Maintenance

Real Harley men with eclectic taste who take pleasure in the ancient art of tinkering on mechanical things will love this book. Don't miss the rare Harley Davidson Novel "The Second Coming Of Age" by: Vedrine

Palmer's book has revolutionized Harley-Davidson restoration. Information that was once the province of a few real experts and many would be experts, obfuscated by lots of opinions, myths, and flawed memory masquerading as facts, is now available to anyone who buys the book. Palmer did a good job of using available resources to assemble, in excruciating detail, the data necessary to build these motorcycles as the consensus of the sources he consulted says they were supposed to be when they rolled off the factory's assembly line. That consensus was not always easy to reach, because, for example, the manufacturer itself used retouched photos of older models to introduce new models, and followed various other practices such as running changes, recalls, and using parts inventory from one model year into the next, that make it difficult to know, today, what was "correct" in 1938. Palmer takes us into the world defined by that level of "correctness" that demands that this manufactured product from days gone by be exactly as it was at the point of origin. We can now "know," through his book, what is "correct." More of us can be knowledgeable about the number of cooling fins on a UL cylinder, or the color, width, and placement of pinstriping, or the fact that fender trim for a particular year is polished stainless, not chrome. This is a book about building your bike to original factory specs, and it is the best available for that purpose.

Of course, if you follow this book to its logical conclusion and build a correct motorcycle, don't expect to ride it. It will have decades old tires both too valuable and too aged to ride. You won't want to run it on pump gas, because it needs lead. Taking it out on the road might ding the paint, blue the exhaust, or demonstrate that your assembly procedures weren't quite up to snuff by identifying all of the points where oil can escape. Palmer's approach to the topic seems to hold that these old bikes are artifacts, not transportation. He has affirmed and strengthened a subculture within motorcycling that elevates the machine over the ride. It will be interesting to see if others, such as Kirk Perry's "Mechanics & Owners Guide to 1941-1959 Harley-Davidson O.H.V. Big Twins" will reinforce the ranks of folks who actually want to ride these old hogs.

This is an excellent book for restorers or replicators wanting to get an in-depth, overall view, of OverHeadValve Big Twins. On the critical side, and it's hard to find something to criticise in this book; is the mention of generator testing tools (i.e; an A/C variable speed motor) to facillitate setting the amperage of the 32E generator. The A/C (alternating current) variable speed (rheostat controlled) electric motors do not exist in this day and age, or if they do where can the reader/mechanic find one? This book is recommended as a required tool, because it is stuffed full of Knucklehead technical data not found anywhere else. It is the book I reach for, if I'm trying to find out about "first year" or "last year" changes, on any Big Twins up to 1964 (1965 Electra-Glides; Four-Five & Flatheads included). - Kirk Perry

Has an engaging style that should serve as a model for all those belaboredly humorous ...for Dummies and Idiot's Guide to... books. The writing is as clear and easygoing as technical writing gets, and it comes as no surprise to find the author went on to found Fine Homebuilding magazine.

There's nothing fancy about the pictures or illustrations, and it's now been six years since the last edition, but it's still an excellent guide for those new to renovation.

I am a first-time female homeowner of a pre-war apartment. It is amazing what you can do after reading this book. Most people I know find doing-it-yourself an intimidating process and wouldn't conceive of undertaking the simplest of jobs themselves. They just wouldn't know where to begin. "Renovation" has taken me from life-long yuppie renter to where my power drill is now my best friend.

Litchfield does a great job of guiding you through each aspect of home renovation. The explanations are well-written and clear, the illustrations are extremely helpful, so while it does not seem dumbed-down in any way, the first-time DIYer will find it very useful. Now when I go to Home Depot, I can ask intelligent questions about what I need to buy.

It's going to become a regular housewarming gift for my friends.

I whole heartedly agree with other posters that if you buy only one do-it-yourself style book for your home, this is the one. Even if you plan on hiring a contractor to do the work, this book will help you clearly understand the tasks at hand. If you ever wondered what lies behind the walls of your home, here's your own inexpensive x-ray machine! The figures & photos are excellent and are a great compliment to the writing.

I showed my copy of this book to someone at work and they went to the book store the next day to buy their own copy. Yes, it's that impressive. Maybe a professional contractor would argue against my point, but for the average person, it's fantastic.

Once you read it, you'll go back to it again and again. In my opinion, it's well worth the cost.

This is a fine entry in the category of Well-written, Wryly-humorous Books About the Trials of Ordinary Life That Also Contain a Suprising Amount of Useful Information. If that sounds like an excessive qualification, it isn't, since the book is about houses, a subject dear, or dire, to the hearts of very many middle-class married men.

David Owen definitely writes as a guy. It's conceivable that a woman could enjoy this book, in the same way that some men enjoy reading Erma Bombeck. It's also true that many a woman these days finds herself, willy-nilly, the sole proprietor of some "huge box filled with complicated things that want to break," and so will see that this book is essentially inspirational and non-gendered, and will read it anyway. It's for anyone who has a house and doesn't know how that house works. Because if you have a house and don't know something about how it works, you will regret it, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.

The author is a writer for, among other publications, "The New Yorker", and he has the easy, colloquial, accomplished style that we associate with that magazine. This is not a "humor" book that tries to milk laughs out of the trials of a hapless urbanite who buys a 200-year-old farmhouse and gets his comeuppance. However, he was indeed a Manhattan apartment dweller with a wife and two young children who decided to buy a 200-year-old farmhouse in Connecticut, and certain mishaps and learning experiences did follow from that action. Some are laugh-out-loud funny, but mostly you will find yourself reading along with a smile that is composed of one part sympathy and two parts relief ("at least my house isn't THAT screwed-up!").

Mainly, though, in the course of your reading you will learn a lot. David Owen is a professional writer, and he knows how to research a topic, be it wallboard or lumber or electricity. (Perhaps the finest part of the book is the section on wallboard and plaster.) But he's also just an ordinary guy and a home-owner, until fairly recently just as butt-ignorant as you about how a house works. He lives in a this-old-house sort of place, and most of us don't. (Although once-fine old houses do present an implicit challenge that some of us fantasize about taking on, when our skills are a bit more honed.) His discussions, though, are firmly rooted in what many of us brood about on an almost daily basis: ugly walls, bad wiring, roofing leaks and wet basements.

But courage! A house need not be a millstone. It can be that fort Mom never let you build. If you're a grownup you can actually go out and buy power tools and plywood and all sorts of other neat stuff, and then you can come back home and make your house better.

Or worse. One of the virtues of this volume is its cheerful attitude toward working on one's home: that it is essentially a pilgrimage. Nothing is ever final, and every failure, every flub, teaches you something. Perfection is not the object, but rather, engagement. After a number of years of living in it, and coping with it, your home will become, for better and/or worse, an extension of yourself. If you love yourself, eventually you will love your house, too, with all its endearing faults.

This book is the story of the author's renovations of his newly-purchased colonial-era house. In the process, Owen learns a great deal about how houses work and how they're built...and he makes a lot of mistakes.

Somehow do-it-yourself books always make me feel less than competent. It looks so easy in the book. Owen perfectly captures the learning process involved with getting to know an old house. In the process, he passes along much of what he's learned and frequently makes me laugh out loud.

Anyone who has lived in, or, especially, tried to improve, an old house should read this book.

Have you ever wondered why you couldn't just use the paint they use for nuclear power plants, for your house? Wouldn't it be a lot more durable? David Owen has wondered - and visited the manufacturer who makes nuke paint, to get the answers.

Also among the choicest bits in a book that is full of great moments: the description of a layer of ugly wallpaper over a layer of ugly paint over a layer of ugly wallpaper over a layer of ugly paint...

Read this book during that break from stripping paint; have a tall glass of iced tea with it. And rejoice in the fact that even though it's 100 degrees and you're working on your house, at least you are not on an aluminum ladder near electrical lines in the rain.

I give copies of this book to friends as housewarming gifts for their first house...; we had to buy two copies for ourselves, as we don't want to run the risk of losing our only copy if someone borrows it.

I've been a profesional captain for over 30 years, and I still find myself going back to this book for a quick refresher on the Rules of the Road or a check on the working and breaking strengths for various moorings, ropes, chains, etc. If you were allowed only one reference book on boating, this one, in my opinion, would be the best choice. It has a wealth of practical information on virtually every 'basic' subject of importance to the mariner -- novice and professional alike -- and is completely free of controversy and error. With 64 printings under its belt, you can be sure you're getting the facts and figures straight.

There are indeed other very worthy books that cover individual aspects of boating (heavy weather seamanship, advanced navigation, etc.) in a more comprehensive manner, but none of these will offer more factual, accurate, or appropriate information for such a wide range of skill levels. We all know experience is the best teacher. But when the tuition can kill you, it pays to come to school prepared. In this regard, Chapman's has no equal.

I grew up with Chapman's and I still have it close at hand...the latest edition is exceptional. If you only have one boating book, this is the one you need.

I was talking with a cruise ship captain in Key West, and he brought up Chapman's guide to piloting. We were discussing rules of the road, ie, under sail has right of way over ships under power. Being the captain of a large cruise ship, he said, "Ask yourself, is it easier for a sailboat to come about to avoid a collision or is it easier for a large ocean liner to stop before he hits you?" Therein lies the true wisdom of rules of the road: the bigger vessel will win every time. If your boat is easier to handle and can get out of the way sooner, be polite and make the first move long before it becomes an issue. Although Chapman's is the authority on rules of the road, common sense should prevail when rules come in conflict.

With no experience, orther than mechanical competence and some machine shop knowledge (which is not required), this book took me from zero experience, to purchasing $100 of tools, to a successful trigger job on a new revolver, with notably happy results. I am eager to try more projects because of this book.

This is a very practical book with several subjects on gunsmithing pistols and revolvers. It is part of a series of 3 books on the gunsmithing subject from patrick sweeney. I suggest you get them all. The 11-9 attacks have left a great impact on information available on the internet, and soon they will be going for the books so get them now you still can.

I was lead to the book by a review at realguns website. I am very pleased with the bok. I used to glass bed an action for the first time. I have barreles many actions, and I learned more about that. The accuracy improvements were good too.

This and the other great book on gaff rig, Leather's "Gaff Rig Handbook" seem to take turns being unobtainable. Grab both while you have the chance. Cunliffe's is the easier of the two to read, with more modern illustrations and color photographs. The text is not so dense, not so richly detailed, but don't sell it short - it contains a tremendous amount of information. Cunliffe covers all the bases, explaining why gaff rig is so incredibly practical, efficient, and safe, why it was so highly thought of, what led to its demise. He covers all aspects of sailing, sail handling, heavy weather tactics, all in a highly readable and enjoyable style. This is a user's manual for working gaff rig, one that will make you ache to be out there. Plus, hopefully, it will lead to the building or restoration of more gaff rigged sailboats, which can only make the world a better place.

If you are new to gaff rig and want to rapidly become a hopeless devotee, then get Cunliffe. Once you are a lost soul and there's no hope for you, get Leather to fill in all the detail you'll be thirsting for.

Tom Cunliffe has written a wonderful book, and I always have a hard time deciding if this is the ultimate resource on the gaff rig, or if another author's]Handbook should take that honor. I have both, and find them very valuable. If you are restoring or building a boat with a gaff rig, you probably will want to get both too. The review I wrote for my boat building site... said:

"At first glance, there seems to be a lot of historical information on boats using the gaff rig, but what Cunliffe has done is describe nearly every imaginable type of craft using a gaff rig. Then, selecting the gaff cutter, he continues on to describe the rigging details of every aspect of that sail plan. Because the cutter has every rigging feature the other types have, you immediately identify those rigging features you need to consider. Its a unique and very readable way of introducing details that otherwise might be dry and frankly, boring, if included again and again in every chapter on a specific type of boat. Cunliffe also includes other information: sail trimming and sailing tips, etc., all with a dose of humor."

At the time I wrote that, Hand Reef and Steer was between printings. I'm pleased to see that it is again available. Highly recommended!

A great resource for the person who owns or dreams about owning a Gaff Rigg Cutter. The book details rigging and nomenclature,and charectoristics of sailing gaff riggs.

The author gives information in this book which is probably not compiled anywhere else.

This book is probably the only one around which gives details on how to keep the Corvair running. Common-language terminology makes the author easy to understand, and Corvair ancedotes keep the reader entertained.

The one drawback is that many of the illustrations are hand-sketches. Such sketches may or may not be useful to the reader when trying to use them to supplement the text. Similarly, some of the photos are too dark to be useful, though most are quite good.

I generally enjoyed the book.

After purchasing my first Corvair, this was the first book I purchased to support it.Well known to all Corvair enthusiasts, Richard Finch hits the mark by providing basic survival information on the Corvair. A "must have" when new to the Corvair world and a great addition to any automotive library!

This book has saved my life, not to mention a lot of time, in restoring and maintaining my 1964 Spyder Convertible. Many thanks to Mr. Finch for the many photos and drawings. Also for easy to understand language used in the book.

This is a must read for any motorcycle rider, novice or experienced. The layout of the book is good and information easy to find. There is some overlap between the first book and this one (delayed apexing for example), though both are invaluable guides.

The basic physics of bike handling are covered nicely and has a no BS approach.
The book gives very good insight into safe cycling and has some practical exercises to try out as well.

Problems: Topics like counter steering are split across multiple chapters. Though this is the only one I found, it would have been nice to have all in once nice block or chapter.

Conclusions: For the street rider, both books by DLH are a must read. These books changed the way I look at street riding.

David L. Hough's book "Proficient Motorcycling" showed me how little I really knew about the mechanical dynamics of a motorcycle. While I have been riding for a while, and am a safe rider, with Hough's book it has become a lot clearer about what a motorcycle is realing doing as I ride. Hough covers, in detail, many topics of safe riding, but he also helps you understand the mechanical dynamics of the motorcycle, in depth. By knowing what the machine wants to do under normal conditions, and under what conditions the machine fails us, we can better ride within the the margins of the bike's design and conditions. No matter how proficient you think you are already, Hough's book will help you understand what the machine is designed to do, and not do, and how important the rider is to it's safe operation. With the book in hand, plan on reading a chapter and wanting to go for a ride just to relate Hough's points to real riding.

In a few words, after reading the first one -Proficient Motorcycling- one cannot expect less from this renowned author and experienced rider.
This book deals deeper with concepts presented in the first one, concepts any reader-rider should have caught in mind and practised on the street after reading that. So this second part re-enforces and emphasizes basics ideas and fundamentals of riding safe as well as presents new optics on advanced motorcycling.
I highly recommend it to you all bike enthusiasts who ¨eated-up¨ the first one in a week and conciously practised every drill described there.

If I had to recommend just one book on renovating old houses it would be this one. Like most similar Taunton Press books, the book is accurate, well written, and informative about techniques that a real person might want to use. It includes lots of information about how old houses are constructed, the kinds of things that tend to go wrong with them over time, and techniques for fixing them. It is realistic about budgets and time constraints. And, perhaps most important, it gives fair warning about the stresses and strains of living in a house one is fixing up.

One might want to supplement this book with more specific books about the kind of house you are working on, and books which provide more information about how to match materials and aesthetics to the existing fabric of the particular sort of house you have, but this book is not to be missed.

I believe this is the greatest book to read first in any attempt to restore and older home. Most homes relate to the late 1800's, but is revealing even for homes built in the early 1900's. Much detail from foundation to roof on restoring any part of an old cherised home for the do - it -yourselfer.

Don't touch your old house until you read this book. Its an eye opener about what to do and what not to do to renovate an old house and keep it from looking like you did. Didn't notice how many remodels in my neighborhood had been "remuddled" until reading what Nash has to say about keeping architechtural integrity. I live in a historical district, and this book has helped me maintain my 1860s house and given me insight as to how it was built, and how to fix it. Get this book FIRST!

This book was a delight. Marchese not only
re-habs the house, but the relationship with his
father as well. A very pleasant read.

I wasn't sure what to expect when a friend recommended this book to me. I'm not a son, and I've never really understood the relationships between fathers and sons. This book helped me glean some insight into my own husband's tussles with his father--and gave me hope that someday they, too, will forge a more meaningful relationship. Besides that, it made me laugh out loud. I recommend this very highly, both for men and for the women who love them.

I LOVED this book! It's a wonderful depiction of the relationship between two very different people who so happen to be father and son. I admire the author for his very candid, humorous and whimsical portrayal of how important it is not to lose sight of what matters most....family. What a great book!