a little surprised when I saw the company Toyo. So far I know of 3 companies named toyo 1.tires 2.plumming parts 3.machine stuff... Must be due to the Japanese using their last names for brand names... ie: Yamaha bikes and Yamaha pianos.
I was reading about the machining handbook and was quite surprised at the size and price of it. So, I'm guessing its not a must have for a newbie then?
Thanks again for answering.
Steve

The Machinery Handbook is the BIBLE for machining and loads of other things. You can get them used cheaply, even old ones are still good to use for speeds and feeds, drill sizes, threads, fits, statics, tables, charts, etc.

Bob

The Machinery Handbook is the BIBLE for machining and loads of other things. You can get them used cheaply, even old ones are still good to use for speeds and feeds, drill sizes, threads, fits, statics, tables, charts, etc.

Bob
Thanks for the replies guys.
@Bob: considering the shipping that I've seen people ask for these, I'd rather buy it new or have it ordered in via a bookstore. I live in Asia... and shipping 5 pounds or more of books here costs around 30us+.

A book store might be able to order it for you. You might check around on Amazon, their rates are pretty reasonable and at least worth a look.

Bob