Are there good books about water jet cutting?

The story of water jet cutting is being told on expert’s websites like this one and in viral YouTube videos. Will publishers be next to spot the growing trend?

We don’t make any secret of the fact that we believe water jet cutting is the future of cutting technology.

The magic is in its simplicity: it uses the natural erosion force of water and abrasion, speeded up. When combined with its power and precision, you get some truly awesome effects.

It’s a clean technology, with high levels of reuse for the water and abrasives. It’s also ‘kind’ to the materials involved – it doesn’t damage or alter them by heat to do its thing… it just cuts, cleanly and efficiently.

As we said, awesome, right?

It’s not just experts like us who genuinely love water jet cutting.

There are water-jet enthusiasts who love experimenting with cutting various materials on YouTube. And then millions more who enjoy these videos… the people who may say they don’t know what water jet cutting is, but last week watched an anvil being cut in half on YouTube.

Water jet cutting is a big deal on YouTube – the guys who run the Waterjet Channel get millions of views.

And there are hashtags you can follow on Instagram and Twitter like #Waterjet and #waterjetcutting. Take a look if you want to keep an eye on who’s cutting what today, and what the end results look like.

But though water jet cutting technology and its uses are becoming more widely used and more commonly known, sadly, good books on the topic remain few and far between. The reference books are highly technical, with hefty price tags.

It feels like there’s a gap in the market for a popular reference guide. But here are two affordable books related to water jet cutting that will satisfy curious minds, which we would recommend.

Cut in Half: The Hidden World Inside Everyday Objects
by Mike Warren

Designer, inventor, and maker Mike Warren decided to look inside pretty much any object he could get his hands on. He’s already known on YouTube as a ‘waterjet master’ who bisects items on his channel Cut in Half to viewers’ delight.

Mike was drawn to the opportunity that water jet cutting offered of cutting everyday objects cleanly and precisely in half, to peer inside at the parts and workings that make those things go.

His Cut in Half book takes a close-up look at cross-sections of everything from boom boxes to boxing gloves. What makes it a cut above his YouTube channel is the stunning images by Jonothan Woodward. The photographs let you linger over and focus on each item, and each one is accompanied by Mike’s descriptions of the inner workings and materials of each item. Worth a look.

(And if cross-sections is your thing, try Stephen Biesty’s Incredible Cross Sections of Everything. Beautiful illustrations of cross-sections of everything from Boeing 777 to an astronaut’s space suit – which may or may not have been cut in half with a water jet cutter!).

Digital Crafts: Industrial Technologies for Applied Artists and Designer Makers
by Ann Marie Shillito

A bit more specialist this, but it gets your creative mind thinking about what modern cutting technologies can make possible outside of industrial settings.

It showcases different modern methods and techniques that have been adapted from industry and are now being taken up by creators. The technologies may seem complex, but Digital Crafts simply and clearly explains how they work, have developed and their application.

Technologies include 2D and 3D digital designing and modelling, 3D printing, reverse engineering, CNC machining, and laser and water jet cutting. More info here.

Work with the UK’s leading Water Jet Cutters

At TMC, we are a water jet cutter who serve the whole of the UK and increasingly Europe too, with clients across the content trusting us to work on their projects.

Despite our success, we remain a company that focusses on every client and work on projects of all sizes.

If you think water jet cutting might be of use for your project, please do get in touch for an obligation-free chat.