A Mechanical Drafters Role

When any new or improved type of tool, fixture, or machine is being developed, its general arrangement and the principles governing its operation and use may be quite clear in the mind of the inventor or designer, and they may proceed with the actual work of construction, guided only by some mental picture of the mechanism. There are a lot of simple tools or appliances that can be produced in this way, but its evident that such a method is very limited. It is often easier for the designer of a new type of gizmo to build it with his own two hands than to attempt a verbal description to give someone else a clear enough idea of the device so they can build it.

This direct method of construction is totally impractical when applied to regular manufacturing. First off, it would be impossible to create many of the more complicated parts by simply forming a mental picture of them. The basic idea of the device and maybe its general arrangement might be entirely clear, but in order to figure out the exact relation of the various array of parts when they are all properly proportioned and assembled, it is necessary to make an accurate drawing. Such a drawing not only shows the arrangement of the mechanism as a whole, but assists the designer in a big way in the development of the idea as a whole. Quite often, the mental picture is distorted, but when an accurate drawing is made, it is clear as a bell that changes are necessary either in the form and size of one or more of the parts or possibly in the entire make-up of the mechanism.

The General Use of Drawings
The method usually followed by inventors and designers in creating new or improved machines or fixtures is the making of a drawing of whatever idea is being developed. When this has been done, a clear concept of the form and the practicality of the mechanism shown by the drawing may be gotten by the originator of the idea and by other folks who understand drawings and are able to read them. Drawings then serve several important purposes. The first is that they assist in the development of a plan by allowing the inventor or designer to see clearly the relation of different parts to one another and whether or not the planned motion or effect may be obtained. The second is that drawings make it possible for the originator of a plan to convey the idea to others with more ease that if they tried to describe it using mere words. And third, they show those who are actually constructing the device the proportions of its various parts and their relation when they are properly assembled together. And finally, drawings are handy as a hay rake as records of what has been completed and makes it possible to reproduce whatever tool or gizmo is shown on the drawing or drawings.

The Work of the Drafter or Draftsman.
On manufacturing different kinds of mechanical tools and equipment, the work performed can be divided into four different categories:
1. Originating entirely or in part the general type of device to be constructed and the principle governing its operation;
2. Designing the mechanism in according to established mechanical principles and in such a way that the different parts will be strong enough to resist any stresses that they may be subjected to;
3. Making drawings that are needed in the actual work of construction;
4. Making, fitting, and assembling the various parts.

In the study of mechanical drawing, it is totally necessary that you understand the relation of these four categories to one another, because a drafter may simply make drawings according to the ideas of others or they may have more or less to do with originating the plan. The drafter, none the less, is still an integral part of any design or manufacturing process.

Some drafters are able to determine the proportions of different parts and many of them control the process of manufacturing. The designer may be an inventor or vice versa, and he is always a drafter and is capable of making mechanical drawings. The drafter however, is not necessarily a designer and may know little or nothing about the principles governing the design of the part, machinery or tools drawn.

My name is Tim Davis and I teach drafting at http://101info.org.

Arcitectural Drawing/Drafting

Architectural drafting may be studied by either the analytic or the synthetic method. In the latter, the order of procedure is first to draw a structure in its entirety and then to make a study of its details. For the synthetic method it is claimed that the student follows the same course he would pursue in an office and that he works with a clearer understanding than he would if he had to draw a number of miscellaneous, unrelated parts of a building. On the other hand, the adherents of the analytic method contend that the most uncouth and impracticable designs are made by students who know nothing of the construction of the various recurring elements of a structure, such as doors, windows, roofs, etc.

Synthetic-analytic Method. A happy medium may be found by combining the good points of each system in the synthetic-analytic method. The student should constantly refer to a complete set of plans as he draws details. A building, it should be remembered, is an aggregation of connected units; system and coherency must therefore prevail in its representation. The foundation should be considered first; then the superimposed walls, the crowning roof, the exterior finish, and finally, the interior embellishments should follow in consecutive order. These elements should be carefully studied by themselves and in relation to one another. The plans should be consulted for width of openings; elevations and sections for height of openings. Studied in this manner, the beginner soon acquires a proper conception of the elements when represented conventionally. Knowing them and their conventional representation, it will not be difficult for the student to combine them in original designs.

To learn to draw house plans, please go to http://homedesign.8m.com

Biblical Question answered at The Old Pathway

September 19, 2010

Over the past few weeks there have been over 100 questions submitted to The Old Pathway, Ask the Preacher. Here are a few:

Exorcism
Should Christians, through fasting and prayer, drive out devils from people? If so, are the ones with demons lost people? It does not make sense that a saved person would have a demon.
Read the Answer

Accountability
The mentally retarded, are they accountable for sin? What about babies?
Read the Answer

Angel Ranks
What is the difference between an angel, archangel and cherubim?
Read the Answer

What Constitutes A Marriage Recognized By God

First, the marriage of Adam and Eve was consecrated by God Himself. Marriage in fact is the first institution established by God for man. And it being the first must be important. So important that the Savior likens the relationship of Himself and the church as a marriage which will be consecrated in Heaven at the marriage feast.

As far as the importance here, because God established marriage, brought the woman to Adam for the express purpose of being his wife. Even more than that, a vow or pronouncement was made by man that the woman will be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone because she was taken out of man. In Genesis chapter two, the Bible says "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. This same pronouncement is made over the bride and the groom by the man of God. Henceforth the last pronouncement made: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

Now, just as it has been for many a century the bride and groom come to the man of God so that this pronouncement can be made to more witnesses. That's why the pronouncement has to be made in front of witnesses.

One other thing that you need to look at. There is a pesky verse that gets in the way of many who don't see the need to go in front of the man of God to be pronounced. In other words, shack up. The law says that unless a marriage has been solemnized, it will not recognize it as a binding marriage in their eyes. So, that pesky verse: "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work," in Titus. So then, if a marriage hasn't been solemnized, it is a double whammy. It isn't recognized as a marriage by the church and also not recognized by the powers that be...

Marriage is a covenant made between a man and a woman before God. If it is a covenant made before God, many would think twice about destroying the marriage that God has joined together by pronouncement marriage. In my eyes it is like breaking a promise to God to be faithful to the one He has joined them together with. If there is no covenant (pronouncement before witnesses) then God most certainly does not condone it. Matthew chapter nineteen says: “And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

Even one step further. Unless a marriage between a Christian and another Christian or even a Christian and an unbeliever has been pronounced by the man of God or a magistrate in the sight of witnesses, before God, it is a unholy thing. The scripture says “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.” A faithful Christian would not have it any other way.

About the Author

Pastor Tim Davis is the webmaster for "The Old Pathways", a message board dedicated to asking and answering questions concerning the Bible, Salvation, and Christianity. The web address is http://101info.org/oldpath/ and you are most certainly welcome to come and post your questions. There is no need to register on the board if you do not want to. Questions can be asked without registration.

Female Preachers and Pastors

This by no means a popular subject. And the perspective I’m about to give you is generally that of an ancient Baptist viewpoint, just so you understand where I am coming from. If you choose to ignore the content of this article, that is your God given right. Please understand that I am not trying to be mean or malicious here. My intent is to give you my understanding of what the scriptures tell us.

The Apostle Paul said “Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.” You may think I’m about to talk about long hair on men and short on women. No. What I want you to notice is that the Apostle said “we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.”.

We Baptists, generally speaking, have no such custom as ignoring what the scriptures say about the roles of men and women in the church just as Paul said we have no such custom as a man wearing long hair or the woman having short hair as a member of the church body.

Now either you believe what the Bible says or you don’t. It’s your choice. Personally I believe what is written and I also believe that it is just as much for us today as it was two thousand years ago and before. It is defiantly written: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

So then, what does the Bible say about the role of a woman who is a Christian? In Titus two the Bible says “The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Some ladies would look at this and think they are supposed to be some kind of slave or that the wife is less of a person than a husband. No, that is being prideful and the Bible tells us that pride goeth before a fall.

Ladies, you were created from man’s rib which is at his side as his. You weren’t created from the foot bones so you are not to be under mans foot by no means. On the other hand you weren’t created from the bones of his head, so you aren’t to be head over him either.

There are certain positions God has placed us as man and woman in the church. Man was given the position of leading. Women have been given the position of nurturing. Without the God given nurturing love that the good Lord has placed in you as part of your very nature, the children wouldn’t be prepared to make the decisions of accepting the Lord Jesus as Savior. Your position is crucial to the kingdom of God.

But when the scriptures say: ”But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” Everyone seems to get in an uproar. Tail feathers get ruffled and the argument is on. Is the reason because sometimes we think God is unfair? Well if that is your belief, you may need to do some checking up on your heart or even your salvation because God is fair and just and holy. There is none that are as right as God because God is righteousness.

So therefore, if the woman were a preacher, she would be doing two things. Number one, she would not be silent in the congregation. Number two, she would be in authority over the man. There is nothing complicated about it. Either you are silent or you aren’t and you are in a position of authority over men or you aren’t. There is no grey area here. And if you assert that the men choose to allow that authority over them, they are also going against the scriptures.

Now as for the position of pastor, what does the scriptures say in that matter? The Bible uses the term bishop often when referring to a pastor and it says: “If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;” Notice that "If a man", not a woman is at the beginning of the passages! Not only that, but he must be the husband of one wife. How can a woman be "the husband of one wife"? If she is the husband of one wife, then she is a practicing homosexuality and defiantly disobeying God's word.

One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) If she rules her own house then she is also out of Gods will because the head of the family is the man, not the woman! In Ephesians, the Bible says “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.”

But hey, you also have the God given right to believe what you want to believe. And if you choose to disregard the scriptures or believe these passages weren’t written for us in the twenty first century, that is also your choice.

Pastor Tim Davis is the webmaster for "The Old Pathways", a message board dedicated to asking and answering questions concerning the Bible, Salvation, and Christianity. The web address is http://101info.org/oldpath/ and you are most certainly welcome to come and post your questions. There is no need to register on the board if you do not want to. Questions can be asked without registration.

Am I being punished by God

Am I being punished by God? I have heard that question being ask over and over when some type of disaster takes place in someone’s life. I am sure you have probably heard it too. Maybe the very first thing you might need to realize is that if God is punishing you, there should not be any doubt in your mind whatsoever that it is God doing it.

If you have to guess what it is you have done to be punished of God, most likely it's not punishment from the Lord at all. The Bible says that it rains on the just and the unjust in Matthew chapter five. It could be that whatever is happening to you is just one of those things that could happen to anyone.

Or I could put it to you another way, then consider someone walking up you and smacking you across the head then walking away without explanation. Now that is downright unfair and mean. Do you consider God unfair? Do you believe He’s capable of being mean? The Bible says in Hebrews chapter twelve that whom God loves, he chastens. Even further it states that without the chastening hand of God on you, you aren't one of His.

So do you not think that if God is going to take you out to the woodshed for a spanking, He’s not going to tell you why? That's just plumb silly because there is no greater love than Gods love my friend and no greater justice than the chastening hand of God. What good would the chastening be without knowing why it's happening in the first place. That would be confusion and God is not the author of confusion.

Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap is what the bible says in Galatians chapter six. If you commit fornication or adultery and wind up with a venereal disease, I think that is a no brainer, at least for a Christian what’s happening. A Christian should very well know that if this is the end result or some other terrible thing that resulted from your actions, you just received the punishment from God. The good Lord protects us but as a punishment for our disobedience, He most certainly can lift that protection surrounding us to teach us a lesson. After all, if you know to do good and don't do it, the Bible says that to us personally, it is sin in James chapter four.

Pastor Tim Davis is the webmaster for "The Old Pathways", a message board dedicated to asking and answering questions concerning the Bible, Salvation, and Christianity. The web address is http://101info.org/oldpath/ and you are most certainly welcome to come and post your questions. There is no need to register on the board if you do not want to. Questions can be asked without registration.

The Appearance Of A Christian Woman

Some time back I had a person email into my online ministry with a question about women’s makeup. She more specifically was asking about the great amounts of makeup used by some Christian women on television. After a bunch of prayer, here is how I answered her:

Great amounts of makeup on a ladies face has always been a uncomfortable thing for me to deal with, both scripturally and personally. I guess it reminds me of the old sayings about a painted lady which refers back to that old gal Jezebel. 2 Kings 9:30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. Jezebels name has always been synonymous with a lady who was out for any and all men and didn't mind what measures she took to get them.

As for those ladies who put their makeup on thick, there are honestly some who do it because of blemish, scars, or a skin condition and there is nothing wrong with that if it makes them feel comfortable. But there are some Christian ladies who cake it on with a cement trowel because they want to and to be quite frank with you, it is in my opinion that it is a shame.

Number one, it draws attention to them and not to the Lord, and number two they are making themselves look like a woman who professes anything but Godliness. 1st Timothy 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 2:10: But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

Now as an old time preacher said in a sermon once "It don't hurt nothin to paint up the barn a little after it has had a few seasons in the sun". A little makeup never hurt anyone but if it makes you look like a lady who has on her mind anything but doing God's will, well, you get the picture!

Pastor Tim Davis is the webmaster for "The Old Pathways", a message board dedicated to asking and answering questions concerning the Bible, Salvation, and Christianity. The web address is http://101info.org/oldpath/ and you are most certainly welcome to come and post your questions. There is no need to register on the board if you do not want to. Questions can be asked without registration.

What Is A Human Capable Of

I have been asked many times by new Christian converts why, even though they are saved, do they still have the ability or rather the desire to sin. The answer has always been an easy one to answer but a hard one for the natural man to accept.

Why? Well in all actuality, it is not your natural body that is saved, it is your soul. The flesh never is saved because and has to be brought under subjection. In other words not allowed to do the terrible things it wants to do. The Apostle Paul said that the things the flesh wanted to do were contrary to the things the spirit man inside your body wants to do.

He said in book of Galatians, chapter five, the flesh wanted and is very able to commit adultery and fornication because these things are natural to it. He went on further to say that the flesh was unclean. Those things that were dirty it craves. On the purely natural side, skip a few baths and the flesh shows just how much it stinks.

As for lasciviousness, which means to be lustful, the flesh would dwell on it constantly if allowed to. Why? Because it desires pleasure and would be more than happy to let pleasure rule its life.

The list the Apostle made was extensive including idolatry, hatred, always wanting to change the rules, the stirring up of jealousy or envy in others, wrath, resists legal authority, heresies, envying others for what they have, capable of murder, enjoys being drunk, loves to go uncontrollably wild. Not a pretty picture now is it?

And those that do these things are not of God at all. No kidding! If you do even some of these things and are not bothered by doing them and you claim to be saved, you might want to do some checking up on your salvation. There is no way that the Holy Spirit inside you would allow you even the slightest peace if your doing such and do not hear Him speaking to you through your conscience. These things are contrary to the Lords nature and if saved, contrary to your spiritual nature as well.

So, if you are child of God, as the scripture says, the Holy Spirit lives in you. Therefore my friend you have access the attributes of God. What does that mean? It means that if you allow God to lead you in all things through His Holy Spirit you will display, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance which is self control and not the other things that are natural to the flesh.

Pastor Tim Davis is the webmaster for “The Old Pathways”, a message board dedicated to asking questions concerning the Bible, Salvation, and Christianity. The web address is http://101info.org/oldpath/ and you are most certainly welcome to come and post your questions. There is no need to register on the board if you do not want to. Questions can be asked without registration.

A Bible Version Challenge

My name is Tim Davis, pastor of the River of Life Mission Church of McMinn County Tennessee, a Missionary Baptist Church. Also the webmaster of The PCIM Christian Community Message Board.

I personally believe that there is a deception taking place that is actually over seventeen hundred years old. I believe and have historical proof that the bible versions you may be using are nothing more than counterfeits and you are being mislead and deceived by them.

I’ve seen other learned scholars have made a comparison of the NIV (New International Version), HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible), NASB (New American Standard Bible), NKJV (New King James Version), against the KJV (King James Bible) who have made excellent points about the differences and the way that these newer versions have changed teaching to where we are in a major state of confusion in our churches. I even wrote a lengthy article on the subject myself a few years back. What I have not seen is a concise and purely logical historical explanation as to why these differences are there in the first place.

I would be more than happy to open this up to debate after I’ve been allowed to present the facts. You may even debate as I place my findings on the thread. This discussion will take place once we have enough interested parties make themselves known. Simply go to http://www.parsonscorner.org/pcimunity/index.php and make an account. It’s free. Post a thread that you have joined to let me know and we can get started.

Christian Message Boards

There are a large degree of Christian Message Boards or Bible Forums on the internet and each one has their own particular theme. Actually it seems there are more Christian message boards than any religion that I can find searching on line.

A few of these bible related forums are actually quite large in membership and contain a varied mixture of sects or beliefs into the mix. These are more what would be called the ecumenical types. The attraction many have to this type of board is the controversy over the different belief systems. The different denominations represented there many times cause disagreement in doctrine and ceremony. This can be expected if the board owners or managers do not keep an eye on what is happening on their particular forum.

Other types are more prayer and support centered. Even some have missions that are outreach oriented to those who are having faith, relationship, or drug problems and are seeking Christian counsel.

There are types that are geared more for a specific denomination such as Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic, etc. Also, you will find boards that deal specifically with the various Bible versions and the controversy surrounding them.

My personal favorites are those called apologetics boards which are geared towards defending the faith. These are where I have seen some of the most passionate debates.

At any rate, you will most likely find the type of board you will enjoy discussing your faith with others on if you just do a little creative search engine digging.

Tim Davis is the webmaster of two Christian forums. The first is called the PCIM Christian Fellowship board at http://parsonscorner.org/pcimunity/. The second is an apologetics board called The Old Pathway at http://101info.org/oldpath/. Please feel free to join in on the discussions.

PCIM 7-8-2010

Exerts from PCIM Christian Community Message Board
http://www.parsonscorner.org/pcimunity/index.php
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I printed out the "schedule" for us to pray in one accord.

Week One :
Personal Preparation - Psalm 51
http://www.parsonscorner.org/pcimunity/showthread.php?tid=1324
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For the United States

Heavenly Father, I praise Your Holy Name because who You are and You are worthy of all praise and honor. Lord, we look for the coming of Your Son very soon. We clearly see the time is close and cannot deny the signs and the times.

Lord, please have mercy on us as a nation. We have become lazy and apathetic concerning Your perfect and Holy will. I ask your forgiveness. Help us Lord...
http://www.parsonscorner.org/pcimunity/showthread.php?tid=1322
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What they believe-Hinduism

Hinduism

Founder

No one founder. Many sects. Began 1800-1000 BC

Writings

Many writings, including the Vedas (oldest, about 1000 BC), the Upanishads (younger), and the Bhagavad-Gita (youngest).

Who is God?

God is “The Absolute,” a universal spirit. Everyone is part of God (Brahman) like drops in the sea. People worship manifestations of Brahman (gods and goddesses). People are God, but are unaware...
http://www.parsonscorner.org/pcimunity/showthread.php?tid=416
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Anybody up to a Saturday Morning Chat?

This was an old scheduled chat but you guys want to try it this Saturday, I'll give it a try. 7-10-2010 ~ 11:00 am
http://www.parsonscorner.org/pcimunity/showthread.php?tid=1290

PCIM Chat
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The Greatest Man

(I copied this off facebook. It's something to think about.)

Greatest man in History, named Jesus, had no servants, yet they called Him master. Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called Him healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime,... ...yet they crucified Him. ...He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today!!!
http://www.parsonscorner.org/pcimunity/showthread.php?tid=1327
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Working Drawings for Architecture

In architectural drafting, the working drawings are all plans, elevations, and details needed by the contractor along with the specifications, so that an estimate can be obtained and then the building can be constructed. These need to show all dimensions and be properly scaled. Any oddities of construction must be made clear on these drawings and they must be so complete in a way that no extra money can be charged to the owner by the contractor who bid the job as is shown in the working drawings and specifications. Below is a general description of what they contain.

First Floor Plan

The plan of the first floor is almost always the first plan to be drawn. With the conventional drawings to follow, it is a simple matter to draw any plan. Almost all residential drawings are made to the scale of one quarter inch equals one foot. The outside walls are drawn in first, scaling four to six inches for frame buildings, and then the interior partitions and details. It is then completely dimensioned even though it scales exactly to size because the dimensions are of greater importance. You wouldn’t expect the framer to have to use a scale to find where the walls are placed.

Second Floor Plan

The outside walls of this plan and the main partitions are derived from the first floor plan. If possible, run the second floor partitions over the first, or as near to them as practical to carry weight down to the foundation or basement.

Basement Plan

The plan of the basement is also derived from the first floor plan because its outside dimensions are the same. The main wall is made of masonry block or concrete that is eight to twelve inches thick, rests upon an twenty four inch wide footing, and runs up to and beyond the grade line (ground level). Through the center, to support the long span of the joists, a girder is run. This is then held up by posts resting on a concrete footing. You have to be very careful to dimension the basement plan exactly because it is the foundation of the structure and the first part of the building that is to be built. Some drafters will locate the heater, waste pipe, and sewer outlet on this plan.

Elevations

The exterior views called the elevations comes next. The floor plan is placed over the elevation that is being drawn, and all the points projected up to it. When one elevation is finished, its heights can be projected to the next view in the same manner.

Section or Sections

The section is where a horizontal line is cut through the building as if chopped with a knife to show how the building is constructed. A scaled section clears up a lot of confused detail. It shows all trim, stairs, and construction details in a way that there is very little room for confusion. The section is one of the most important drawings and it should not be neglected or omitted in any way.

About the Author

To learn more about Working Drawings along with creating an entire set of house plans, visit House Plan Drafting 101 at http://homedesign.8m.com. My name is Tim Davis and I created that course.

Christian Message Boards - A Wonderful Witnessing Tool

There is nothing more useful than a face to face talk with someone about the Lord Jesus Christ and Salvation. However, with the age of the internet and the media available to us like instant messengers, chats, and message boards, a whole new and fresh medium is open for us to deliver the Gospel message. One of the most powerful tools available is the Christian message board. These seem to draw people from all over the world with every belief imaginable.

And the themes of these boards vary considerably. I have two boards myself. One is quintessentially Baptist in nature and the other is more geared to fellowship with all denominations and beliefs. The latter is by far the most active and defiantly a place where the various biblical teachings can be reasoned over.

Some of the most involved and sometimes heated discussion have been over subjects like eternal security vs. salvation lost, female preachers and pastors, pro and con prosperity ministry, church history, and even how a Christian should dress.

Fellowship is one of the biggest draws to these boards. Members can post prayer requests and have brothers and sisters from around the world pray for them. The scriptures tell us in Romans 12:10 that we should be “preferring one another” and also in Galatians 6:2 where we should “bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Young teens seem to love the boards because they can talk over most anything with other Christian youths.

There are many shut-in Christians who are disabled and cannot attend regular church services who find these message board a real God send. They receive the support they need and ease some of the loneliness they sometimes have to endure because of being a shut-in.

Brother Tim Davis is is a Baptist Pastor and Police Chaplain who runs a Christian Message Board called PCIM at http://www.parsonscorner.org/pcimunity/ and a Baptist themed board called "The Old Pathways" at http://receivedtext.org/oldpath/index.php

Old Colonial Architecture

Colonial architecture was and is the architecture of rectangles. On the floor plan, these rectangles intersected each other much the same as they would in a game of dominoes. In the elevations the parallelogram was used almost exclusively, with its looks enhanced by a great deal of horizontal lines. Arches, curves and oblique shapes were avoided like the plague.

Completely avoiding out of the normal geometry, these structures were well proportioned and their dignity was and is displayed with the utmost pride. These homes were so direct and straightforward that there were no obstacles to the work of builders and so well created with such good design that even though a great deal of design styles have come and gone, the old Colonial still remains a mainstay design even in the twenty first century..

The beauty as a result of balance or harmonious arrangement of the exterior of the colonial should never be strayed from. At each end of the building you would see stately chimneys always equal in size, whether they were functional or not; and in order to avoid the use of windows of different size, it was common to see a stairway cross a window without any attempt whatsoever to hide it from view outside. You would almost suspect that the designers were lazy because it seemed like they traced one half of the exterior elevation, and then, flipping the paper over on its face, retrace it to balance the original.

Then, as now, the degree of formality and stateliness obtainable in a building depended upon how much money was in your pocket. Additional money available in the hands of capable designers made sure that the architectural composition was properly completed and enhanced the decorative effect. This is illustrated in walls. The simplest and cheapest were those of plain brickwork, or large brick or stone covering with a coarse plaster of lime, shells, and pebbles used for outside wall surfaces. Variations of these were the laying of brick in the Flemish bond or other ornamental methods of laying brick, and the forming of projecting pilasters, bands or string courses.

Even though these houses most often stood off by themselves in the open country, there was a definite effort to concentrate great thought and workmanship into their fronts. A larger degree of formality with a corresponding increase in the expenditure of money, effort, etc. was obtained by simple but large quoins or projecting brick courses at the corners of the building.

Finally the greatest example of stateliness was arrived at by cutting the stone of walls into regular shapes and sizes forming ashlar work which was a thin, dressed rectangles of stone oddly spaced, but with a recognizable pattern.

Most of these type homes can be found in the southeastern United States and especially in north and central Georgia and east Tennessee. Many of these have stood the test of centuries and still as beautiful today as they were when they were built well before the Civil War.

About the Author

To learn more about architectural styles, along with creating an entire set of house drawings, visit House Plan Drafting 101 at http://homedesign.8m.com. My name is Tim Davis and I created that course.

Designing A House To Fit The Lot

I have been designing homes for the better part of two decades and during that time, several things have always remained constant. Too many designers try to make the site fit the house. I have heard quite a few of my colleagues talking about designing a house in this or that architectural style. But I have heard very little said about a much more important consideration of designing a house to make the most of the clients lot. After all, the problem of choosing the right architectural style really takes second place if the house is planned in a way that it takes advantage of every distinct feature of the site.

So then a study of the site for the house is as necessary to the building of a home as a doctors diagnosis of a case is needed for a successful treatment of a ailing patient. If a home is to be practically successful we can not simply say that we will have the dining room here and the den there, making our decision on the fact that placement of these rooms in this manner has worked out well in other houses that we have seen or designed ourselves.

The points on the compass in relation to the site, the direction of the available views, the location of the street access, the location of trees and other buildings, the topography, every one of these things will need to be part of our calculations in planning the new home.

It seems like the last thing we consider should actually be one of the first. If the site the owner purchased is not level, our first impulse is to send in the bull dozer to cut and fill until the natural face has been transformed into a level plateau. Now that is expensive, and it is frequently unnecessary.

So then, the logical course of action would be to design the home to fit the natural features and topography of the land. Why not make the house to fit the site, rather than making the site conform to a plan based on or determined by individual preference or convenience?

About the Author

To learn more about drawing an Designing A House To Fit The Lot along with creating an entire set of house drawings, visit House Plan Drafting 101 at http://homedesign.8m.com. My name is Tim Davis and I created that course.

Drawing A Residential Electrical Plan

An electrical plan is a plan view similar to the floor plan in that all the walls, doors, and windows are shown along with the electrical symbols that describe service to the house. It also includes what is known as a legend which defines what each symbol represents.

There are several considerations that have to be made when drawing an electrical plan for a house. They are as follows:

The Meter and Service Box

The electrical meter is always on the exterior of the home. This is the location where power enters the house into the circuit box. The circuit box is located no more than twelve feet away from where the power enters the homes. From this location electricity is distributed to the individual rooms. The circuit box is usually located in a service area of a home like the utility room or kitchen. If the home has a basement, this is usually the preferred location for it to be placed.

Light Fixtures, Light Switches, and Receptacles

Light fixtures are usually placed in the middle of a room to allow even lighting throughout. Sometimes these are included in special fixtures like ceiling fans. When a fixture is placed in a large closet, it is usually mounted so that it is at least three feet from where the clothing is hung to insure against a fire from its heat. Exterior lighting should be waterproof in some way to eliminate the possibility of electrical short.

The light switches almost always are mounted next to a room entrance for convenience. When switching an exterior light, these are usually located inside near the exterior lights location.

Receptacles, also known as outlets are usually spaced every six feet in a room. This is to make sure that electrical cords do not have to be stretched far from the appliance they are powering. Some times a homeowner requests that the top half of a receptacle be controlled by a light switch to make turning off lamps simpler. Exterior receptacles and those inside the house within six feet of a water source like a sink are ground fault interrupt. This is to eliminate possible shock if shorted by water.

All of these are one hundred and twenty volt with a few exceptions and the amperage varies.

Smoke Detectors

These are required by code for fire safety. The must be located in each individual bedroom and also near each exit from the home. These are usually battery powered so that even if the power is out, they will still function.

Wiring Connections

These are usually drawn using a arched dashed line showing which switch controls what light or receptacle.

There are many more considerations like two twenty volt power for appliances such as the stove or electrical clothes dryer. You may also place special fixtures like phone jacks and cable tv connections on this plan.

About the Author

To learn more about drawing an electrical plan along with creating an entire set of house drawings, visit House Plan Drafting 101 at http://homedesign.8m.com. My name is Tim Davis and I created that course.

How To Draw A Roof Plan

A roof plan is a view from the top of the house that shows the geometry in flat view of a roof. Drawing a roof plan is not a difficult task if you already have a grasp of basic drafting. A roof plan is derived from a floor plan and the exterior (elevations) views of the house.

On a drafting board, it is a simple matter of placing the floor plan under a transparent sheet, tracing the perimeter exterior walls, and then measuring beyond those walls using an architectural scale to where the overhang (fascia) of the house will be. And then projecting lines from the exterior views you can determine where one part of the roof comes together with the other in peaks and valleys.

In a CAD system, we would do the same thing. A line would be drawn around the parameter of the home, and then offset the distance of the overhang.

You would then measure to each individual peak of the roof and draw a line representing it. Then, if the roof has more complexity, valleys, crickets (little roofs that shed water from a possible water or snow trap), and shed roofs would be drawn using the same method. Once this drawing is completed, it can be used to draw a rafter plan showing how the roof system goes together.

There is a roof plan tutorial at http://internetarticles.net/drawing-an-architectural-roof-plan/

Other related searches would be: how to draw roof plan, How to Draw Architectural Plans, drawing roof plans, drawing your own house plans, roof detail plan, how to draw house blueprints

About the Author

If you want to learn to draw complete House Plans, go to http://residentialdrafting.net, which is the website for House Plan Drafting 101.

Mechanical Drawings

Mechanical Drawing is used to convey precise information from one person to another so that a patternmaker will have a true drawing of an object, giving correct dimensions and instructions before he can make a pattern, from this, the foundry man can make a rough casting.

The machinist must have a drawing from which he can obtain accurate information to enable him to take the rough casting and by slotting, planing, drilling, grinding, chipping or turning, they can produce the finished fixture as designed by the drafter.

Contractors, builders, architects, and engineers of all kinds, must have accurate drawings to enable them to produce satisfactory results in their work. To do this, it is necessary that working drawings should be made according to certain principles and methods thoroughly understood by the person who makes the drawing and the person who uses it.

The mechanical drawing is the common language of all mechanics and machinists. By implementing it, the ideas of the designer, architect or engineer are transmitted or explained to the worker. There is hardly a area of work in the great field of industry where the knowledge of drawing is not used universally. It is a true statement that there is no industry that does not require a knowledge of drawing and the employment of drafter. Illustration of machine and fixtures, by the aid of the mechanical and working drawing, is the necessary first step in the building of such machines and fixtures.

If we then consider mechanical drawing as a language, we understand then that it is to be used to convey thoughts and ideas. Orthographic projection, which is a division of descriptive geometry, is its grammar and the foundation upon which is built all kinds of correct mechanical drawings. It is in fact the art of representing any object so accurately that a skilled workman, upon inspecting the drawing, should be able to make the object of exactly the materials and dimensions shown, without any further verbal or written instructions from the designer.

The objects illustrated may be machines, implements, buildings, utensils, or ornaments. They may be constructed of many various materials. The drawings may be linear, shaded and colored, or plain. Because of the nature of the information to be conveyed, they must be drawn to scale, but various geometrical methods may be employed.

The purpose of a mechanical drawing is not to present a picture of an object as drawn by an artist or as seen by the eye, but to furnish a graphical representation of the actual proportions and shape of an item. This is done by making projections of the edges of the object using imaginary horizontal and vertical planes. These projections show the correct geometrical relations of the various dimensions and parts of the object or structure. Since two dimensions are shown in each projection, the use of two or more projections gives all of the dimensional relations.

About the Author

Tim Davis is a drafter who has mastered many different types of drafting known as disciplines. He teaches drafting at http://101info.org and is the webmaster of Drafting, CAD, & Design Articles at http://draftingservice.us/drafting/

Creating House Plans

The field of technical illustration known as architectural draftsmen or drafters are the specialists who draw the architectural and structural features of a building for new construction. These professionals may specialize in various types of building, like residential, structural, or commercial.

A major part of these people use a tool called a CAD or Computer Aided Drafting program to draw complete technical drawings of structures. In times past, before the advent of computers, a drafting board and its related equipment were used. Some still use these today.

The drafter usually starts creating a drawing from a sketch and lays out the floor plan with all walls, windows, and doors. The Floor Plan is the template for your entire set of drawings. From this plan they show where the owner or builder wants the electrical, show how big the rooms are, place dimensions to define the house, note the window and door sizes, etc. They could start with the exterior views but that would limit the interior of the home to the shape of the outside.

The next drawing to be created is the foundation or basement plan. In standard construction, houses are built on masonry foundations or basements. A foundation is the part of the home that anchors it to or keeps it from settling into the ground. Usually noted on the foundation or basement are the thickness of the walls, the locations of the joists or floor trusses, the locations of the piers or posts to hold up the floor along with the dimensions.

And then the exterior views or elevations are drawn which depict how the home will look from the outside once completed. This drawing includes the front, left, rear, and right views and sometimes a roof plan.

About the Author

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans at http://homedesign.8m.com. If you want to learn other types of drafting in a virtual classroom on the internet go to http://101info.org where House Plan Drafting 101 is included along with how to draw site plans, blueprint reading, mechanical drafting, and a whole lot more.

Learning To Draw Your Own House Plan

Learning to draw your own house plans is an idea that actually has merit. It can also save you a bunch money and eliminates the middle man. An architect or designers can get expensive. I've heard that some of these folks can charge up to ten dollars a square foot for basic drawings that contain nothing more than a floor plan, foundation, exterior elevations, and a few notes. Now that is a bunch of money. If you want to do it for yourself, you will need to know how. I have listed a few things that you will need to know to draw a simple home.

To start with, you need to understand how a Floor Plan is layed out. The floor plan is actually the basis for your entire set of drawings. It is from this plan where we define how large the over all house is, how large our rooms are, note our window and door sizes, and so on, and this is where we begin. You could start with the outside views, but that would limit the interior of the house to what the outside looks like. That is not a good idea! The house needs to be functional first and the we can deal with how the home looks on the outside after we have a layout.

Anyway, the home builder would probably appreciate knowing the dimensional locations of the walls, windows, & doors. They would also need to know what door and window sizes are, not to mention locations of anything else special that is on the plan. That's where the dimensions and notes come in handy. You will need to know how to create a dimensional string and group your notes where they are not confusing.

When you design the kitchen. you need to understand the mechanics of a well designed and workable cooking area. The kitchen is a place where the homemaker spends a great deal of their time. It needs to be easy to move around in and functional. The most desired layout for a kitchen is one where the least steps are taken to reach each appliance. They call this the working triangle. A comfortable working triangle is limited to 12 to 14 feet all the way around.

When creating an electrical plan, it is very important to you as this part of your drawings gives you the opportunity to customize the home with your electrical power and comfort needs! Sometimes however, it is not always needed. What I mean to say is that any professional electrician who has taken the test for his or her license knows what is required electrical service by code. It is possible that they have already wired quite a few residences and besides any special needs or preferences, can do the job without this particular plan. Always be careful though! Certain municipalities require that the one designing the electrical be a licensed architect or electrical engineer. Make sure that you check with your local building official to see what you are allowed or not allowed to do. It is better to know up front than to have extra headaches down the road.

In standard construction in the south eastern United States, houses are built on Masonry foundations or basements. A foundation is the part of the home that anchors or keeps the house from settling into the ground. You will need to know what the minimum wall thickness is and how to span your joists or trusses for the floor that sits on the basement of foundation.

What about how the exterior is going to look? It is a big deal if you are wanting to get the idea across of how the finished house is going to look when construction is complete. You will need to determine where the grade (ground) level is on the house so that you do not design a window or door where it would be underground. Dirt does not make a pretty view from a window. You will also have to determine the best roof pitch, do we use brick, siding or rock, and things like that.

Then, to keep the contractor from having to guess, if there is anything special you are wanting to place into your house, how will the builder know unless you show them? You can make all the notes you please on your plans and elevations, but the idea of how you want the house constructed may not always be crystal clear. That is why you need to know how to draw special details.

Then there is the job of finishing your drawings properly and not letting mistakes and slip-ups make it to the construction site. You will need to learn the most common mistakes made by drafters who draw house plans so you can look out for them! And then you will need to figure out how to print your drawings and in what format and size.

About the Author

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans at http://homedesign.8m.com. If you want to learn other types of drafting in a virtual classroom on the internet go to http://maginvent.com where House Plan Drafting 101 is included along with how to draw site plans, blueprint reading, mechanical drafting, and a whole lot more.

Some Considerations for a New Kitchen

As you begin the design of a new home, I believe it is best to spend time in careful consideration of your future kitchen and how it is layed out. It deserves special attention because it is where the family meal is prepared and there is nothing more important than the family coming together for a well cooked meal to keep unity in the family.

One of the best layouts includes a bar built into the counter space or better still, a breakfast nook which is directly connected to the kitchen for morning meals. The bar or table located in the nook is a wonderful place for the kids to do school projects or homework. It is also a great place for mom and dad to balance the check book or some other task.

If you pay enough attention to the appeal of the kitchen, it can also help you control how tidy the rest of the house is if you have little ones. If the kids are content to spend a majority of time in the kitchen and nook area, there is less chance they will be spreading chaos into the rest of the house. With that said, there should be a bit of a buffer area between the noon and kitchen area for them to play. Not much, but enough where they will have a bit of play area so that they can be watched while you complete tasks in the kitchen. Just make sure that area is safely away from the stove to avoid burns.

A well designed kitchen should also be easy to work in. For example, we should design it so that there is a twelve to fourteen foot triangle between the stove, sink, and refrigerator. No more, no less. This allows for less steps which equals less work and more food preparation and cooking.

Plenty of natural light should also be considered. A nice sized window maybe placed directly over the sink if possible would help illuminate the area. If it is not possible to place a window over the sink, maybe install large windows in the nook area to reflect light into the cooking area.

There ought to be plenty of storage space if possible, including a pantry integrated into a closet. Make sure it is in easy reach of the cabinets. In corner cabinets, a Lazy Susan should be installed. The “Lazy Susan” is a rotating set of shelves installed so that everything can be reached by turning it like a carousel.

Don’t underestimate the importance of drawers. Drawers are very handy for storing silverware and a good designer will make sure that there are some deep drawers for those miscellaneous things that always seem to show up in the kitchen. If the truth be known, junk drawers are not a bad idea for keeping the kitchen uncluttered. Some cabinet companies have racks built into special cabinets that pull out like drawers for storing pots and pans that are hung on special runners for saving space.

Time and labor savers like a dishwasher and trash compactor should be installed near the sink. Other appliances to be considered would be a built in microwave for quick snacks and warming up meals.

About the Author

Tim Davis is an experienced architectural designer who specializes not only in residential house plans, but also commercial.

Residential Home Design: http://customhouseplans.8m.com
Commercial Building Design: http://buildingdrawings.8m.com

Planning and Building a Home

There are some things that can be said about planning and building a home. In fact, enough to more than fill several volumes of books containing house plans. Let me mention a few of those things that are really important when building.

First of all, never build a home without obtaining a complete set of plans. I have seen quite a few homes that were a total train wreck because the builder did not have a set of plans to follow. Or if they did, they were sketches on a sheet of notebook paper. And the houses ended up a mess with roof pitches that were too high, rooms were out of proportion, and exterior materials did not match the home.

With a set of house plans, the owner knows right up front what they should expect their home to look like and if it has enough room to meet their life style. Not only this but, the plans are actually like a contract between the builder and owner as to what is expected. This actually protects both parties. Make sure that if any changes are made during construction it is marked on the plans and initialed by both parties.

Last, if you have never built a home, you probably do not realize what it means to keep clear of liens. The lien laws are very harsh on the builder of a home in most states. Any company that has furnished material like lumber, sheetrock, etc., basically any material that went into the construction can file a lien on your property and make you pay for it a second time if the contractor has not settled their accounts. That is unless you have taken the precaution of making sure your contractor furnishes you with receipts for all the material from the ones who supplied it.

By being a bit cautious, you can overcome all of these possible problems and make building your home a pleasure instead of a pain. Have a complete set of plans drawn and insist that the contractor following them completely. Also insist on a "surety bond" from the contractor to protect you against any material liens if the contractor fails to pay any of his or her bills. Do not make any changes in the plans after signing the contract unless they are noted on a master set of plans. This also makes sure the bonding company does not have a loophole to weasel out of paying if the contractor does not pay their bills.

Be involved in the building process and ask questions if something does not seem right. This little extra step has avoided more misunderstandings than anything other precautionary effort. And most of all be ready to communicate with your builder. They can not read your mind you know.

About the Author

Tim Davis is an experienced architectural designer who specializes not only in residential house plans, but also commercial.

Residential Home Design: http://customhouseplans.8m.com
Commercial Building Design: http://buildingdrawings.8m.com

Permanence and Beauty of Brick Construction

There is a certain little village in a remote fertile valley of Pennsylvania whose history is rooted deep in memories of the early colonists who settled there. In the peace and seclusion of this valley these wanderers from home seemed to have found happiness. It is as if they had said to themselves: "Here we will live and die; here we will build our homes, and here our children will grow up into peace and plenty." And so the sentiment throughout the little village that sprang into existence and the homes hi the village, was one of permanence. No mere settlers' cabins found mushroom growth on the hillsides; everything was planned for the future; the houses, small and large, were built of brick, houses that would last for generations. It may be that these early settlers realized the possibilities of beauty as well as of permanence in the brick house. Perhaps, in the homes of their ancestors on the other side of the water they had observed it growing old gracefully, and remembered that from year to year and from generation to generation it took on a mellower and friendlier tone, that in time it attracted to itself vines from the nearby flower bed, and after many seasons withdrew into the landscape about it, furnishing a most beautiful color note. It is impossible, of course, to decide just how far into the beauty of things the early settler permitted his mind to wander, for he was not a sentimental person and he was often harassed by poverty, perplexed by religious doubt, and all about him was the problem of the Indian.

But whether his feeling was practical or aesthetic, the fact remains that his desire for a home found satisfaction in the brick house, well designed, sturdily constructed, and planned so inevitably for peace and comfort and right living that the result was beauty. These Colonists had wandered about long years enough to have grown heartsick for what stood as the greatest privilege, the permanent home. How much of gratitude went into the building of these houses in the Lovely Valley one may not say, but that their friendliness is evident and their beauty permanent would indicate that they were built as monuments to the discovery, by these men of travail, of the opportunity of finally taking root in the soil and of establishing permanent relation with the land.

And today a Traveler journeying through this Valley in Pennsylvania and gazing upon these old brick houses, which have been homes from the first closing in of roof and door, will find, as he stands on the winding roadway, with the bees humming in the clover fields, with peace and beauty about him, that not the least of his joy is the friendly aspect of the gentle old dwellings that seem to welcome him as they have welcomed families and friends for generations past. If the Traveler is a man of imagination, and even if he is not, but only practical and wise, he will realize that there is something about the well-contrived, well-adjusted brick house that seems to have a special significance, as though it were somehow predestined to be a homestead; that it belongs in quiet gardens, with brick-paved pathways and bowers of climbing roses, and he hopes for a lattice window back of the roses, and he is sure of a friendly homely existence within the brick walls.

Of course, every traveler who passes through the Lovely Valley may not feel in this poetic way about the brick house. It is possible to conceive of a pedestrian on the sunny roadway who is a cement enthusiast, or who may be devoted to the development of the clapboard house, or of one who has pinned his faith in modern domestic architecture to the style born of the old Mission buildings, with their red-tiled roofs outlined against the brilliant California sky. We cannot expect architectural enthusiasm limited to one expression in America, because we are a people of many tastes and many needs, and happily just now we have become conscious of the fact that we have an independent point of view toward architecture which it is worth our while to cultivate, and we do not intend that any one person or style shall dominate that taste. With our diversified landscape, our different kinds of climate, with our mountains and valleys, seashore and plains, we have the opportunity for almost every kind of home building that the heart of man may crave. AH that we can hope for is that this craving shall be accompanied by a sincere desire to create a good dwelling for a man's own life and the joy of his own neighborhood. Here hi America we have only lately and very slowly awakened to the desire for this home quality in our dwellings. We have wanted the house that our neighbor would admire, or the reproduction of the house that our neighbor had admired somewhere in foreign lands. We seemed to seek through our buildings an opportunity to be flattered.

Our estimate of the place we lived in was how we felt about its appearance, not the peace and comfort it afforded us. We judged it as a stranger, not for the home As pathetically and most wittily remarked, "Americans seem to regard their houses as something to escape from." Our interests have been away from the fireside, out in our concert halls, in our theaters and in our market-places. As the French people have advanced from the phrase "where one lives" to the use of our English word "home," we seemed to abandon both the sentiment and the expression of it for the sake of a hurried, restless, excited pursuit of what we have fancied pleasure to be. We have not sought Lovely Valleys in which to build permanent brick houses. We have put up our enormous hotels, with elevators to take us quickly away from them and cabs at the door to hasten our escape.

But whatever phases of development a nation goes through in pursuit of the various will o' the wisps flickering through its civilization, the homesickness for the hearthstone will always come back sooner or later. And we have just now reached that period of home sickness in America. As a result we are leaving our cities, the more intelligent, the more thoughtful of us, to find comfort or peace or opportunity for work in the country. And the minute a man's face is turned toward the country with affection, his heart softens at the word "home." And when once the desire for home is awakened, the building of the home dwelling place becomes a matter of great significance, and its beauty and permanence the absorbing thought of his days.

It may be that we shall slowly reach a developed ideal of home beauty, but the ideal must grow through love of home, and the love will come as we seek more and more earnestly the peace and repose of the Lovely Valley for our daily life. Not because the Traveler had a deep-rooted objection to cement or wood or stone, did he build his homestead of brick, but because down in the Valley the old brick houses had touched his imagination, because they seemed to hold in essence the home quality his heart was heavy with. These houses had been built with the greatest simplicity out of the material that the Colonists found at hand, and so were in harmony with the landscape; they were built for home life and so seemed to him to be the epitome of what could be wrought as a symbol of home existence.
There is so much to be said for the brick house. After the first expense of building, it is less costly than many other kinds of construction; it adjusts itself to various styles of architecture, to the simplicity of the Colonial period, to the more ornate and lavish Jacobean style; it may be made equally effective for the small bungalow or for the stately mansion; there is indeed no end to the variation of beauty and color which can be achieved by an understanding use of brick. There is no more permanent building material than brick, witness the examples of this architecture still remaining in Pez'sia and Egypt.

For a period in America we lost our sense of proportion toward an aesthetic valuation of brick. We massed it in flat surfaces, often we painted the brick and the mortar one color; we built it without interest in its architectural possibilities; we erected long lines o city brick houses all the same color and tone. It also became a means of easy development in the quick up building of crude frontier towns. It was used without understanding, until the brick houses became almost an architectural byword. Finally we turned away from it or from the usual presentation of it, and for the time centered our interest in the wood structures.

And then we proceeded to do very largely to wood what we had been doing to brick, we forgot its possibility for beauty and all the lovely association which the well-constructed wood house has had in the architectural development of each nation. We put up the clapboard shanty. We used up good forests to build bad houses. We degenerated from the shanty to the terrible building known through our suburbs as the Queen Anne house, which was a matter of openwork walls and gingerbread trimming. As we lost our love of home and our appreciation of good construction we seemed to lose our color sense in relation to architecture until our suburban houses became blotches on the landscape and our city houses indicated that our metropolitan life might be a prison routine.

Today we are once more thinking about our homes, about the beauty of them, of the value of permanence, of their relation to the kind of life we are living; about the effect they will have upon our sons and daughters as they grow up to be real American men and women. The result is, as we have already said, that we are turning toward the country for the life of these sons and daughters, and we are building in the country homes that will outlive our own life, that will be monuments for generations to come of the awakening of the American people toward the necessity of a beautiful, satisfying home life, if the nation is to make the progress which we have all in our hearts hoped for it.

The brick house has the great advantage of furnishing its own beautiful color spot in the landscape, and with the present method of varying the color hi the brick in its manufacture, and with the mortar used in the natural tone and raked out between the brick, a picturesque effect of rich and subtle coloring can be achieved which would only be possible in other architecture after very many years of weathering and mellowing.

A house of brick, well thought out, may be made to harmonize most interestingly with almost any kind of landscape. It is most friendly in effect if adjusted to a sloping hillside; if it stands on flat ground it only needs the close proximity of an apple orchard. In the woods it relieves gloom and monotony, and on the seashore it is in beautiful contrast to the gray tones and the blue sweep of the water. There is but one point to be considered in planting a flower garden for the brick house. Vivid red flowers should be kept back in the separate flower beds or in the hedges at the side of the garden enclosure. The poppy, salvia and red geranium should not be brought too close to any tone of brick house except those of yellow.

The use of brick in the garden wall is a thing that the English people have brought to perfection. What could be lovelier than old English gardens hedged about by orick walls, with the apricots and pears growing against their sunny exposure. And what so friendly as the brick pathway with flowers close at the edge, and even a weed or two under one's feet, leading to the capacious and the kindly entrance of the old brick house. We have lost sight in America of the value of the brick pavement in the town or country landscape. To be sure, it eventually becomes quite uneven, it is never very neat and crisp, but what color it lends to the pathway and how intimately it is related to the brick house itself, and how it branches away and leads you out to the brick wall where the fruit is ripe,—the wall which seems somehow to shelter you from the world with most friendly arms, and at the same time to hold gentle lure for the stranger without the gate.

From a practical point of view the brick house is an excellent investment. Well constructed at the start, it needs very little repair, and has the advantage of becoming more beautiful from year to year instead of increasingly shabby, as is the case with many of our wooden structures; generally the case where the houses are painted instead of being oiled. And if one stops to think of it, what an inartistic as well as unfriendly thing it is to paint a house over from time to time in quite a new and different color. How can we hope for tender associations about a dwelling that is green one spring and red another and yellow another; that from year to year has a different face for us, and seems to be striving in a crude way to keep in fashion ? What would we think of a friend who came to us one season as a blonde, and the next as a brunette, and then suddenly startled us as we were trying to form some sweet tie or association, in the guise of a striking Venetian type, all red and gold and orange ? No sense of affection can spring in your heart for the house that does not grow old beautifully, that does not hold the same friendly aspect from year to year, changing only as the hand of time is laid upon it. We want to find in our houses what we seek in our friendships, an unchanging quality, a welcome and a surety of peace and comfort.

From "The Craftsman" 1911

I thought this might be of interest to the readers.

Tim Davis is an experienced architectural designer who specializes not only in residential house plans, but also commercial.

Residential Home Design: http://customhouseplans.8m.com
Commercial Building Design: http://buildingdrawings.8m.com

Methods of Learning Architecture and Drafting

I have spent the better part of my life studying architecture and drafting. As a boy, I used to pester the daylights out of a local architect who had an office close to my home. I would offer to clean and take out the garbage just to get a chance to watch him work. He was a good and patient man and allowed me to learn everything a thirteen year old could absorb.

While in the navy, I took every course I could in drafting since the military offered continuing education to those that wanted it. Drawing, specifically drafting was a passion with me and after my time on active duty, I learned all that I could about the profession. This included vocational school and part time apprenticeship with local architects and designers.

By the time I was in my thirties, I was already an accomplished draftsman both in architecture and mechanical drafting. When I landed a job with a modular home plant, the architect for the factory took me under his wing and began my training as an architectural designer. The goal was to train under him for seven years and then take the test to become a licensed architect myself. However, as luck would have it, the state changed the rules just before I received the required years of training and would not allow me to take the test. Such is life my friend.

The process I went through can best be described as apprenticeship training and is a time honored method. I call it the school of hard knocks. There are other methods however. I could have entered college starting with a total of seven to eight years of higher education and then the mandatory post college internship.

No regrets though! I believe my own education and training was more than ample for the career I have chosen. During all this time over the years, I have owned my own drafting and design office and have worked with several fine architects, designers, surveyors, and engineers, and have completed more residential and commercial building projects than I dreamed I would as a young boy.

About the Author

Tim Davis is a veteran Architectural Designer who also teaches architecture and drafting over the internet at http://homedesign.8m.com

Architectural Plans for Commercial Buildings

When you are ready to create a new commercial building for your business, you want it to be an expression of what your business is about - a part of your brand. Besides being just the place where your business happens to be located, your commercial building can say a lot more about you, and communicate the impression that you want your customers to have about you.

Quality commercial building plans need to include unique design features that will make your building stand out from the competition. With the right appeal, it can actually add to the attractiveness of your business and make people take notice as they drive by. Such an appeal can add to your bottom line and increase the number of your customers and your success rate - even before your doors ever open.
The process of getting the right architectural plans for your commercial building starts out with obtaining a set of complete blueprints for your building. Architectural drawings will need to be made for each aspect of the building.
This will include:

•Foundation plans
•Floor plans
•Exterior views
•Framing plans
•Electrical plans
•HVAC plans
•Plumbing plans
•Sectional Plans
•Roof plans
•Site plans
•And a few more as needed.

Besides needing the basic plans and a great exterior, you will also need commercial design plans for the interior of the building. This should also be given much thought because the building layout is important in making your visitors feel at home - and wanting to come back. The appeal needs to be inside and outside.

Adding into your commercial building plans the needed sizes and features for those with disabilities will further ensure that your customers are happy with your new building design. This may benefit both your visitors and possibly some employees, as well. Having these features will also enable your building to resell faster, too, because little upgrading will be required if that need should ever arise.

Once the architectural plans are complete, you can take a set of presentation drawings to potential lenders. They will need to see what you are planning on doing and these drawings from your architect or designer will be able to sell them on the idea. Most likely, you will want to take an isometric drawing and a floor plan.

Depending on where you live, your architectural plans for your new commercial building will need to be examined by the local planning commission. This group, as well as the building inspectors, will look over your plans and make sure that everything fits either into the local plans for the future, and for any potential problems with the design.

Selecting a contractor is the final major step in the procedure. You will want to find one that is familiar with commercial building construction and also has a solid reputation. It is also very important that you have the contractor agree to follow the architectural blueprints as given.

About the Author

Being a business owner who has decided to build a building for their business can be facing a very daunting task. Why not hire a design professional to help you with your new building? Tim Davis is a fully trained Architectural Designer with over twenty years experience who would be more than happy to help you with your plans. His website is at http://buildingdrawings.8m.com...

Building Materials and Construction Estimation

Many new home owners preparing for the construction of a new home believe that when they buy a set of plans a materials list is included. The facts are that this is actually rare. Most architects, designers, and drafters do not supply these with their plans.

Which opens another profession called “Construction Estimation”. A construction estimator is a professional, not unlike an accountant, who is familiar with architectural drawings. With that knowledge they are able to calculate the different areas of the proposed homes or commercial structures from the completed building plans and then supply an accurate list of materials that will be used to construct a building.

The methods they use are like the following example:

Lets say we have a building where the back wall is fifty six feet. When we multiply this dimension by twelve inches which is how many inches we have in a foot, we find that we have six hundred and seventy two inches. Our two by four studs are sixteen inches apart, so we divide six hundred and seventy two inches by sixteen inches and we wind up with forty two studs.

The above example and similar formulas would be then used throughout the entire structure to find out how many floor joists, rafters or trusses, masonry block, sheetrock or wall paneling, roof and floor decking, etc., are needed.

Then each electrical and plumbing fixtures would be counted along with the wiring and their connectors and pipes for the plumbing and their connections. Wiring would be measured using the plan to calculate how far each receptacle, switch, and light are from each other giving just a bit extra to make sure there is enough for the job. The same method would be used for the pipe used in the plumbing construction.

Windows and doors would also be counted one by one along with any other special trims and fixtures.

About the Author

Tim Davis is a fully trained architectural designer who has created a complete course on creating a (BOM) Bill Of Materials called “Material Take Off From A Set Of House Plans” at http://101info.org/material. He has also created a course entitled House Plan Drafting 101 where you learn to draw complete house plans at http://houseplandrafting101.com.

What is a Bill of Materials (BOM)

A bill of materials is a compiled list that specifies the materials used to build a building or residence. When a contractor or home builder prepares to build, they first use a mathematical process to calculate the amount of lumber, doors, shingles, windows, etc., will be needed to complete the project.

The process starts with the floor plan where studs and plates are calculated using the linear dimension of the walls. This process is used to calculate both the interior and exterior walls.

Afterwards, exterior sheathing and interior sheetrock is calculated by multiplying the height of the walls by the length which results in a square footage figure which is divided into the amount of sheets used. This process is also used for the floor decking and ceiling sheetrock. Then trim for the baseboard and openings is calculated using the length of the walls.

The foundation or basement is generally figured in the same way. In other words the wall area is calculated to square inches and then divided by the amount of square inches in a masonary block. Most masonry block manufacturers have the formula to tell how much mortar is needed to put the blocks together. The footings are calculated by the amount of cubic yards are contained in them.

Next the doors, windows, counters & cabinets, plumbing fixtures, are counted along with the electrical outlets, light fixtures, switches, wire lengths, receptacle boxes, and all other remaining items. These items are summed up by the number of times they appear on the plan. The wiring is calculated by length measurements from one fixture to the next.

There are specific formulas or methods used to finally end up with a list that can be carried to a building supply for pricing. Sometimes the building supply company will complete this list for you in order to insure your business.

About the Author

Tim Davis is a fully trained architectural designer who has created a complete course on creating a (BOM) Bill Of Materials called “Material Take Off From A Set Of House Plans” at http://101info.org/material. He has also created a course entitled House Plan Drafting 101 where you learn to draw complete house plans at http://houseplandrafting101.com.

Save Money on Commercial Building Design with an Architectural Designer

In more urban areas, and with larger commercial buildings, an architect may be required by law to make the architectural design and blueprints for it. In more suburban or rural areas, however, an experienced architectural designer is all that is necessary to give you the quality commercial building blueprints needed. This will enable you to save a lot of money in the process as long as your building doesn't exceed the legal square footage limit of the state you live in.

It is also possible that an architectural designer has worked at some time for an architect, receiving quality training and experience in all sorts of buildings. This enables them to be able to not only accurately provide you with the architectural building plans you need, but also to make recommendations about practical changes, too, so that the commercial building is more user-friendly.

What Is Needed for a Commercial Building Floor Plan?

A contractor has to have accurate building plans from which to construct the building. These come from architectural CAD programs, which are made after a building designer has made the initial sketches of the building layout.

From these early drawings, an architectural drafter takes them and puts together the drawings needed for the commercial building. These architectural drawings include the various views, foundation, elevations, sections, floor plans, and much more.

Detailed architectural plans of a commercial building are also made when further information has to be supplied because it cannot be shown on the larger building plans. These are made as needed to reveal precise details of construction and are often used to show methods of framing, the floor into the walls, rooflines, cornice, moldings, and more. Other areas requiring detail drawings may include stairways, doors, fireplaces and other places that may be especially decorative.

What Are the Advantages of Using an Architectural Designer?

The commercial building plans you need can be drawn rather quickly as needed. In addition, modifications can be added rather easily and clients often have the ability to work closer with a architectural designer than with an architect who may have a lot of projects going on at the same time. The best feature of using a general drafter is probably the price. They cost less and can give you the same quality drafting design you need for your commercial building.

About the Author

Tim Davis is an experienced architectural designer who has designed and drawn many commercial buildings and homes of all sizes for a number of satisfied clients. Specific questions and prices about your commercial design can easily be obtained by contacting his office through the Website at http://buildingdrawings.8m.com.

Economic Home Design and House Keeping

There is a definite relation between the work of the house keeper and that of the architectural designer. It is a part of the business of the designers to do what he can to make housekeeping easy. He or she can do a great deal. They should understand the principles and practice of good housekeeping. This knowledge is something which cannot be conceived from the architectural schools or offices, it must come from a home.

Newspapers and home magazines have had a great deal to say about the artistic and functional qualities of domestic architecture, a great deal to say about house decoration, and, altogether, has furnished quite a bit of valuable material on the subjects. Very little has been said however as to the relation of good architecture to good housekeeping. The artistic element should not be overlooked but there must also be consideration of the question of convenient arrangement, economy and ease, for the housekeeper.

Even if you have a dishwasher, washing dishes is nasty work, but the architectural designer can do his or her part toward making it easier for the one doing the cleanup. If we take a big mess of china, knives, forks, and spoons, pots, and pans, and bring them together on one small kitchen table, we lack everything needed to speed up the progress of the work and a situation quite different from when there is a roomy sink with ample counter space on each side of it to organize everything to where it can be cleaned in a reasonable amount of time with less mess. A designer can plan a kitchen so that all of these conveniences are possible. That is if he communicates and listens to the individual needs of the one doing the house keeping.

The floor plan layout of a house has a definite relation to house keeping requirements, which is not always fully dealt with. The difference between a good layout and a bad one may make the difference of a whole bunch of kilowatt hours of electricity used for the heating of a house during the winter. It makes more difference to a man who lives in a house that costs sixty thousand dollars or seventy thousand dollars as to whether he uses a bunch of electricity in warming it than it does to the man who lives in a one hundred thousand or one hundred and fifty thousand dollar house as to whether he uses a bunch more power. The cost of fuel is of more importance to a man of who lives paycheck to pay check than it would to one who has more money to spare.

More economical housekeeping can be better carried out in a compact house. To say that a house is compact does not necessarily mean it has to be crowded or that any of the conditions of comfort are ignored. However, if we avoid wasted space, such as is frequently used up in large halls and passages, we merely take away something that is not needed.

About the Author

Tim Davis is an experienced architectural designer who specializes not only in residential house plans, but also commercial.

Residential Home Design: http://customhouseplans.8m.com
Commercial Building Design: http://buildingdrawings.8m.com

Small Homes And Their Design

To design a small home possessing artistic and economic features where the construction can be completed for a minimum amount of money is not one of the easiest problems of the architectural profession. The best solutions are achieved by a process of elimination, resulting in a compact plan possessing the essential requirements of the average home builder, and arranged in such a manner that the total area is equally divided to best suit the uses for which each part of the house plan is intended to be used for. The success of an architectural design in a building of any description depends mainly on its proportions, scale and the arrangement of windows, and no amount of elaboration design features can make up for a poorly proportioned building.

Bearing all this in mind, we should plan our homes knowing that the people who will live in them would rather have their rooms as large as possible for the price they have to pay and to have the construction and materials of the best throughout the home. We know that buildings cost quite a bit more these days per square foot of heated area. That is just a fact of life in the economy of the twenty first century. When we attempt to build a small or medium sized house with extra rooms, such as libraries, game rooms, or family rooms, we must do one of two things: either reduce the size of all the rooms, or count on poor workmanship and cheap materials. If the building area is limited, these additions must necessarily occupy part of the space that actually should be devoted to the more important rooms.

The average family certainly cares more for a house with fewer rooms that are well proportioned and are built with good materials with quality craftsmanship, than for a house cut up into small or irregular rooms that is poorly built. Aside from the general proportion of the various rooms in relation to each other, another vital problem in home planning is proper circulation, which is the result of the correct position of the important rooms in relation to each other. The solution of this part of small house planning is far more difficult than in the larger residences where passages can be added to bring about direct access between various parts of the house without looking inconsistent or extravagant.

The living and dining rooms are usually connected by means of the main hall, which is a layout most people prefer because it eliminates the noise and disturbance caused by the clearing of the table and arranging the dining-room after meals, though with suitable doors, glazed or otherwise, and proper draperies between these rooms where they join, this inconvenience is reduced to the minimum.

The economical arrangement of the second floor should be considered just as carefully as the first, the corners of the house having been utilized as far as possible for bedrooms to insure cross ventilation and the greatest amount of comfort in warm weather even if there is a good and well sized heating system connected to the house.

Any closet space in connection with each room should always be sufficient to eliminate clutter. The bath and linen closets should be conveniently located, and the halls should be kept to a minimum so that space is not wasted.

About the Author

Tim Davis is an experienced architectural designer who specializes not only in residential house plans, but also commercial.

Residential Home Design: http://customhouseplans.8m.com
Commercial Building Design: http://buildingdrawings.8m.com