Thread: Engineering design book suggestions

I would suggest begin your study with the "PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS".
Online searches under that heading will provide you with tons of information.
Understanding the materials will give you a good grounding, as you need that before you can choose the right material for the item you wish to design.
Being able to properly design something is another subject really.
This topic is hugely interesting and can give you a lifelong hobby and source of learning.
If you are using steel and ally in your shed you are already learning. Perhaps you are already learning about the different grades of ally, which are numerous, with different types and tempers having different uses. I use a lot of 7075 Ally. Awesome stuff. Ya cant weld it or bend it but ya can anodise it. It machines well and is super strong and hard. And light, which is the "density' value. The hardness part means it holds a thread well. The TOP level rifle scope rings and bases are 7075 ally. The Stolle Panda rifle receiver is 7075 ally, with some steel inserts at critical places. Ally is in the "Non Ferrous Metals" category. BTW the boatbuilding ally is 5083 grade. It's strong, bends well and welds well, but is a mongrel to machine as it's "gummy" and sticks to the cutting tools. So it has very different properties to say 7075 ally.
If you were say designing a rifle stock you need to understand the "E" value of materials which is "the modulus of elasticity" value, or put simply the stiffness value, or the materials resistance to bending.
The "composites" are another more modern but huge family of materials.
Huge subject even if you just stick with steel and ally !!!!! My qual is NZCE Mechanical, but ya learn LOTS just by playing and building with the different materials. And being keen.
I say start with the "Properties of Materials".