author

James Lukin

1828–1917

An Anglican clergyman with a serious gift for practical teaching, he wrote lively how-to books that opened up mechanics, tool use, and turning for generations of young readers and amateur makers.

2 Audiobooks

The Lathe & Its Uses Or, Instruction in the Art of Turning Wood and Metal. Including a Description of the Most Modern Appliances for the Ornamentation of Plane and Curved Surfaces. With an Appendix, in Which is Described an Entirely Novel Form of Lathe for Eccentric and Rose Engine Turning; a Lathe and Planing Machine Combined; and Other Valuable Matter Relating to the Art.

The Lathe & Its Uses Or, Instruction in the Art of Turning Wood and Metal. Including a Description of the Most Modern Appliances for the Ornamentation of Plane and Curved Surfaces. With an Appendix, in Which is Described an Entirely Novel Form of Lathe for Eccentric and Rose Engine Turning; a Lathe and Planing Machine Combined; and Other Valuable Matter Relating to the Art.

by James Lukin

The Young Mechanic Containing directions for the use of all kinds of tools, and for the construction of steam engines and mechanical models, including the art of turning in wood and metal

The Young Mechanic Containing directions for the use of all kinds of tools, and for the construction of steam engines and mechanical models, including the art of turning in wood and metal

by James Lukin

About the author

James Lukin was a 19th-century British clergyman and practical writer best known for books on turning, mechanics, and workshop skills. Sources found during this search describe him as an Anglican minister, an inventor of the “Lukin Lathe,” and the author of several well-known works on wood and metal turning.

His books were written to be useful rather than lofty. Titles associated with him include The Young Mechanic, The Boy Engineers, Turning Lathes, and The Lathe & Its Uses—works aimed at apprentices, hobbyists, and curious young readers who wanted clear guidance and hands-on knowledge.

Some sources list his birth year as 1827, while the date you provided is 1828; his death year is consistently given as 1917. A historical note also says that the same James Lukin who wrote these technical books served in church posts in several parts of England, which helps explain the unusual mix of clerical life and mechanical expertise in his career.