Book excerpt: “The Wood Turner's Handybook” is a comprehensive guide to woodworking, focusing on the use of the lathe. The 'lathe' is a machine for shaping wood, metal, or other material by means of a rotating drive that turns the piece being worked on against changeable cutting tools. Exploring the tools,machinery and and processes involved in wood turning, this classic handbook contains a wealth of information that will be of utility to woodworkers old and new. Paul Nooncree Hasluck (1854 – 1916) was an Australian engineer and editor. He was a master of technical writing and father of the 'do-it-yourself' book, producing many books on subjects including engineering, handicrafts, woodwork, and more. Other notable works by this author include: “Treatise on the Tools Employed in the Art of Turning” (1881), “The Wrath-Jobber's Handy Book” (1887), and “Screw-Threads and Methods of Producing Them” (1887). Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.