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The Use and Care

of
Drafting Equipment

Chapter 3
Sacramento City College
EDT 300/ENGR 306

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Objectives
‹ Learn to properly and efficiently use basic
drafting tools and equipment to produce
technical drawings.

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Basic Manual Drafting Equipment
‹ Vocabulary • India ink
• Irregular curves
‹ Acute angle
• Obtuse angle
‹ Alphabet of Lines
• Opaque
‹ Angle • Protractor
‹ Circumference • Right Angle
‹ Compass • Scales
• Symmetrical
‹ Drafting Film
• T-Square
‹ Erasing Shields
• Transparent
‹ Inclined • Vellum
• Vertex

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Basic Manual Drafting Equipment
‹ Drafting Board • Architect’s,
engineer’s and
‹ T-Square or parallel-ruling straight edge or
metric scale
drafting machine • Irregular curve
‹ Drawing sheets (paper, cloth, or film) instrument
• Drawing
‹ Drafting tape set
• Brush
‹ Drafting pencils
‹ Black drawing ink
‹ Pencil Sharpener
‹ Technical pens
‹ Erasing shield
‹ Triangle, 45o and 30o-60o

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Basic Manual Drafting Equipment
‹ Drawing tables and desks
‹ Come in many different sizes and shapes
‹ Can be used standing or sitting
‹ Combination drafting table, desk and
regular office chair is the most comfortable
and efficient.
‹ See Figure 3-3.

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Drawing Boards
‹ Drawing sheet is taped to the drawing board.
‹ Drawing boards usually measure:
‹ 9 x 12
‹ 16 x 21
‹ 18 x 24
‹ Usually made of pine or basswood
‹ Made to stay flat and so the guiding edge
will remain straight
‹ Hardwood or metal strips are used on
some board edges to provide more durable
edges.

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T-Squares
‹AT-Square
‹ is an instrument that consists of a head
that lines up with a true edge of the drafting
board and a blade, or straightedge, that
provides a true edge.
‹ Most have plastic-edged wood or clear
plastic blades and heads of wood or
plastic.
‹ If extreme accuracy is required, the T-
square may be made of stainless steel.
‹ The blade must be very straight.
‹ The blade must be attached securely to the top
surface of the T-head.
‹ See Figure 3-4.
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Checking T-Square Accuracy
‹ To check the accuracy of a T-square
‹ On a clean sheet of paper, draw a sharp,
thin line along the drawing edge of the T-
square.
‹ Then, turn the drawing sheet around and
line up the drawing edge of the T-square
with the other side of the line.
‹ If the drawing edge and the pencil line do
not match, the T-square is not accurate
and should be replaced.
‹ See Figure 3-5.

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Drafting Machines
‹ Two kinds are in use
‹ The arm or elbow type (Figure 3-6).
‹ The track type (Figure 3-9).
‹ The parallel bar type (Figure 3-9).

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Arm or Elbow Drafting Machine
‹ The anchor and two arms hold a movable
protractor head with two scales.
‹ The scales are normally at right angles to
each other.
‹ The arms allow the scales to be moved to
any place on the drawing that is parallel to
the starting position.
‹ Items are parallel when their edges are
exactly the same distance apart at all
points.

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Arm or Elbow Drafting Machine
‹ Most industrial drafting departments and
many schools use drafting machines.
‹ Drafting machines combine the functions of
the T-square, triangles, scales, and
protractor.
‹ Allow you to draw more quickly and with
less work.

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Track-Type Drafting Machine
‹ The track-type uses a horizontal guide rail at
the top of the board and a moving arm rail at
right angles to the top rail.
‹ An adjustable protractor head and two
scales, usually at right angles, move up
and down on the arm
‹ The scales may be moved to any place on
the drawing that is parallel to the starting
position.
‹ This type of drafting machine is easy to
use on large boards or on boards placed
vertically or at a steep angle.

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Other Basic Tools
‹ Triangles
‹ Drafters use two types of triangles in
combination with the T-square to draw
lines at various angles.
‹ Protractor
‹ A protractor is an instrument that is used to
measure or lay out angles.
‹ Parallel-Ruling Straightedges
‹ Many drafters prefer this device to the
drafting machine.

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Other Basic Tools
‹ Irregular Curves
‹ Also called French curves
‹ Used to draw noncircular curves
‹ They are made of sheet plastic
‹ Come in many different forms
‹ Sets are made for ellipses, parabolas,
hyperbolas, and other special purposes.
‹ Flexible curves
‹ Curves which can be adjusted to complex
curves that may be difficult to draw with
other irregular curves.

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Drawing Media
‹ Drawings are made on may different
materials.

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Paper
‹ White, tinted, blue tint or pale green.
‹ White is used for drawings which will be
photographed.
‹ Light colored papers reduce eyestrain and
are less likely to soil.

‹ Opaque drawing papers are used for


‹ Permanent records
‹ Master drawings.
‹ Maps.
‹ Any drawing that will be photographed.

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Tracing paper
‹ Tracing paper
‹ Is translucent drawing paper
‹ Name was derived from the practice of first
making a drawing in pencil on opaque
paper, then “tracing” in ink on a sheet of
translucent paper.
‹ Translucent papers allow “bluelines” or
copies to be made.
‹ Natural papers made strong and durable
are not very transparent.
‹ Papers with high transparency are only
moderately durable.

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Vellum
‹ Vellum

‹ Istracing paper that has been treated to


make it more transparent.

‹ Vellum provides strength, transparency,


durability (handling and folding) and
erasability without “ghosting”.

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Tracing Cloth
‹ Tracing Cloth

‹ Is finely woven cotton fiber material cloth


that has been sized with starch to provide
a surface that takes pencil and ink.
‹ It comes in white for pencil tracings and
blue for ink.

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Tracing Cloth
‹ TracingCloth
‹ The working side is dull or frosted.

‹ You can erase without damaging the


surface by using a soft rubber or vinyl
eraser.

‹ Treatedto provide a good working surface


and good transparency.

‹ Is
considerably more expensive than paper
media.

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Tracing Cloth
‹ Tracing Cloth
‹ Is subject to expansion and shrinkage.
‹ The drawing should be completed all at
once.

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Mylar (Plastic Film)
‹ Best qualifications for drawing media.
‹ Best for longevity, dimensional stability, great
resistance to tearing, easy erasing with soft
eraser and high transparency.
‹ Waterproof.
‹ Will not become brittle with age.
‹ Drawing surface is matte (dull and rough).
‹ Other side is very smooth, and will not accept
graphite.

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Drawing Sheet Sizes
‹ Drawing sheets follow standards set by
‹ American National Standards Institute
(ANSI)
‹ OR

‹ International Standards Organization (ISO)

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ANSI Sheet Sizes
‹ American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
provides two sets of standards which are
commonly called the US Customary series.
‹ Both are developed upward in size from
smallest to largest.
‹ 8.5 x 11 series
‹ OR

‹9 x 12 series

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ANSI Sheet Sizes
‹ Seriesbased on 8.5” x 11” sheet.
‹ A - 8.5” x 11.0”
‹ B - 11” x 17”
‹ (keep the longest dimension (11); multiply the
smallest dimension by 2; 2 x 8.5 = 17)
‹C - 17” x 22”
‹ (keep the longest dimension (17); multiply the
smallest dimension by 2; 2 x 11 = 22)
‹D - 22” x 34”
‹ (keep the longest dimension (22); multiply the
smallest dimension by 2; 2 x 17 = 34)
‹E - 34” x 44”
‹ (keep the longest dimension (34); multiply the
smallest dimension by 2; 2 x 22 = 44)

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ANSI Sheet Sizes
‹ Seriesbased on 8.5” x 11” sheet.
‹ A - 8.5” x 11.0”
‹ B - 11” x 17”
‹ C - 17” x 22”
‹ D - 22” x 34”
‹ E - 34” x 44”

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ANSI Sheet Sizes
‹ Series based on 9” x 12” sheet.
‹ A - 9” x 12.0”
‹ B - 12” x 18”
‹ (keep the longest dimension (12); multiply the
smallest dimension by 2; 2 x 9 = 18)
‹C - 18” x 24”
‹ (keep the longest dimension (18); multiply the
smallest dimension by 2; 2 x 12 = 24)
‹D - 24” x 36”
‹ (keep the longest dimension (24); multiply the
smallest dimension by 2; 2 x 18 = 36)
‹E - 36” x 48”
‹ (keep the longest dimension (36); multiply the
smallest dimension by 2; 2 x 24 = 48)

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ANSI Sheet Sizes
‹ Series based on 9” x 12” sheet.
‹ A - 9.0” x 12.0” sheet.
‹ B - 12” x 18”
‹ C - 18” x 24”
‹ D - 24” x 36”
‹ E - 36” x 48”

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ISO Sheet Sizes
‹ ISO Sheet sizes
‹ are developed downward in size from a
base sheet with an area of about 1 square
meter.
‹ (Remember that ANSI sizes are developed
upward)
‹ Sheet sizes are based on a length-to-width
ratio of 1 to square root of 2.
‹ Each smaller size has an area equal to one-
half the preceding size.

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Setting up a Drawing on the Drafting
Board

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Fastening The Drawing Sheet To the Board
‹ Place sheet at least 2” from left edge.

‹ Place sheet at least 4” to 6” from the bottom


of the drawing table.

‹ Lineup sheet horizontally with drafting


machine then place drafting machine over
paper to hold in place.

‹ Use strips of tape or round “draft-dots” to


hold the sheet in place.

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Pencils
‹ Pencil “lead” is made from graphite, a form of
the element carbon.
‹ It also contains clay, and some resins to
hold it together
‹ Graphite pencils have been used for more
than 200 years and are still the most
important kind.

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Pencils
‹ Leadsused in drawing pencils are
manufactured by a special process designed
to make them strong and capable of
producing sharp, even density lines.

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Graphite Pencil Grades of Hardness
‹ 6B-softest and ‹ H-medium hard
blackest ‹ 2H-hard
‹ 5B-extremely soft ‹ 3H-hard, plus
‹ 4B-extra soft ‹ 4H-very hard
‹ 3B-very soft ‹ 5H-extra hard
‹ 2B-soft, plus ‹ 6H-extra hard, plus
‹ B-soft ‹ 7H-extremely hard
‹ HB-medium soft ‹ 8H-extremely hard, plus
‹ F-intermediate ‹ 9H-hardest
between hard and
soft

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Choice of Pencil Hardness
‹ The grade of pencil you used depends
‹ On the kind of surface on which you are
drawing.
‹ The roughness of the drawing media
‹ Paper
‹ Vellum

‹ On how opaque (dark) and thick you want


the finished line to be.

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Common Use of Harder Leads
‹ The softer grades of lead
‹ deposit more lead on the media and
‹ produce more opaque lines.

‹ However, many drafters continue to use the


harder grades because
‹ they produce sharper lines and
‹ do not smudge readily during drafting
process.

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Choice of Pencil Hardness
‹ Examples
‹ “Layout views on fairly hard-surfaced drawing
paper”.
‹ 4H or higher
‹ Tracingpaper/finished views to be
reproduced.
‹H or 2H

‹ Grades HB, F, H are sometimes used for


sketching, and for drawing arrowheads,
border lines.

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Choice of Pencil Hardness
‹ The exact grade depends on the drawing and
the surface.
‹ Very hard and very soft leads are seldom
used in drafting.

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Sharpening Pencils

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Sharpening Pencils
‹ To sharpen a wooden pencil,
‹ Cut away the wood at a long slope (Fig 3-
17A) or
‹ Use a drafter’s pencil sharpener
‹ Sharpen the end opposite the grade mark
‹ Leave about .38” to .5” exposed.
‹ Shape the lead to a long conical point
‹ Do this by rubbing the lead back and forth on a
sandpaper pad, while turning the pencil slowly.
‹ Burnish the lead by rubbing on drafting paper.

‹ Neversharpen a pencil over a drawing


board !
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Two Pencil Point Types
‹ Conical
‹ The conical point is used for general line
work and lettering.
‹ It is shaped in a lead pointer

‹ Wedge
‹ Used for drawing ling straight lines
because it holds it point (edge) linger than
the conical point.

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Lead Holders
‹ Are widely used by drafters
‹ They hold plain sticks of lead in a chuck
that allows the exposed lead to be
extended to any length desired.

‹ Generallyare shaped just like pencils


‹ The lead is sharpened in a lead sharpener.

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Pencil Technique

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Pencil Techniques
‹ Lines
‹ must ALWAYS be clean and sharp.
‹ must be dark enough for the views to be
seen when standard line widths are used.

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Pencil Techniques
‹ Pencilpressure
‹ Too much
‹ and you will groove the drawing surface
‹ Not enough
‹ the line will be too light and will be “fuzzy”.

‹ Sufficientpressure must be used to fill the


drawing fibers with graphite.

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Pencil Techniques
‹ PencilStrokes
‹ More than one pencil stroke is required to
produce a line of proper density

‹ The pencil MUST BE ROTATED as you


are drawing the line.

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Pencil Techniques
‹ Develop the habit of turning the pencil
between your thumb and forefinger when
drawing a line.

‹ Thiswill help
‹ keep the line uniform and
‹ keep the pencil point from wearing
unevenly.

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Erasers and Erasing
‹ Use soft erasers
‹ Vinyl type (only).
‹ Pink/green erasers are too abrasive.
‹ On film, only use a vinyl type of eraser.

‹ On paper or cloth, erase across the direction


of the line.

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Erasing Procedure
‹ Clean eraser by rubbing on a clean scrap of
paper.
‹ With your free hand, hold the drawing
securely.
‹ Rub soft vinyl eraser lightly back and forth
to erase detail or line.

‹ For erasing deeply grooved pencil or ink lines,


place a triangle under the paper for backing.

‹ Ifnecessary to protect details close by, use


an erasing shield.
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Eraser Shields
‹ Use eraser shields to prevent accidentally
erasing nearby lines.

‹ Erasing shields are made of metal, or plastic


and have openings of different sizes and
shapes.

‹ Position the shield so only the part you wish


to erase appears in one of the openings on
the shield.

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Electric Erasers
‹ Use care not to remain in one spot too long,
especially with film.
‹ You can “polish” the film to the point that it
will no longer accept graphite.
‹ Use only soft rubber or vinyl erasers.

‹A very gentle pressure avoids overheating the


drawing surface.
‹ You can use a piece of thin gauge copper,
brass or aluminum sheet under the area to
be erased to help dissipate the heat and
reduce the possibility of damage to the
drawing.

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Neatness In Drafting
‹ Neatness = Ability

‹ The first impression is a lasting one.


‹ Practice cleanliness from the start.
‹ The primary source of “dirty” drawings is
smeared graphite
‹ Sliding T-squares, triangles, shirt sleeves
and hands across drawings.

‹ Lift tools off your work; do not slide!

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Neatness In Drafting
‹ Wash your hands before starting, and
occasionally during drawing if your hands
tend to be oily.

‹ Always wipe dust and dirt from instruments


with a soft cloth before starting to draw and
frequently during use.

‹ Layout all views with a hard pencil first.


“Heavy-in” lines only when certain they are
correct.

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Neatness In Drafting
‹ Remove graphite dust when it collects.
‹ After each line is drawn, blow loose
graphite from the sheet.

‹ Remove erasure dust with a brush, not your


hands!

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Neatness In Drafting
‹ DO NOT slide instruments across drawing!
‹ Lift the drafting machine prior to moving.

‹ Sharpen pencils away from the drawing.

‹ Maintainan orderly drawing area.


‹ Keep only the tools you need on top of the
desk
‹ Keep unused tools OFF THE SHEET!

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