Of course, it contains what any machine shop hobbyist would desire: clearly described and illustrated projects by a grandmaster. They range from simple and complex projects to helpful skills that are not necessarily obvious to the novice.

But what sets Randolph’s Shop apart from other texts is that it so clearly transcends its genre as its author does the stereotype of a machinist. I curled up one Saturday afternoon and found myself reading every word, except the occasional necessary parts that reminded me of the “begats” in the Bible.

Sure, you’ll see step-by-step how-to’s for building a band saw, removing a broken bolt, and making decorative eggs of numerous materials. But more enjoyably, even a non-machinist like me understands 99 percent of Bulgin’s clear text. I could tell the author’s eyes sparkled with good humor as he penned such comments as, “Know your material. If you are welding a 36 plate and you smell cotton burning, your shirt is probably on fire.”

The 240-page book contains more than 350 photos and illustrations.

Nationally known for his articles in Home Shop Machinist and Machinist’s Workshop, Bulgin is a third-generation blacksmith, machinist, and fixer. This Mensa member was a shy boy who “nearly beat Dad back home from Raleigh” when he tried N.C. State in the early 1960s. A tour in the machine shop of the USS Fort Mandan, LSD-21, refined the shop and welding skills he’d learned at home.

After operating a business that made decorative fire screens and other items, he became a welding foreman during the construction of a nuclear power plant. When he retired, he was superintendent of the machine shop at ALCOA’s largest plant. Today he operates a one-man commercial machine shop with regular clients that include Fortune 100 and local manufacturing companies. His precision equipment comes from high tech companies and his own refinements of labor-saving devices.

Bulgin already has enough new ideas for a second home machinist book, and I hope his third will be a collection of his short stories.

The index, sample text, and ordering information for Randolph’s Shop can be seen at www.randolphsmachineshop.com. The book is also for sale at Books Unlimited in Franklin or you may purchase one by visiting Randolph’s Shop itself.

Randolph’s Shop by Randolph Bulgin. Bulgin Forge Books, 2006. $39.95