Parson Tim's Blog

Becoming a Drafter

2012-01-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

Before every product, building, or anything else manufactured or built is completed, drawings and models made by someone using the skills taught in drafting courses are created. Every consumer product we use and every building we live or work in started out as a design. And every design had to be represented by a drawing in order for the people who constructed the end product would know how to make it. This is true for toys, furniture, electronics, etc...

In a drafting course, you'll not only learn to draw plans on paper, You will also learn how to use CAD programs on computers. With Computer Aided Drafting programs, you can make changes and add detail to plans very quickly and with an accuracy that can't be accomplished on a drafting board. With the CAD you can also make realistic 3D images or models that make it easier to understand the drawings you create in 2D.

You also have to learn one or more of the fields that use drawings. For example, some courses specialize in residential or commercial architectural drafting. With this type of drafting course, you would also study architectural terms and the problems of design and engineering that architects and designers have to deal with. You would also learn how to do an estimate for building materials from the details that you have drawn. Not to mention how to generate renderings of the proposed finished buildings in three dimensions called a rendering.

As a survey drafter, you would learn the needed mathematics and drawing techniques to draw boundaries and topography of a piece of property. How to research deeds and plats at the courthouse and interpret the field notes of the surveyors who go out and get the raw data you need.

When learning mechanical drawing or drafting, you study the mechanics of materials, industrial products and manufacturing systems, furniture construction, structural parts of engines, Heating, venting, and air-conditioning systems, plant layout, etc.

Learn these online in a fraction of the time it would take to learn it at vocational schools. Please go to http://drafting101.com/ for more information on learning to be a drafter.

A Course in Mechanical Drafting

2012-01-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Mathematics are a major part of the learning process. In this field of drafting, some of those math classes you took in high school will actually seem like a necessary skill to have once you start your studies. Calculations of material stresses and deflection, calculations of material density and volume, sheering, load tables, etc. are only a few of the things a student will have to learn.

The student has to get a working knowledge of the fundamental operations and conventions of mechanical drawings from lettering and calculations, to the lay out of the work and so on in order that the completed sheet or sheets of drawings reflect a well arranged and clearly executed finished drawing. In the making of working drawings, it is often very difficult for the novice because of its conventional character of the work.

In today's engineering drafting offices, the student will need to be able to work on a CAD system. CAD is short for Computer Aided Drafting. In other words, it is a drafting board in a computer. And before a CAD system is learned it is always best to learn how to draw on a drafting board. Manual drafting may be a disappearing discipline but in my mind as a teacher it is indispensable.

As I said, it isn't the easiest career to learn. But like anything you have to learn to do, once you get past the basics it can become second nature to you. It is a high paying however and good pay means a more comfortable life. With enough determination, you too can do it. I did...

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural and mechanical plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called Drafting 101 at http://drafting101.com/

A Queen Anne House

2011-12-26T07:04:00.000-08:00

A Queen Anne House

Design Examples in Classic Vintage Architecture

The design shown in the following drawings is a good example of a country residence in the Queen Anne style home. It's suitable for a family with a little extra money to spend. Building it requires a minimum lot measuring about fifty to seventy-five feet on the front. The basement is around nine feet in height, and extends under every part of the house except the parlor. The area, foundation walls, and chimneys, are of poured concrete or masonry block and are supported on a twenty four inch wide by eight to ten inch deep steel reinforced concrete footing.

The tops of the chimneys and the foundation walls which are about three feet above the grade line, are veneered in red brick. The bottom of the cellar (basement) is concreted four inches deep and reinforced. The cellar doorway, window sills, and outside cellar steps, are blue stone set in the masonry. The first story is ten feet in height, and contains a kitchen, dining-room, library, parlor, a large hall, and a sufficient number of closets and pantries.

The second story is nine feet in height, and contains five chambers (bedrooms), each with a closet, and a separate bathroom. The attic contains two bedrooms of good size, and a storeroom. The flues in the chimneys are built separate and continuously to the top, with clay thimbles or metal flues set in the brick-work where directed on the plans. The fire-places in the parlor and dining room have open grates, and mantels to match the ornate woodwork of these two rooms, and have tile facings, and hearths of selected patterns.

The frame of the building is of solid, seasoned spruce or southern yellow pine, of the following dimensions: girders, six by eight inches; sills, four by eight inches; floor beams, two by ten inches; headers and trimmers, four by ten inches; attic ceiling beams, two by six inches; outside studding, three by four inches; door and window studding, four by four inches; inside studding, two by four inches ; rafters, two by six inches; hips and valleys, three by eight inches; plates, four by six inches; veranda sills, four by six inches; veranda plates, four by six inches; veranda rafters, three .by five inches; veranda beams, three by six inches; veranda ceiling beams, two by four inches; balcony posts, six by six inches; bridging timber, two by two inches.

The studding and floor beams are placed sixteen inches from centers, all strongly bridged. The exterior of the building is sheathed with dry, tongue and grooved, mill-worked spruce, driven tightly together, and securely nailed to each stud. The side walls of the lower story are covered with dry, clear white pine, and beveled siding. The side walls of the second story are shingled with best quality white pine or cedar shingles, and the roofs are slated with good quality black slate, put on with galvanized iron nails. The main ridge is surmounted with a terra cotta cresting. The finial on the tower is of galvanized steel.

The cellar window frames are of plank, with casement sash, which are glazed with single-thick glass. All other windows have one and one-eighth inch jambs, and two inch rabbeted sills, with one and one-eighth inch blind hanging stiles, all of dry white pine, free from knots or blemishes. The sashes are one and one-half inch in thickness, glazed with double-thick French glass, and balanced with cast-iron weights, and brown hempen cord. Outside blinds to all windows except cellar and attic. The front door is veneered with oak, is two inches thick, with five raised panels, molded both sides. The doors in the attic are one and one-quarter inch thick, with four plain panels. The outside cellar door is built of tongued and grooved white pine, securely nailed to strong cleats with wrought iron clinch nails. All other doors are of white pine, one and one-half inch thick, five-paneled, and molded both sides. The veranda and balcony posts, outside door and window casings, railings, steps, belt courses, gutters, corner boards, etc., are of dry, sound white pine, with all the necessary moldings. The floors of the first and second stories are of kiln-dried yellow pine; veranda and balcony floors are of white pine, laid in paint; attic floor of spruce, all well driven together, and blind nailed to each bearing. The balcony floor is covered with sheet lead, and made water tight. The architraves and wainscoting in kitchen and pantry are of yellow pine.

The architraves (main beam resting across the tops of columns), skirting boards and panel backs in dining-room and hall are of oak; in the library of cedar; in the parlor of white pine, stained to look like mahogany. The bath-room is fitted in white ash, finished with a coat of wood filler, and two coats of wood preservative, rubbed smooth with pumice stone and oil. All other inside wood-work of white pine, painted three coats as directed. The stairs to the cellar are built of dimensional lumber in the usual way. Main stairs of oak, with turned newels and balusters, properly filled and polished. The pantry is fitted with shelves, and all closets with wardrobe hooks and upper shelves, as directed on the plans. Hard wood saddles are placed under all doors, and rubber tipped door-stops are attached to the bases. The front dining-room, library and parlor doors, have bronze knobs, butts, roses, drops, and escutcheons, and bronze-faced mortise locks. The attic doors have brown mineral knobs, and black iron butts, roses, drops, and escutcheons, and ordinary rim locks. All other doors have black porcelain knobs, roses, drops, and escutcheons (A flat piece of metal for protection and often ornamentation, around a keyhole, door handle, or light switch), black iron butts, and brass-faced mortise locks. Bronze sash locks for the dining-room, hall, and library. Bronzed iron sash locks for other windows. A gong bell with all the required attachments, is placed in the front hall. All exterior tin work, iron and woodwork has three coats of a hardy enamel paint.

The small moldings and narrow projections of the cornices, which are some of the characteristic features of the Queen Anne style, give a building an unsatisfactory appearance without a proper selection and combination of colors, and a proper use of materials. Great care should be exercised in deciding which colors are used. Shades of warm browns are always pleasing, and suggest hospitality and comfort.

Tim Davis is a seasoned architectural designer with over 25 years experience, who also teaches residential architectural drafting online at http://homedesign.8m.com. One of the courses he's offering is called Vintage House Plans 101 at http://drafting101.com/vintage/ where he teaches students how to draw these classic homes in their preserved styles.

Barn to Home Conversion How-To

2011-12-24T12:34:00.000-08:00

Converting a Barn into a Home, online course. Donations are welcome: http://drafting101.com/barnhome/

Step by step instructions on how to convert a Barn into a Home.

Drawing a Complete Set of House Plans in AutoCAD

2011-12-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

Tim Davis has just started work on an online course entitled "Drawing a Complete Set of House Plans in AutoCAD. The website to enroll is at http://drafting101.com and the thread to discuss the new course is at http://draftingservice.us/school/index.php?topic=7.0

Mechanical Drawings and their uses in Machine and Tool Construction

2011-11-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

When any new or improved form of tool, machine, or gadget is being thought out, its general arrangement and the ideas governing how the contraption works may be quite clear in the imagination of the one developing it, and they may proceed with the actual construction of this concept, guided only by a mental picture of the device. Many simple tools or appliances could be, and some are, produced this way, but it’s pretty clear that such a method is very limited. It’s often easier for the originator of a new type of mechanism to build it with his own hands than to attempt, simply by giving a verbal description, be able to give some one else a clear enough mental picture of the device to enable them to construct it. This kind of direct method of construction is totally impractical when applied to regular manufacturing process.

In the first place, it would be totally impossible to create the more complicated mechanisms by merely forming a mental picture of them. The basic idea of the device and possibly its general arrangement might be wholly clear, but in order to determine it’s exact relationship of the various parts when they are all properly proportioned and assembled, it’s necessary to make a very accurate drawing. Such a drawing not only shows the arrangement of the whole mechanism, but assists the designer in a big way in the development of the idea. Quite often the mental picture is distorted and when an accurate drawing is made, it’s apparent that changes are needed either in the form and size of one or more parts or possibly in the entire arrangement of the entire mechanism.

The method usually followed by inventors and designers in originating a new or improved mechanical appliance is to make a drawing of whatever plan or idea is to be developed. When this is done, a clear concept of the form and often of the practicality of the device shown by the drawing may be shown not only by the originator of the idea but by others who understand drawings and are able to understand them. So drawings serve several important purposes.

1.They assist in the development of a plan by allowing the designer to see clearly the relation of different parts to one another and whether or not the desired motion or effect may be obtained.

2.Drawings make it possible for the originator of a plan to get across the idea to others easily.

3.They show those who are actually to build the device the proportions of its different parts and their relation when properly put together into an assembly.

4.Drawings are useful as records of what has been done and make it possible to reproduce whatever tool or mechanism is represented on the drawing.

Tim Davis teaches Mechanical Drafting online at http://draftingservice.us/m101/

What the Drafter/Draftsman Should Know

2011-11-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

When studying mechanical drawing, it's important to know what is involved in becoming a designer or drafter who, instead of just making drawings of the plans of others, is just as able to do original work themselves. To begin with, the ability to originate or make improvements on plans and designs can be developed by studying what others have done in this field. It often happens that the way we operate one device can be applied to some other devices which are used for a completely different purpose. This way, the original idea is made more useful because it's used for more than one purpose.

While this really isn't original work so to speak, the fact is that very few mechanical appliances are totally thought up by one person. Also, it may not always be a good idea in machine design to attempt to be entirely original but apply what's known with all certainty to be sound in theory and in practice. This doesn't mean that the inventor or designer should not think for themselves or that they should deliberately borrow the ideas of others, but simply that they should proceed with caution when attempting to improve or change entirely some commonly accepted method or principle which has been completely tested in practice.

The drafter whose work isn't limited simply to drawing lines on paper, has to have a working knowledge of mechanical principles, the various known methods of creating and modifying motion, and how to make the parts of tools and machines the right size so that they can resist the stresses they're going to be subjected to. Many failed designs have been the direct result of ignorance of basic mechanical principles.

Another requirement is a good knowledge of the art of drawing. For a drafter to be successful in their field, they must know more than how to make mechanical drawings. Nevertheless this is a major part of their work, because drawings that don't clearly represent the object drawn are bad news in the fabrication shop and will probably cause serious mistakes. Delays in the machine or wood shop are often caused by poor drawings that are lacking in things like dimensions, or the arrangement and number of the views, or in some other respect.

Therefore, a good education in this field is totally necessary for industry to produce the products we use today. Sure, CAD programs have made life easier producing more accurate drawings than ever before, but if we put a lack of knowledge in, the end result is a lack of knowledge coming out.

About the Author

Tim Davis is the author of Mechanical Drafting 101 at http://draftingservice.us/m101/ which is a very complete course in mechanical drawing.

Magnet Motor Cooperative

2011-10-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in participating in the free energy movement? There are many who are experimenting with Magnetic motors to make this free energy dream a reality. Please go to the Magnetic Motors Discussion Board at http://maginvent.com/forum/ to find out more.

Forum Post Exchange Q and A

2011-09-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

Q. Why should a Message Board owner use a Forum Post exchange?
A. Well for starters, a newly opened message board usually doesn’t have very many members. When a surfer visits a forum that doesn’t have many posts or members, there is very little reason for them to stay and chat. Using a forum post exchange gets some activity on your board that will be of interest to visitors. Empty board equals a dead board. Give this exchange a try: http://forumpromotion.net/forum/index.php

Q. What if the exchangers aren’t able to relate to my boards theme or purpose.
A. It does matter much if nobody is there to share your interest at all. You can start threads that address your interests and coach the exchangers how you want them to post on your board within reason. Using an exchange is about the best forum promotion you can use to get your board started.

Looking for Born Again Prayer Warriors

2011-08-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

I guess you could call this a want-ad. There is a new Prayer Request Board online sponsored by the Parsons Corner Internet Ministries called "PCIM Prayer Request Board". The URL is http://parsonscorner.org/prayer/ and we invite you all to come and visit.

Starting a Drafting Service

2011-07-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Once you receive the necessary education from either a good technical school or from apprenticeship under a professional designer, drafter, architect, or engineer, many people venture out to open their own drafting office. You need to make sure that you have enough training and expertise to go out on your own. Technical drawing is a highly specialized field, and if practiced poorly can injure your reputation as a professional and your personal credibility.

With science and technology the way it is today, very few people complete drawings using a drafting or drawing board, thanks to the advent of computer generated drawings using a CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) program. A well designed CAD program not only makes it easier to open an office but also makes it much less expensive because of their ease of use and accuracy. Most drafting offices can be run out of your living room or den with nothing more than a laptop or desktop computer and a professional CAD program. There are however certain other considerations before going into this type of business.

One of these would be the needed library of reference books that are not available online. This would be books like "Architectural Graphic Standards" or "ANSI Standards for Mechanical Drawing", although certain portions of both of these books are available on line on the Internet. If you are doing architecture, a good selection of plan books would be a handy resource. Not to copy from however, that would be a bad thing, but as a fresh source of ideas you can suggest to your clients.

A good electronic symbols library for your CAD would be great too. This saves time, which is precious by the way, to not have to re-draw the same thing over and over. There are several websites offering them for sale and a few free download sites also.
Another thing would be a web site presence where you can advertise your services and also display drawings at certain stages to your client from the comfort of their home. I've been using this process for at least ten years and the clients love it. They have access to their drawings any time of day or night. And instead of waiting on the mail, the changes you make to their drawings can be reviewed almost instantly after you upload them.

You might also consider talking to your local insurance agent about some sort of malpractice insurance. Better safe than sorry. And with any new businesses it is always good to hire a bookkeeper to help you keep up with your taxes.

If you want to learn to draw mechanical drawings, including survey, and architectural, go to http://101info.org and learn online.

The Nature and Uses of Mechanical Drafting.

2011-07-09T14:16:00.001-07:00

Mechanical drafting or mechanical drawing is the art of making the conventional pictures representing something that has to be constructed which is used by engineers, architects, and inventors in working out and recording the details of their constructive designs, and the means by which ideas of the exact form or shape, dimension, and arrangement of parts in objects of a structural character are universally expressed and made easier to be understood by others.

Mechanical drafting aids constructive work of any kind to be carried on with accuracy and the least amount of time and material, and takes the place of a lengthy verbal description which would fail to express with clearness and exactness the definite information required by the workman.

Certain general peculiarities of the form and structure of an object may be understood from an ordinary pictorial representation, but that it cannot show the exact form, size, and relation of all the lines and surfaces; so the necessity for mechanical drawings which show all hidden as well as visible parts of an object as they are and not as they would appear to the eye.

So then mechanical drafting is the graphic language of the constructive or mechanic arts, and the ability to read and comprehend mechanical drawings is of as great importance to the workman, builder, and manufacturer as the ability to make such representations is to the designer or drafter; and a knowledge of general drafting principles is of value to almost all people irrespective of their vocations.

Because of the exact nature of the facts which it is intended to record or convey the drawing is generally executed with the aid of drafting instruments or a Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) program. The mechanical character of the representation, together with its purpose and the usual means of execution, gives mechanical drafting its name. Machine drafting, architectural drafting, and engineering drafting are specific applications of mechanical drafting. A mechanical drawing properly dimensioned in figures and prepared as a guide in constructing the object is called a working drawing.

If you want to learn to draw mechanical drawings, including survey and architectural, go to http://101info.org and learn online.

Would You Like To Design Your Own House Plan

2011-07-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Very good idea, it saves the money. Also eliminates the middle man. Architects and designers can be expensive. I heard that some designers can load up to ten dollars per square foot for simple drawings containing a floor plan and exterior elevations. Now that's a chunk of change. If you want to do it yourself, you need to know how. Here are some things that need to know to draw a simple ranch style.

What you need to know to make your house plan?

First, you should know how to get your floor plan. The floor plan is the model for all drawings. Since the floor plan shows how we want our electricity, tells how the rooms are large, shows our window and door sizes, etc., so that's where we begin. Of course, you can start with the view outside, but it would limit how our home looks like outside. Not a good idea! The house must be functional first and look pretty second out of necessity.

Second, You need to understand the workings of a well-designed kitchen. The kitchen is the place where the owner spends most of his time. Beautiful, but functional. This area consists of sink area, kitchenette, and storage. The best kitchen layout is one in which at least steps to reach each unit. This is called the work area or working triangle. A good up working triangle to 12-14 feet all around.

Third, a home builder would definitely like to know where the walls, windows and doors are located exactly. They would also like to know the door and the window sizes, not to mention something specific that's special to the plan. Here, the dimensions and notes are useful. You need to to create a dimensional string and groups of notes that are not confusing to the reader.

Fourth, The Electric plan is very important because it gives you the opportunity to show where you need electrical service. On the other hand, is not always necessary. An experienced electrical contractor will know where to place everything as required by code. Chances are, they have already set up quite a few residences and barring any special needs or preferences can do the job without this plan.

Some States and municipalities require that you have a licensed Architect or Electrical Engineer to do Electrical plans. Check with your local building codes to see what the limitations are! This will definitely save you some headaches on the road.

Fifth, standard foundation construction, at least in the southeastern United States, the houses built on masonry foundations and basements. A foundation is the part of the house we anchor to in order to prevented the house from settling in the soil.

What about the 6th how the outside will look? It is not easy, if you want to convey the idea of what the finished product will look like when construction is complete. What it looks like when built? How to determine the best roof, we use the brick, siding or rock?

Seventh, I don't believe in mind reading! Neither does the normal contractor! If there is anything specific you want to build into your new house, how is the builder going to know unless you show them on the drawings? You can make all kinds of notes on your plans and elevations but the message of how you want the house constructed may not always be clear. You'll need to understand how to draw details.

Then there is the eighth task of finishing your drawings and not let errors get out the door. You should understand the most common errors committed by people who draw house plans so you can keep an eye out for them!

And ninth, Last but not least in preparing your house plans is how to print them and in what format and size.

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans and other types of drafting in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Building A Magnetic Generator For Your Home

2011-06-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

It amounts to free energy. Believe it or not, the technology is here. Actually scientists have known how to build these for years. One of the leading ones was a man by the name of Tesla who pioneered the design in the early twentieth century. Tesla designed a motor that would run totally on magnetic power.

Another was a man in the later twentieth century named Howard Johnson (like the motel) using the same basic principles as Tesla. Johnson's motor however was more compact and easier to construct. In 1980, his motor was featured in Science & Mechanics magazine. He also received three patents from the U.S. Patent Office after he produced a totally functional device. You can find several copies of his blueprints online.

If you search You Tube for “magnetic motors”, you will see the wealth of different methods to build one. Some sound and some not so sound, but they all will give you an idea of the potential these new contraptions have for producing free electricity. I have several prototypes I’ve built in my own workshop.

The process of building one relies on the attractive and repulsive nature of magnets. If arranged in the right pattern, in the proper polarity, something close to or right at perpetual motion takes place. These forces create mechanical energy that will run a generator. Essentially, you can fire the electric power board. No more electricity bills.

It's been said that this type of device is impossible by mainstream science because it breaks their laws of thermodynamics. That law however doesn't take into account that unlike electrical current, magnetic forces do not run in the direction of the least resistance like electricity. The electrons of a magnet are constantly spinning which causes a totally different effect.

If you are a Green Peace - tree hugging type, this ought to make you a happy camper. These machines produce no green house gasses or any pollution whatsoever. Totally pollution free because it uses forces that are naturally energy producing in nature.

Building one is actually quite affordable. Some who sell the plans to these are only charging fifty or sixty dollars and the materials may cost about a little more than double that. All that is left is your time in building one.

One more little tidbit if you will. These motors also can generate their own electrical current. Imagine what would happen if that aspect could be perfected. The result would be a machine that didn't need a generator attached at all to supply our need for electricity.

Tim Davis is a trained mechanical drafter who runs a message board geared to help in the collaboration of building magnetic motors. The website is at http://maginvent.com/forum/index.php

Magnetic Motors

2011-06-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

Think about it… Free energy from a mechanism that is simple enough to build in a basement or garage for less that a couple of hundred bucks in a few days depending on your skills. Some call it zero point module like from the television show Stargate, I just call it the “fire the utility company device”.

Since Tesla developed his first magnet motor that he said “harnessed the power of the universe”, men have been trying to develop what was know as the perpetual motion machine. Perpetual motion I believe is impossible but close to perpetual isn’t. Magnets, like the rare earth keep their attraction for centuries. So if you build a motor that drives a generator that will outlive three or four generations, is that cool or what? The best part is that the only money that will have to be spent would be for the construction of the apparatus and the occasional maintenance of the bearings and replacement of problematic magnets or hardware.

There are several concepts for motor construction right now. The most prominent of these would be the Perendev motor which is a clam-shell device using opposing magnets. When the clam-shell is drawn together, the magnets repel one another in unity and the motor starts on it’s own.

I’ve started a message board called Magnetic Motors Discussion Board at http://drafting101.com/magnets/index.php where you can post your videos, share ideas with other inventors and hobbyists, or discuss whatever related to magnet motors. Please visit, register, and start or take part on the discussions. See you there.

Tim Davis

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2011-02-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

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Some considerations for a residential electrical plan

2011-01-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

The amount and location of wall switches for the house will directly be related to amount of light fixtures and other appliances that are hard wired to the circuit box. Pick a convenient location for the switch so that it can be conveniently reached when entering a room.

Whenever a ceiling fan is placed in a room and there's a light fixture connected to it, it is good practice to place at least two circuit wires to the switch. You also do this with any bathroom fixture that has more than one function, like a heat fan light.

Wall outlets also known as electrical receptacles, should be placed where they are most convenient. Local and national codes generally state that these should be placed a minimum of 6 feet apart. There are some home owners who request that the top part of the receptacle be wired to a wall switch so that a lamp can be turned on from a convenient location. Any wall receptacles which are a minimum of 6 feet from any water source must be ground fault interrupt circuits (G.F.C.I.). These need to be properly labeled on the plan.

Any light fixtures that are placed within the bathroom, for instance in the shower stall or bath tub, must be a waterproof fixture. You wouldn't want to electrocute your client, now would you. Also make sure that the switches arent close to the bathtub or the shower so that if your client should reach out of the shower, they would get shocked. This rule also applies to the kitchen and laundry room.

Light fixtures that are located outside of the house need to be waterproof exterior fixtures. An electrical receptacle placed on the exterior must be ground fault also. It is always a good idea to plan out the home where there is proper lighting on the exterior. Make sure that you give that plenty of thought.

Tim Davis is a fully trained architectural designer and drafter who has designed a very complete and easy to understand course in drawing house plans. Please visit house plan drafting 101 at http://homedesign.8m.com to learn more.

A Mechanical Drafters Role

2010-12-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

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

Remodeling

2010-12-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

Many people do not care to build a new house, frequently possessing an old house that has been in the family for many years, and which can be made quite comfortable by modernizing. Others prefer to buy an old house in some good location than to build new; they determine to reconstruct the old building to meet their requirements.

Remodeling may be a success financially and artistically, or it may not, depending upon various phases of the problem. Many old houses are not capable of successful remodeling at any price.

Constructed along peculiar lines in the first place, the attempt to remodel can only end in failure — or else the building must be entirely wrecked and a new one built all over again. Then, too, some old houses are in such wretched repair that it will not pay to reconstruct them. Money spent modernizing a house is not sensibly spent when the old framework is badly decayed and repairing necessitates such extensive tearing out of walls and partitions that the entire building is practically rebuilt.

On the other hand, many old houses built along simple lines in the first place, and kept in good condition by careful maintenance, are excellent for remodeling. Hardly a city, town, or suburban community exists in which there are not many such fine old places waiting for the hand of some one with taste to make them into modern, well-arranged, attractive houses.

Fortunate is the owner who recognizes the right kind of old house before he buys it for remodeling purposes, and doubly fortunate is the owner who knows what to do with the old place after it has come into his possession, for there are two great factors in remodeling: first, to secure a house with possibilities; second, to arrange interior and exterior with accompanying plumbing, heating, and lighting, in an effective way without excessive cost or unnecessary tearing down or destroying. These results are all easy to accomplish after a little study, and every owner who contemplates remodeling should give consideration to the problem before he buys a place, in order to begin right by having the right kind of house to start with.

In remodeling, every step should be well planned in advance in order to prevent false steps and save the money lost in experimental building and tearing down again.

Frequently the mere elimination of false ornamental trimmings on an old house will accomplish results quite surprising. Some of the old-time builders who nourished at a later period than the really good designers of Colonial times, wanted to nail ornamental boards and fancy shingles on the gable ends of their houses, producing a result not popular to-day.

What does it cost to remodel? This is usually the first question asked by the average owner, and a very live question it is, — and one very difficult to answer. What does it cost to run an automobile? How much coal will a furnace burn? How many miles from Boston to New York ? These are questions to which a like answer may be given, — it depends — depends upon conditions. If you go to Boston from New York by way of the sea, it is one • distance, and another if you go by rail. A furnace will burn as much coal as you are willing to shovel into it, — sometimes more, — though scientific stoking greatly cuts down the amount needed to warm a house comfortably. Some men run an automobile on $100 a month, and others hardly squeeze along on $400, depending upon the size and make of car, amount of service, and ability of the man who runs it.

When it comes to remodeling an old house, no two owners have quite the same experience. One man modernizes in a simple way at a cost of $10,000, while another spends $50,000, and wishes he had more in order to get what he thinks he wants. But some idea of cost can be obtained of course, and no owner should embark in a remodeling project until he knows somewhere near what the price will be. It is difficult to make a definite estimate on alterations, certainly, but some idea can be gathered by consulting with an expert, one who is familiar with building costs in your neighborhood and therefore qualified to give good advice. But you should remember that the expert can give no information until he knows how extensive the work is to be; so here is where you, Mr. Owner, must give study to the problem, yourself.

In a remodeling project the first thing to do is to examine the old building and determine just what repairs are needed to put the house in good condition, for it is never wise to spend money on remodeling unless the entire building is to be put in good repair at the same time. Rearranged rooms, installation of plumbing, heating, and lighting, and repainting or decorating are thrown away if the balance of the house is not put in just as good condition as the new part. Otherwise, you would be repairing, every year, spots in the house which should have been put in good condition in the first place.

Next, you should draw on a sheet of paper the two floor plans showing the arrangement of rooms as they exist. Make something more than a rough sketch, if possible, for this diagram is to be the groundwork which you or your architect will study for a solution of your problem. On this account the best way is to measure up each room and locate it, carefully drawn to scale (one quarter of an inch to the foot is the most used scale), on your diagram, showing every window, door, and closet. If you have choice pieces of furniture and wish to use them in the remodeled house, show them on your sketch plan so that you may provide space for them in the new scheme.

No matter how familiar with the old house you may be, it is difficult to grasp an arrangement of rooms. Walk from room to room as much as you will, trying to determine how to modernize the house, and you will have but a confused idea about the arrangement. But if you make an accurate sketch plan, a plan which can be afterwards examined and studied at leisure, you will have taken the wisest step possible, and your sketch plan will likely lead to a correct solution of the problem. Take this plan, study it, and determine what is necessary to be done to get the arrangement of rooms desired, bearing in mind, however, that when you remove one partition between two rooms on the first floor for a larger living room, the second-story partition overhead Two old rooms made into one cannot be depended upon to hold itself in place. Beams or some such structural members must be built in to support the second story.

Take care that the new arrangement will not wreck the old building. Modify your desires to suit the character of the old building, instead of arbitrarily demanding that rooms shall be precisely this way or that. The style of the new structure should be determined largely by the style of the old. Plain, old houses are usually more easily remodeled along Colonial lines than any other style.

To learn to draw house plans, please go to http://houseplandrafting101.com
Exert from: Successful houses and how to build them.1912

Architectural And Building Terms

2010-11-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

Abacus. The topmost division of the capital of a column.

Abutment of an Arch. The mass of masonry which resists the thrust of the arch. That against which the ends of the arch rest.

Aisle. The side portion of a building, separated from the center portion usually by columns or piers.

Angle Iron. A structural iron shape whose cross section is in the form of a letter L.

Annulets. The band of small moldings at the bottom of the Echinus of the Greek Doric capital.

Antae. A pilaster attached to a wall.

Apron. The finished board placed immediately below a window stool.

Arcade. A series of arches.

Architect's Scale.

Architrave of a Door or Window. The molded finish around the opening.

Architrave of an Entablature. The lower division of the entablature.

Arris. The edge formed by the intersecting of two surfaces.

Ashlar. The outside cut stone facing of a wall.

Astragal. A small moulding of circular section. See column capital of Plate 63. Also the moulding separating two doors, etc. See the sliding door of Plate 52.

Attic. That part of a classic structure that occurs above the cornice level. Also the space immediately under the roof of a house.

Back-band. The outside member of a window or door casing.

Back Hearth. That part of the hearth inside the fireplace.

Backing. The inner portion of a wall.

Balcony. A platform projecting from the building wall.

Balloon Frame.

Base. The lower member of a column or a building.

Base Board. The finishing board covering the plaster wall where it meets the floor.

Batten. A strip of board for use in fastening other boards together.

Batter. The slope of the face of a wall that is not plumb.

Batter Boards. Boards set up at the corners of a proposed building from which are stretched the lines marking off the walls, etc.

Bay. A comparatively small projecting portion of a building. Also one division of an arcade or the space between two columns.

Beam. A large horizontal structural member supporting floors, etc.

Bond. The connection between the bricks or stones of a masonry wall formed by overlapping the pieces.

Box Frame. A window frame containing boxes for the sash weights.

Bridging. A cross-bracing built between joist and studs to add stiffness to floors and walls.

Building Line.—The line of the outside face of a building wall. Also the line on a lot beyond which the law forbids that a building be erected.

Building Paper. A heavy, more or less waterproof paper for use in insulating the walls, floors and roofs of buildings.

Buttress. An enlargement or projection of a wall to resist the thrust of an arch, etc.

Butts. Hinges designed to be screwed to the edge or butt of a door or window and the inside of the frame.

Camber. The convex curve of the edge of a joist or Other member.

Carriage. The framing timber which is the direct support of the stair steps.

Casement. A window whose frame is hinged at the side to swing out or in.

Catch Basin.—A simple cast iron or cement receptacle into which the water from a roof, area way, etc., will drain. It is connected with a sewer or tile drain.

Caulicoli. The stalks which spring from the second row of leaves of the Corinthian capital and extend up to form the volutes under the corners of the abacus.

Centering. The false work upon which is built masonry arches, concrete slabs, etc. In concrete work the centering is also known as the forms.

Channel. A structural steel shape.

Client. The employer of the architect. The owner who entrusts the carrying out of his building project to the designer and engineer.

Coffer. A deeply recessed panel, usually in a ceiling or dome.

Collar Beam. A horizontal timber tying two opposite rafters together at a more or less central point of the rafters.

Colonnade. A continuous series of columns.

Console. A supporting bracket usually ornamented by a reverse scroll.

Compasses. An instrument for drawing circles.

Coped Joint. A joint between molded pieces in which a portion of one member is cut out to receive the molded part of the other member.

Corbel. A bracket formed on a wall by building out successive courses of masonry.

Corner Bead. A metal bead to be built into plaster corners to prevent accidental breaking off of the plaster.

Cornice. The part of a roof which projects beyond the wall. The upper main division of a classic entablature.

Corona. The plane center member of a classic cornice.

Court. An open space surrounded partly or entirely by a building.

Cresting. The ornamental finish of a roof ridge or the top of a wall.

Cupola. A small cylindrical or polygonal structure on the top of a dome.

Curtain Wall. A thin wall supported independent of the wall below, every one or two stories, by the structural steel or concrete frame of the building.

Cyma. One form of a moulding.

Cymatium. The name given to a cyma moulding when it is used as a crowning moulding.

Dentils. Rectangular supporting blocks beneath the cornice of an entablature.

Diaper. An over-all decorative pattern.

Die. The plane center member of a pedestal. When continuous it is called a Podium.

Dividers. An instrument for stepping off equal divisions.

Dormer. A structure projecting from a sloping roof, usually to accommodate a window.

Drain. A means of carrying off waste water. See also House Drain.

Drip Mould. A moulding designed to prevent rain water from running down the face of a wall; used also to protect the bottom of doors, windows, etc., from leakage.

Echinus. The half-round molded part of a column capital directly below the abacus.

Elevations. Drawings of the walls of a building, usually made as though the observer were looking straight at the wall.

Escutcheon Plate. The protective metal plate at a keyhole. Sometimes merely an ornamental plate around an opening.

Extrados. The name applied to the upper or outside curving line of an arch.

Face Brick. Usually a special brick used for "facing" a wall.

Fenestration. The distribution or arrangement of windows in a wall.

Finial. The ornamental termination of a pinnacle, consisting of leaf forms, etc.

Flange. The upper and lower cross parts of a steel I beam or channel. A projecting rib.

Flashing. The sheet metal work to prevent leakage over windows, doors, etc., and around chimneys and at other roof details.

Floor Plan. The horizontal section through a building showing size and location of rooms, also doors, windows, etc., in the walls.

Footing. The spread portion at the bottom of a basement wall or column to prevent settlement.

Freestone. A soft, easily worked variety of sandstone.

Fresco. Painting on fresh plaster before it has dried. Commonly, though incorrectly, used for any painting on plaster.

Frieze. That part of a classic entablature between the cornice and the architrave.

Furring. The leveling up or building out of a part of a wall or ceiling by wood strips, etc.

Gable. The triangular portion of an end wall formed by the sloping roof.

Gable Roof. One sloping up from two walls only.

Gain. The mortise or notch cut out of a timber to receive the end of a beam.

Gambrel Roof. A roof having two different slopes.

Gargoyle. A projecting ornamental water spout to throw the roof water clear of the walls below.

Girder. A large horizontal structural member, usually heavier than a beam and used to support the ends of joists and beams, or to carry walls over openings.

Girt. The heavy horizontal timber carrying the second floor joist in a braced frame building.

Grade. The level of the ground around a building.

Grille. A protective metal screen, sometimes highly ornamented.

Groined Vaulting. A ceiling formed by several intersecting cylindrical vaults.

Ground. Strips of wood the thickness of the plaster of a wall, secured to the framing. They aid the plasterer and afterward serve as nailing strips for securing the wood finish.

Grout. A thin mortar for filling up spaces difficult of access or where the heavier mortar would not penetrate.

Guttae. The drops used for enriching the Greek Doric Order and the Mutular Doric. They are cylindrical in the first and conical in the second example.

Gutter. A trough or depression for carrying off water.

Halving. A method of splicing the ends of two timbers by cutting half of each away and overlapping these parts. The joint is thus the same size as the timbers.

Hanging Stile. The vertical part of a door or casement window to which the hinge is fastened.

Hatching. The shading of an imaginary cut surface by a series of parallel lines.

Head Room. The vertical clearance on a stairway or in a room.

Hearth. The vitreous portion of a floor in front of a fireplace.

Heel. The end of a rafter that rests on the wall plate.

Herring-bone. The name given to masonry work when laid up in a zig-zag pattern. It is usually found in brick work.

Hip-roof. One sloping up from all walls of the building.

Hood. The small roof over a doorway, supported by brackets or consoles.

House Drain. The horizontal piping beneath the basement floor of a building, which carries off the discharge from all soil and waste lines to a point outside the building.

House Sewer. The drainage pipe connecting with the house drain at a point about 5 feet outside the building and leading to the sewer or other place of disposal.

Housing. The part cut out of one member so as to receive another.

Hypotrachelium. That part of the Greek Doric capital that occurs directly beneath the annulets of the echinus.

Impost. The top member of a wall, pier, etc., from which springs an arch. It may be the capital of a pier or just a moulding on a wall.

Incise. To cut into, as letters incised or carved into stone.

Intercolumniation. The clear space between columns.

Intrados. The name applied to the lower or inside curving line of an arch.

Jamb. The inside vertical face of a door or window frame.

Joist. The framing timbers which are the direct support of a floor.

Key-stone. The center top stone of an arch.

Label. The ornamental drip moulding over an arch.

Lancet Window. A high narrow window pointed like a lance at the top.

Lantern. The small structure projecting above a dome or roof for light or ventilation.

Lean-to. A small building against the side of another and having a roof sloping away from the larger structure.

Lintel. The horizontal structural member supporting the wall over an opening.

Lobby. An entrance hall or waiting room.

Loggia. A hall within a building but open on one side, this side being usually supported by a colonnade.

Lookout. A short timber for supporting the projecting cornice. See the box cornice of Plate 55.

Louver. A ventilating window covered by sloping slats to exclude rain.

Mansard Roof. A hipped roof having two slopes similar to the gambrel roof of Plate 24.

Mantel. The shelf and other ornamental work around a fireplace.

Marquetry. An ornamental surface built up of small pieces of various hard woods to form a pattern. Inlaid work.

Medallion. A round or elliptical raised surface, usually for ornamental purposes.

Meeting Rail. The horizontal rails of window frames that fit together when the window is closed.

Metope. That part of the frieze between the triglyphs of the Doric Order.

Mezzanine. A low secondary story contained in a high story.

Mill-work. The finished wood work, machined and partly assembled at the mill.

Minaret. A Turkish turret with balconies.

Miter. A beveled surface cut on the ends of moldings, etc., that they may member at points where they change direction.

Modillion. An ornamental bracket supporting a cornice.

Module. An accepted division for measuring proportions of the Orders of Architecture. It is taken as one half of the base diameter of the column.
Mullion. The large vertical division of a window opening. In grouped windows it is the member that separates the sash of each unit.

Muntins. The small members that divide the glass in a window frame.

Mutules. The rectangular blocks supporting the cornice of the Mutular Doric Order.

Narthex. A hall or lobby at the entrance of a church.

Nave. The main or central portion of a church auditorium.

Necking. The middle member of a simple column capital.

Newel. The post where the handrail of a stair starts or changes direction.

Niche. A recess in a wall; often to accommodate a piece of statuary.

Ogee. A reverse or letter S curve. Applied also to moldings of this section.

Oriel Window. A projecting upper story window. A small bay.

Orientation. The direction of facing of a building.

Paleography. A study of ancient inscriptions and writings.

Panel. A piece of wood framed about by other pieces. It may be raised above or sunk below the face of the framing pieces.

Parapet. That part of a wall projecting above a roof.

Parting Strip. The strip in a double hung window frame that keeps the upper and lower sash apart.

Parts. The thirty equal divisions into which the module is divided for convenience.

Party Wall. A division wall common to two adjacent pieces of property.

Pendent. Usually applied to ornamental hanging parts of a Gothic vaulted ceiling.

Pendentives. The structure at the upper corners of a square building which rounds the building at the top preparatory to receiving a round dome. They may be in the form of brackets or arches.

Pent-roof. A lean-to or roof sloping one way only.

Perch. A means of measuring quantities of rubble stone. A perch contains 16 cubic feet.

Pier. A rectangular masonry support either freestanding or built into a wall.

Pilaster. When an attached pier becomes very high in proportion to its width, it is called a pilaster.

Piling. Wood or concrete posts driven down into soft earth to provide a safe footing for heavy loads.

Pitch of Roof. A term applied to the amount of slope. It is found by dividing the height by the span.

Plan. See Floor Plan.

Plancher or Planceer. The soffit of a cornice or corona. See the box cornice of Plate 55.

Plaster Ground. See Ground.

Plate. The top, horizontal timber of a wall. The attic joist, roof rafters, etc., rest on and are secured to the plate.

Plinth. The block that forms the bottom member of a column base.

Plumb. Vertical; parallel to a plumb line.

Podium. The die or body of a continuous pedestal.

Porch. A covered shelter on the outside of a building.

Priming. The first coat of paint or varnish, mixed and applied so as to fill the pores of the surface preparatory to receiving the subsequent coats.

Proscenium. The front part of a theatre stage including the arch over the stage.

Pulley Stile. The vertical sides of a double-hung window frame on which are fastened the pulleys for the sash weights.

Purlins. Structural members spanning from truss to truss and supporting the rafters of a roof.

Quoins. Large cut stones at the corners of a masonry wall. They form an ornamental corner and also a stoppage for the stone or brick work of the wall proper.

Rail. The horizontal top member of a balustrade. Also the horizontal members of windows and doors.

Raking. Inclined from the horizontal.

Random Work. Applied to stone work that is not laid up in regular order but just as the stones come to hand.

Rebate. A recessed angle to receive a window or door frame, etc.

Regula. The plane block beneath the triglyph and taenia of the Doric Order.

Relieving Arch. A masonry arch built over an opening to support the backing of a wall when the wall face is carried by a lintel.

Reredos. The screen behind an altar.

Return. The turning back of a moulding, belt-course, etc., into the wall on which it is located or around a corner of the building.

Reveal. The projection of a frame or moulding beyond the wall which carries it. Also the jamb of a window or door frame between the window or door and the face of the wall.

Ridge. The top edge of the roof where two slopes meet.

Rostrum. An elevated speaker's platform.

Rotunda. The circular space under a dome.

Roughcast. Stucco when thrown against the wall to form a rough finish. Sometimes applied to roughly troweled work.

Rubble. Roughly broken quarry stone.

Rubrication. The coloring of a background by paint, enamels, etc.

Ruling Pen.

Saddle. A small double-sloping roof to carry the water away from the back of chimneys, etc.

Salon. A large and magnificent room.

Scagliola. A plaster imitation of colored marble.

Scale. An instrument used for measurement. Scale in design is the feeling of size which is produced by the judicious use of familiar details such as steps, windows, etc.

Scamillus. The groove which separates the hypotrachelium or necking of the Greek Doric column from the shaft.

Scantling. A piece of framing timber about 2 by 4 inches in section.

Scarfing. A method of lap-jointing of timbers in such a way that the joint is no larger than the section of the timbers.

Scratch Coat. The first coat of plaster which is scratched or scored to form a good bond for the second coat.

Screeds. Strips of plaster about 8 inches wide and the depth of the first two coats, which are put on first and trued up carefully to serve as guides in bringing the plastered surfaces to true planes.

Scribing. To mark or fit one edge of a board, etc., to an irregular surface.

Shaft. That part of a column between the capital and the base.

Sheathing. The rough boarding on the outside of a wall or roof over which is laid the finished siding or the shingles.

Shoring. Timbers braced against a wall to form a temporary support where it is necessary to remove the wall below.

Show Rafter. A short rafter, often ornamented, where it may be seen below the cornice.

Sill. The stone or wood member across the bottom of a door or window opening on the outside of the building. Also the bottom timber on which a building frame rests.

Site. The location of a building.

Skew-back. The first stone of an arch, having a horizontal bottom and a sloping top face.

Skirting. See Base Board.

Sleepers. The timbers laid on a firm foundation to carry and secure the superstructure.

Slip Joint. A joint made so as to allow a certain amount of movement of the parts joined without splitting or otherwise injuring them.

Smoke Chamber. That part of the flue directly above the fireplace.

Soffit. The underneath surface of a beam, lintel, arch, roof overhang, etc.

Soil Pipe. The branch pipe that connects the closet or urinal with the soil stack.

Soil Stack. The vertical pipe line that leads from the soil pipe to the house drain.

Span. The distance between supports of a joist, beam, etc.

Specifications. The written or printed description of materials, workmanship, etc., that accompany the working drawings of a building.

Standing Finish. The wood finish secured to the walls.

Stile. The vertical members of a built up part such as a door, window, panel, etc.

Stool. The wood shelf across the bottom and inside of a window.

String. The supporting timber at the end of stair steps.

Stucco. Cement plaster for outside work.

Style (of architecture). The distinguishing characteristics as fixed by the Order used or by the type of roof, windows, doors, walls and other details in combination.

Stylobate. The stepped base of a Greek temple.

Sump. A depression in a roof, etc., to receive the rain water and deliver it to the down-spout.

Taenia. The flat division band between the architrave and the frieze of the Doric Order.

Templet. A pattern for use in cutting irregular stones such as the voussoirs of an arch, etc.

Terrace. A raised bank of earth.

Terra Cotta. A burned clay of fine quality, much used for ornamental work on the exterior of buildings.

Thimble. The short horizontal pipe leading through a chimney wall into the flue.

Threshold. The stone, wood or metal piece directly under a door.

Throat. The opening from a fireplace into the smoke chamber.

Tongue. A projecting bead cut on the edge of one board to fit into a corresponding groove on the edge of another piece.

Tracery. Ornamental curving bars across an opening. They usually occur in Gothic buildings and are cut from stone.

Transom. The horizontal member which divides an opening into parts; It is also applied to a small window built over a door.

Transom Bar. Same as the first use of Transom.

Trap. A water-seal in a sewage system to prevent sewer gas from entering the building.

Tread. The horizontal board or surface of a step.

Trellis. An ornamental lattice made up of wooden strips to support vines.

Triangle. One of the drawing instruments described on page 9 and Plate 3.

Triglyph. A grooved plate, ornamenting the frieze of the Doric Order.

Trim. The finishing frame around an opening.

Trimmer Arch. The supporting arch beneath a hearth.

Truss. A framework made up of triangular units for supporting loads over long spans.

T Square. A drawing instrument for ruling parallel horizontal lines.

Tympanum. The triangular portion of wall under the sloping cornice of a classic building.

Underpinning. A new part of a wall or pier, built under an existing part.

Valley. The gutter formed by the intersection of two roof slopes.

Valley Rafter. The rafter extending along under a valley.

Vault. An arched ceiling or roof.

Veneer. A thin covering of valuable material over a less expensive body.

Vent Pipes. Small ventilating pipes extending from each fixture of the plumbing system to the vent stack.

Vent Stack. The vertical pipe connecting with the vent pipes and extending through the roof. It carries off the gasses and prevents the water-seal from siphoning out of the traps.

Verge Boards. The boards suspended from the verge Waste Stack. The vertical pipe which conducts waste of a gable. They are sometimes highly ornamented. water from the waste pipes to the house drain.

Vestibule. A small entrance room. Water Table. A projecting, sloping member around a

Vista. A view down an avenue or a path between building near the ground to throw the rain water away shrubbery, etc. from the wall.

Volute. A feature of the Ionic capital. See Plates Weather Boarding. The finished horizontal boarding of an outside wall.

Voussoir. One of the sections or blocks of an arch. Wing. A section of a building extending out from the

Wainscot. An ornamental or protective covering of main part, walls, often consisting of wood panels.

Wreath. The curved portion of a hand rail as at a Wall Plate. landing.

Waste Pipe. The pipe connecting lavatories and sinks.

Yoke. The horizontal top member of a window frame, with the waste stack.

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.

Biblical Question answered at The Old Pathway

2010-09-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-13T14:00:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-23T09:46:00.001-07:00

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

2010-06-16T11:09:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-30T08:28:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

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.

To learn more about Roof Plans and the rest of Architectural Drafting, go to House Plan Drafting 101 at http://homedesign.8m.com

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 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.

Mechanical Drawings

2010-05-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-13T11:03:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

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://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.

Some Considerations for a New Kitchen

2010-04-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-13T07:27:00.001-07:00

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

2010-04-09T15:13:00.001-07:00

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

2010-04-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-04-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

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

Hiring a Home Designer

2010-03-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

It is finally the time you have been looking forward to. You have given it quite a bit of thought and planning, made all the sketches and gathered photos and are now are ready to build your new home. The problem is that most builders will not work from sketches and photos. And to aggravate the matter, not only does your local building inspector require specific technical working drawings, but so does the subdivision planning review board.

The solution is to hire a home designer. These professionals are trained to take your ideas and hopes and put them to a working drawing. Not only drawing the plan, but also helping you to put the right design elements into your home to give it a beauty and charm that reflects your personality and taste. A home designer, also known as an architectural designer, is trained with the skills needed to make sure your home meets codes and is functional.

Once you have found a designer, there are several things you will want to discuss with him or her. The first is your budget. An experienced designer will know how to keep you within your spending limits. I personally have met with clients that had elaborate kitchen designs which went well beyond the expected amount of money allowed for its construction. The solution was that we found a cabinet builder who made the same type of cabinets the clients were wanting at a fraction of the cost that the national brand asked for theirs.

Another thing would be your sketches of the proposed layout of the home. Some people do not realize that the single line drawings they made of their plan will loose four inches or better when the wall thicknesses are properly drawn. Space, among many other things is sometimes misunderstood or improperly account for.

For instance, you may be expecting a ten foot by ten foot room but after the wall thickness is added, the room ends up something like nine feet four inches by nine feet eight inches. The designer will posses the skill to gain this lost area back to the planned size but rest assured, it will be at the cost of some other room or area of the home. Make sure to spend time discussing the layout so that you are happy with the finished product and its dimensions.

There are many other things that will be involved in the final design of your home that I am sure your designer will mention. Always try to be available to your designer should they have questions as this will make things flow more smoothly to a finished product.

About the Author

Tim Davis is a fully trained home designer with around thirty years experience as a designer and drafter. His website is at http://customhouseplans.8m.com.

The Article Submission Portal

2010-03-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

Announcing a new tool to submit your articles with called “The Article Submission Portal”. This is a html application in frames that takes most of the work out of submitting your articles to directories around the net. The site is at http://receivedtext.org/artsub/ and it is free for all to use.

The process is simple!

On the left frame are article directories that have a PR-2 rating and above. When you click on each one, the article directory will open in the right window. From there you can create an account if you do not already have one and then prepare to submit your work.

What’s contained in the directory list on the left:

The Top List: In order to be on this list, the directory must be a PR-2 or above.

The Middle List: Specialized Directories from various subjects regardless of their PR rating.

The Bottom List: These are directories that I believe are up and coming and worthy of consideration...

In the top window are submission tool boxes that you can copy and paste your article information into like your name, bio, article teaser, and the article body. Once in place, you can copy from these tool boxes into the article directory submission forms in the box to the right.

As you complete each submission to the individual directory, you then click on the next in the list to continue the process.

I find this method superior to the automatic methods, because there is less chance of your article getting jumbled with processor code or being placed in the wrong categories.

About the Author

Tim Davis, article author and directory master.

Mapping An Industrial Manufacturing Process

2010-03-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

The term “mapping an industrial manufacturing process” sounds quite complex, but is not really hard to explain. In short it is where a floor plan is made of a manufacturing facility showing the direction that an item or items are assembled to make a finished product.

The task begins when a draftsman or drafter draws a layout of the building used to create a product. Then, to give the layout definition, all the isles, machines, presses, and work stations are drawn on the plan.

Once this is completed, arrows similar to treasure maps you read about as a child, are placed on the plan to show the various steps from start to finish of the completed product as it moves from one section of the plant to another. Sometimes notes are shown on the layout explaining the actual process instructions for the workers reference.

Some of the most involved manufacturing process drawings are in industries like automotive or furniture plants. In the automotive industry, the flow process usually starts with the unibody or frame of the car or truck. And then the different parts like the seats, steering wheel, windshield, wheels and axels, hood, etc. are all placed on the vehicle until it rolls off the assembly line. With the furniture industry the piece always starts with the wooden frame, then the springs, next the padding, the upholstery, then finally the packaging.

In short, this type of drawing makes it easier to keep up with what is going on in a manufacturing plant. It is also used to plan out new additions to the process or processes.

About the Author

Tim Davis has years of training that you can utilize for almost all of your drafting needs. His website is at http://draftingservice.us. If you wish to learn drafting, he has created several courses that can be taken at http://101info.org.

Reading Dimensions On A Floor Plan

2010-03-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

A dimension is the measurement of one point to another. In the case of an architectural floor plan, it is what guides a framer to build the building. So in fact, dimensions are one of the most important elements of a floor plan drawing. Without them there would be no way to determine the geometry of a building, the position of its interior walls, or its door and window locations.

Dimensions or dims for short, usually follow a logical order. This logical order is usually in steps extending out from the body of the plan to define the length or depth beginning with the exterior elements of the home.

The outermost or dimensions would be of the over all length and depth of the building. The next would be used to define any breaks or turns in the exterior walls. The third would be the distance between the exterior walls and the center or side of the interior walls. These would then carry on to the next interior wall until you reached the opposite exterior wall. The final dimension set of this group would then be from wall to opening which would either be a door or window.

Included with the outermost dimension, but not always linked to an interior wall dimension would be those of the decks and porches. The also sometimes have dimension lines placed to the porch posts or columns and to define stairs attached to the porch or deck.

The next logical dimension set then would be those dimensions which could not be defined from the exterior or outermost dimensions. These would be the interior walls and sometimes the dimensions to wall openings if they have to have a specific location in the wall.

The only other sets of dimensions would be those which defined the location of special fixtures like interior columns, cabinets, etc. Labels and notes are also part of this category which includes door and window sizes unless these are in a legend (list) somewhere else on the plan, cabinet sizes, fireplace types, and room names.

About the Author

Tim Davis is a fully trained home designer with around thirty years experience as a designer and drafter. His website is at http://customhouseplans.8m.com.

CAD Programs

2010-03-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Computer Aided or Assisted Drafting is what CAD stands for. The most descriptive definition we can give this type of program is a drafting board inside a computer, giving an accuracy that cannot be achieved on the drafting board.

CAD had its beginnings in the early 1960s when an engineer named Ivan Sutherland developed the concept in a program called Sketchpad. Although very primitive by the standards of today, it was very effective in creating accurate drawings.

Later, other programs were developed and called by different names and all created drawings in two dimensions. None the less, they all had the same benefits in that there were less errors in the drawings because of the infinite accuracy of the program and also the drawings could be re-used and altered easier than paper drawings with less waste of time and materials.

By the 1980’s, some of the earliest commercial CAD programs were inexpensive enough for individuals to purchase. These were AutoCAD, CADRA, MicroStation, Generic CADD, and CadVance to name a few. My early experience was with AutoCAD and then in the beginning of the 1990’s, Generic CADD Level 3.

Then when 3D programs started to appear on the market the stage was set for more complex applications. One of the finest I ever used was a program called Generic CADD 3D which in effect, was so easy to use I was creating complete isometric and oblique drawing of homes on the first day of use. I guess it was because the interface was so similar to Generic CADD Level 3 that the learning curve was short. With the use of two letter commands and simple controls, the 2D program only took a couple of days to master.

At this time AutoCAD already had 3D integrated into their 2D package, but it was so complex to master I didn’t pursue learning it. The creators of AutoCAD however, bought Generic CADD out and it was downgraded to a less useful package.

Although there are programs like 3D Home Architect and Chief Architect on the market today which all but draws everything for you from the floor plan you create. CAD is still the leading program type in most architectural offices.

It is amazing but even though I have mastered quite a few CAD programs, I still sit down at the drafting board from time to time just for old times sake. Actually I do it more to just keep the discipline alive.

About the Author

Tim Davis has years of training that you can utilize for almost all of your drafting needs. His website is at http://draftingservice.us. If you wish to learn drafting, he has created several courses that can be taken at http://101info.org.

A Home Designer

2010-03-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

This is a field of Drafting and Design that is quite often overlooked. Many people equate this professional with a drafter or architect. This is actually a separate field where the designer was trained by another experienced home designer or by an architect as an apprentice.

Most people believe that all they to need do is hire a draftsman to draw the plan that they have designed. The problem here is that a drafter is an illustrator who simply takes the ideas and sketches of another to create technical drawings. Unfortunately, a drafter may or may not posses the education and skills necessary to catch a code infraction, suggest a proper flow and layout to a home design, etc.

Whereas, an architect has training to handle most large commercial or residential designs and many do not believe they should waste their time with small to medium residences. Sure, this professional is trained in all aspects of construction and design but there is a premium price to be paid in using their services.

That is why there are trained home designers. In most cases, you will find the training and experience you will need to have a workable and functional house plan completed by this professional that will not only stand the test of the building inspector but also the test of the contractor in the construction field.

A trained home designer should not only posses the ability to draw your plans, but also the education and experience to understand the building codes and what will or will not work functionally in a homes construction. He or she should also respect you enough to realize that the home they are drawing is yours and should reflect your wishes and your personality.

About the Author

Tim Davis is a fully trained home designer with around thirty years experience as a designer and drafter. His website is at http://customhouseplans.8m.com.

Individual Home Design

2010-03-16T09:57:00.001-07:00

There are very few things that are closer to our hearts than the houses that we live in. And there are even fewer things that we take a greater interest in than the homes which we personally own. The actual size of the house does not matter really. It is our personal little castle on this earth.

It is really hard for us to create a house which mirrors or reflects the personality and traits of its owner where it is consistent to all of its parts and faithful to its chosen style or character and also containing over all the elements of a good design. It is no wonder that in these fast paced days, when our time is filled with so many interests, we sometimes feel like strangers in our own homes.

In a larger home we are more likely to draw our inspiration for its design from widely separate fields and we bring into them the accumulated art forms of the distant past to finally create a grand home rich in history and culture. Also, a spirit of pride and emulation is often designed into the building of a larger home.

Quite too often though, this motive to build the super ornate home demonstrates its self like the construction of a fort that separates us from our ideals and the things which we actually wanted to accomplish. Our motives were to build something beautiful and ornate but we wind up creating something large and gaudy. If the designer is not careful in his or her blending of treatments and trims, we wind up designing something that was not really a reflection of ourselves, but of something that is from someone else’s past ideas and not really what we had in mind at all.

The same can be said about the motives that influence us who are trying to design a smaller house. Fortunately, it is not true to the same extent. Firstly, more often than not, we lack the money for the super elaborate. The materials we build our home from need to be found close at hand, and for economy’s sake, they must be inexpensive. This particular influence together with a bunch of others of a similar nature force us towards the design of the smaller house which actually can be more intimate.

In American homes, especially the smaller ones, we have learned to be inventive in order to make the home more personal in nature. Sixty percent of the homes built in the United States follow the simple Ranch or Rancher design which has a very straightforward layout and can be built with economy in mind. The Rancher can also be adaptive in that it does not have to follow conventional rules. For instance, a room or two can be added outside of the rectangle which is the basic design of the building and then treatments like ornate columns, shutters, gable vents, modified roofs, etc., can be added to make the house more individual.

About the Author

Tim Davis is a fully trained home designer with around thirty years experience as a designer and drafter. His website is at http://customhouseplans.8m.com.

A Properly Proportioned House

2010-03-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

What does it mean when we say that a something is out of proportion? No expression is more familiar in our conversation with others and our own thoughts. Yet, if any of us were to nail down a define reason why it is out of proportion, after thinking about it we would find that it is because it does not conform to some standard that has been set by us or someone else. We judge everything by a standard.

When we complain that fried chicken isn't like the chicken made by our grandmothers, then we are referring to a standard. If we see a man whose legs and arms are extra long, we would say he is poorly proportioned. But then we do not criticize the length of arms and legs on a chimp. The extra length belongs there because that is what a chimp looks like. We have different standards of the proportions for men and chimpanzees.

In architecture we have been taught that certain types of homes should have certain proportions. For example, the height of a column is described in terms of its diameter in relation to its height, and any variation from that particular diameter to height ratio usually is not accepted on the grounds that their proportions are not good. A good example would be the Corinthian column that is ten diameters high. It has the classic proportions of a Corinthian column and no one will deny that a column that has these proportions is attractive.

Yet I have seen homes that used Corinthian columns on the front porch of the house but were reduced in size to fit the profile of the building. And on this same building were elements of other styles and designs of houses. The oddity is that all this seemed to fit together to make an attractive and unique home.

The answer is that proportion is and always must be a matter of individual taste that varies continually with the development of the mind of the individual. Like good taste, it is like one of the beasts mentioned in the book of Revelation in the scriptures. This creature has several faces, legs, wings, etc., along with a body that does not match the rest of its features. The slightest attempt to define it as a standard is impossible yet the scriptures would be incomplete without it.

In the United States, I have seen the common Ranch style home take on a distinctively different look altogether when elements like ornate porch railings and pickets were added to the design along with round gable vents and dental moldings. This home took on the Colonial look merely by adding a few various trim designs.

And when that same plain Jane home has Corinthian columns added that were proportionate to the height of the edge of a simple Portico, the home took on the look of a miniature plantation house. All that needed to be added were louvered shutters and evenly spaced windows.

About the Author

Tim Davis is a fully trained home designer with around thirty years experience as a designer and drafter. His website is at http://customhouseplans.8m.com.

Industrial Layout

2010-03-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Industrial Layout is a discipline of technical drawing which is a combination of architectural and survey drafting. The application of this drafting discipline are used in almost any type of manufacturing including and not limited to plastic injection molding, furniture fabrication, automotive parts manufacturing, etc. It is where a plant floor plan is drawn out exactly to scale and used for planning the functions of an industrial fabrication process or processes.

The drawing starts with the blank or open floor plan of the plant which shows all the structural members of the building which are visible on the plan view and includes columns that are out in the floor area, interior offices, exits, etc. If the plant already has fixtures, presses, molds, generators, cranes, elevators, or work stations, these are included also.

If the building is void of any fixtures, the industrial or plant engineer makes sketches on the plan locating all the machinery and work stations that will be in the plant so that the drafter can add them to it an it can be used once the plant is fully operational. There is almost always one particular master drawing of the building that, as time goes on, is updated as the plant grows or new processes are added or removed.

From the main layout drawing, localized drawings are made at a larger scale of particular areas of the plant. If a new area is drawn or designed, these drawings are then integrated into the main plant drawing to keep it up to date. Sometimes machinery manufacturers will send detailed drawings of their machines or presses which can also be added into the main drawing.

Over the past century or two since the beginning of the industrial revolution, these drawings were maintained manually on the drafting board which was very labor intensive. With the advent of Computer Assisted Drafting, drawings can be easily integrated into one another just by importing a CAD file.

The drafter who keeps these drawings updated are usually given the title of general drafters. The term general is used because of the many disciplines they must posses to perform their job. These include architecture, survey and topographical, machine or mechanical drafting.

About the Author

Tim Davis has years of training that you can utilize for almost all of your drafting needs. His website is at http://draftingservice.us. If you wish to learn drafting, he has created several courses that can be taken at http://101info.org.

Designing A New Building For A Retail Business

2010-03-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

Retail is a very up front type business, meaning you are wanting to design it with a certain curb appeal that will draw the publics eye and also leave a lasting impression to draw return customers.

If you will notice certain buildings, for instance the food service industry, there are certain trademarks that once said, remind you of the business that is related that particular trademark or physical attribute. One for instance would be the golden arches. Who does not remember what building used to have large golden arches on each side of their store front. Picking and designing your own trademark for your new building will make a similar impression if it is done correctly.

I once saw a linen and curtain store that had the appearance of an old colonial plantation home. There were two such businesses in that particular city as a matter of fact. The first is the one I just mentioned and the second was in a plane Jane building in a strip shopping center. The one with the colonial design has lasted even to this day, but the other went out of business within a year even though their prices were less expensive and they kept a clean and tidy appearance.

One of the best examples I have seen was a bridle and tack shop that was built to look like an old west mercantile store. Before you even walked into the building, you had the feel of being in the old west. And the materials used to construct this building we no more than any other conventional building material.

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...

What Does A Drafter Or Draftsman Do?

2010-03-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

A drafter is someone who is trained in creating technical drawings. Their job is to take the sketches, concepts, and specifications of a professional architects, engineers, machinists, or inventors and build the necessary illustrations from which that idea can be implemented or fabricated in a methodical and practical format.

The tools of the trade are mostly computer programs called CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) programs. Some of the most popular are AutoCAD, CadVance, TurboCAD, and General CADD to name a few. In years past the tools of the trade were the drafting board, tee square, engineering scale, triangles, etc., although some still use these tools today.

The various types of drafters are:

The Architectural Drafter which is the one who creates residential and commercial drawings for the construction of structures.

The Steel Detailer is a drafter who creates steel fabrication drawings for structural members for the erection of buildings.

The Mechanical Drafter is the one who works for engineers and machinists to create machine and shop drawings for the fabrication of mechanisms and fixtures. A sub field for this discipline would be for woodshop drawings for furniture manufacturers and wood crafters.

The Survey Drafter would be the one that creates boundary and topographical drawings for surveyors plats and site plans.

The Industrial Drafter is the one who draws layouts of large plants so that the industrial engineers may work out the best methods for production on a plant floor. He or she also creates drawing for the design of fixtures to be used in the manufacturing process, crossing them over into the mechanical field as well as commercial architectural.

The Patent Drafter takes the ideas of inventors and places them in a drawing format that is accepted by the patent office to protect the inventors ideas.

A General Drafter is one who has studied most or all of the fields mentioned above and is sometimes given the title of master drafter. Other fields of drafting include aviation, automotive, nautical, archaeological, electrical, etc…

About the Author

Tim Davis has years of training that you can utilize for almost all of your drafting needs. His website is at http://draftingservice.us. If you wish to learn drafting, he has created several courses that can be taken at http://101info.org.

A General Drafter

2010-03-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

The title “general drafter” suggests that this type of draftsman or drafter draws most anything required of them to draw. And that is quite correct to a certain degree, as long as they are trained in various disciplines of drafting.

I will give you a for instance and you will need to read carefully to keep up. My original training involved mechanical drafting which is the art of making technical drawings for machine and fabrication shops. This was through courses given while I was in the U.S. Navy and in its self is one discipline.

When I left the navy, I found a job with a land surveyor who was willing to train me in the field of boundary and topographical survey drafting. This gave me my second drafting discipline. This surveyor from time to time would hire me out to an architect who worked closely with his surveying office. This particular architect would have me to revise his drawings according to his specifications. This exposed me to architectural drafting in a major way.

Then, later on in my career I trained in architectural drafting to create residential and commercial building plans from sketches and ideas of an architect. I apprenticed under this professional for years and from time to time was asked to create drawings for structural steel to be built in a steel fabrication shop for the buildings he designed by the steel fabricator that the architect worked closely with.

So far then I received training and experience in mechanical drafting, boundary and topographical drafting, then architectural, both residential and commercial, then steel fabrication. That adds up to four different disciplines so far.

Finally I opened a drafting office with a clientele that included a large area dairy company, two plastic injection molding companies, several home builders, an automotive parts manufacturer, a civil engineer, and two surveyors.

The injection molding companies had me create quite a few parts and then patent drawings over the years which added a fifth discipline of patent drafting. The dairy company hired me many times to create loading dock fixtures from their designs which added a sixth discipline in another form of mechanical drafting. The automotive company along with the dairy, and plastics manufacturers all had me to create plant layouts, which added a seventh discipline called industrial layout.

The plastics companies both had me to take the drawings I had created of their parts and turn them into sales brochures. Since many of these had to be in a real life type drawing, I had to learn and master 3D modeling. So that created the eighth discipline, commercial illustration.

And that is the definition of a general drafter. Actually, over the years I have had drafters under me, giving the title of senior and then master drafter. There is quite a bit that can be accomplished if you just put your mind to it. And mind you, this took well over thirty years to complete.

About the Author

Tim Davis has years of training that you can utilize for almost all of your drafting needs. His website is at http://draftingservice.us. If you wish to learn drafting, he has created several courses that can be taken at http://101info.org.

A New Building For Your Business

2010-03-06T18:17:00.001-08:00

If you are a business owner who has decided to build a building for your business, get ready for a task. In today’s economy most likely you are on a tight budget and have little room for extra expenses beyond the building itself.

If you are handling the task yourself, here is what you commonly have to face.

The Building Design
This is the first step that you probably want to begin the process with. To meet the requirements of most municipalities, floor plans have to be drawn to scale along with all exterior views, electrical plans, slab or foundation plan, framing plan, HVAC plans, plumbing plan and isometrics, full sectional details and partial, roof plans, and the site plan. Then there are special drawings like fastener and handicap accessibility details that have to be drawn. You will have to hire a designer or if the job is larger than five thousand square feet and three stories high, most states require that you hire an architect and engineer.

The Bank
Your lending institution will want to see a presentation of the proposed building. This is where you would take a set of presentation drawings from your designer or architect to make you pitch on what you are needing the money for. Make sure it is drawn so that there is no question what you are wanting. A good isometric of the exterior and a floor plan are usually sufficient.

The Planning Commissions
Once your drawings are complete and ready for submission, in some cases you will have to go before a planning commission for approval before the building inspectors can even start on your plan. This is a special board at your local government office that reviews all new construction in your area. They will probably spend some time making sure your plan blends into the plan of the municipality. Some of their concerns will possibly be your buildings impact on the local environment.

The Building Inspections Office and Fire Marshal
These guys are fun to deal with. Each one has his or her special interest that will have to be addressed like American Disabilities Act compliance and sufficient electrical designed into the structure. The fire marshal will be especially interested in fire exits, extinguisher locations, and sprinklers. If something is missed or their requirements are somewhat above international code, they will have to be added into the plan.

The Contractor
If you are not planning to oversee the construction yourself, a contractor will need to be hired. The plans that you had drawn will be very instrumental if choosing one of these. Make sure that each and ever contractor who bids on your plans has an exact copy of the plans. I would not recommend having a contractor redesign the structure so make sure that they are bidding on the building as it is drawn.

Once a contractor is chosen, you can get the ball rolling. If he or she has bid on a complete package, all you need to do then is write the checks from your construction account and meet with the contractor for any special questions they may have during the construction process. Make sure that any changes made during construction are marked on a master set of plans so that when the job is done, there will not be any question on extra charges incurred.

About the Author

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

Did You Overlook Something In Your New Home Design?

2010-03-03T07:21:00.001-08:00

There are quite a few details involved in designing a new house and it is very easy to overlook certain aspects of what will make that house a home. I have been a home designer for almost three decades now and have come up with a list of things that are often forgotten in the layout. Maybe that list can be of some help to you.

Number one on my list is storage space! Are you allowing for this? Chances are that if your home is cluttered now, you either have too much stuff accumulated or there isn’t enough storage space to store this stuff. If you overlook this in the design of your new home, you may be transferring one problem from your old dwelling to the new one.

The common lack of storage in homes are:

- Pantries for extra food stuffs like canned goods that would be overflowing from the kitchen cabinets.

- Clothes closets that are too small to handle the wardrobe of a family member for at least one season. Make sure they are large enough.

- Coat closets in the entryway of the home. When this omitted, the living room, kitchen or dining room starts becoming a catch all for winter coats.

- Linen closets are often overlooked also. This space is for sheets, pillow cases, washcloths, and towels. All too often, if a home does not have a linen closet, extra shelves have to be added to handle these.

- Attic or basement storage that is easily accessible to store Christmas lights and family keepsakes. When attic or basement storage is unavailable the garage fills up with all this stuff.

If the home is in an area that experiences more than usual rain or snow fall, is there a mud room for taking off those muddy boots so you don’t track up the house? I have seen mud rooms equipped with a sink to wash up before coming into the main house. This is also a good aspect of a well designed home if someone in the house likes to do auto mechanics in the garage. They can wash the grease off before it gets to far into the home.

One other thing to consider would be allowing enough natural light into the home. Too often there are too few windows pointed in the right direction to capture natural light in the mornings and evenings.
About the Author

Tim Davis is a fully trained home designer with around thirty years experience as a designer and drafter. His website is at http://customhouseplans.8m.com.

Revivals of Older Home Designs

2010-02-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

How many of us stand and gawk in fascination when we come across an old Victorian or Queen Anne home that has stood the test of time and remained standing since the middle nineteenth or early twentieth centuries? And with good reason, these home are works of art and were built by true craftsmen.

You look at all the scroll and millwork and are amazed at all the intricate patterns that are normally seen in natures snow flakes or ivy vines that seem to go everywhere on the building.. You look at the stained glass windows that remind you of great cathedrals and the lattice around the porches that seem like a never ending woven pattern and wonder how long such a building took to build with the hand tools of the day. Sort of reminds you of the story of Pollyanna, does it not?

Or how about the grand colonial homes of the old south? With their large ancient Greek type columns and facades that seem full of nothing but grand windows and one huge door opening as a portal into a party full of southern belles and finely dressed gentlemen. When you enter these homes, you would see a grand stair case that seems to dominate the entire home. And there is an openness to such a house that you have never seen in any other type home. You almost expect Scarlet Ohara to greet you as you enter.

Inside of both of these examples are finely made fireplaces and mantels, elaborate moldings, and hardwood or ceramic floors. Doors were finely crafted, many with beautiful carvings and hardware. Kitchens were decked with marble or granite and tile. The indoor bathrooms had fine porcelain tubs, toilets, and sinks. It was a sight to behold.

These homes and many other design types like this offer a warm and secure feeling unlike any of the more modern house types. They give you that feeling of more pleasant and innocent times that can be recaptured today if you want to.

Modern building materials and methods can be used to duplicate this same look to a new home. I’ve seen a few and they do a wonderful job of recreating that look on the exterior of a modern home. Even more beautiful are those new homes that have taken not only the exterior look but also the interior layout of these homes and added the modern conveniences to them.

Some people believe that in order to move forward into the future we need to forget about the past designs. I am not one of those. I believe that in order to move forward we need to remember the past and not discard the warmth and comfort these types of homes offered.

About the Author

The author, Tim Davis is a fully trained architectural designer who have been designing home plans for the past thirty years. He also has been trained in historical reconstruction and remodeling and is willing and able to help you design your own period home. His website is at http://customhouseplans.8m.com

Choosing an Architect or Designer For your New Home Design

2010-02-23T10:22:00.000-08:00

You are going to build a new home, your first house. For years you have dreamed, scrimped and saved with the vision of your ideal home stirring you on. Finally you have accumulated enough money to make a down payment on a piece of land and your goal is finally within your reach. So how do you intend to finalize your dream? You cant just blindly go ahead and start building.

You probably have looked through hundreds of pre drawn plans in catalogs and even though you see elements in different plans that you like but have not quite found a plan that has all that you envisioned. You have also probably seen certain elements of your friends and neighbors homes you liked but still, the overall lay out just did not seem to fit what you wanted.

It is also probably a fair assumption that you can not rely on your own technical skill in either design or construction unless you are trained in that area of expertise. So now you have two choices.

Hire an Architect

This is a common choice and all well and good. The architect was trained with this sort of thing in mind. These are professionals who are trained to design projects ranging from homes to skyscrapers. The biggest problem with this is more times than not, you are going to pay a premium amount to hire them.

But hey, if you are building a mansion, the best professional to have is the architect because of the enormity of the project and the greater amount of skills and resources needed to complete such a home. And more times than not, your ideas can be used by him or her to create a very original design. I was told by the architect that trained me that many people did not really know what they wanted and that the architect was there to enlighten them.

Hire a Designer

However, if you “do” know what you want, a designer is your better choice. This professional is also trained to design and draw homes within technical specs. If I know my colleagues well enough, are also willing to bend over backwards to give you the home that “you” want at a lower cost, the way “you” want it as long as it meets code and it is within the budget you have set for the construction of your new home.

About the Author

Tim Davis is an Architectural Designer with 30 years experience. And he does not believe you should spend a fortune designing your home. His website is at http://customhouseplans.8m.com

A Well Designed Kitchen

2010-02-23T09:02:00.001-08:00

When designing a new home, it is always a good idea to spend some time carefully considering the kitchen and its layout. After all, this is where the family meal is usually prepared and there is nothing more important than the family meal to keep the family as a unit.

The most popular layout today includes either a bar built into the counter space or a breakfast nook directly connected to the kitchen for the morning meals. That bar or the table in the nook is a great place for the kids to do home work or school projects not to mention a place for mom or dad to balance the check book or some other task.

A properly designed kitchen also should not be hard to work in. For instance, it should be layed out so that there is no more than a twelve to fourteen foot triangle between the stove, sink, and refrigerator. This method allows for less steps and more cooking.

Natural light should also be a major consideration. A good sized window should be placed directly over the sink if possible. If it isn’t possible, then there should be large windows in the nook area to reflect light back into the cooking area.

There should be plenty of storage space whenever possible that would include a pantry integrated into a closet in easy reach from the cabinets. In corner cabinets, A Lazy Susan should be installed. A Lazy Susan is a rotating set of shelves installed so that everything can be reached by turning a carousel of shelves.

Drawers are very important for storing silverware and a good planner will make sure there are some deep drawers for those catch all things that always seem to show up in the kitchen. Actually, junk drawers aren’t a bad idea for keeping the kitchen tidy. 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 should always be installed near the sink. Other appliances to be considered would be a built in microwave for quick snacks and warming meals.

About the Author

Tim Davis is an Architectural Designer with 30 years experience. And he does not believe you should spend a fortune designing your home. His website is at http://customhouseplans.8m.com

Having Your Home Designed By A Professional

2010-02-22T12:02:00.001-08:00

When designing a home, my belief is that there is no method to use other than simplicity even in the largest houses. The greatest problem when laying out a large home is the danger of allowing the design to become monotonous. Monotony is the greatest causes of home owners becoming bored with their new home shortly after it is built. Simplicity more or less eliminates this possibility.

What I mean by simplicity is that there shouldn’t be a maze of hallways. There is more space wasted by designers adding halls to the plan than most any other cause. And rooms should flow together with one another with access to most all area’s of the home available to those rooms. Some call this method the open floor plan concept. The Kitchen should be serviceable enough for two or more people to freely move around the room and the dining / nook rooms shouldn’t be far away from it.

Be patient with your designer. It will pay off in the long run. There are times I have seen the owner insist that the work be rushed, sometimes ending in a catastrophe of an under designed home or one whose function is not what it should be. Communicate with them and let this professional know what you are hoping for so he or she can put your individuality into every room and then trust their training and experience.

Our home is our castle no matter how humble it may be. It is where we should spend the happiest and most memorable moments of our lives. Therefore it should be built to look attractive so that the father, mother, and the children can feel that there is really “no place like home”. Sounds corny I know, but you know it is true.

About the Author

Tim Davis is an Architectural Designer with 30 years experience. And he does not believe you should spend a fortune designing your home. His website is at http://customhouseplans.8m.com

The Need for Drafting and Drafters

2010-02-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

Everyone in the world speaks a language. The definition of language is the expression of thoughts in an understandable way. And if we want to be understood, we learn as much about our language as possible including learning other languages as well. Facts are that I really do not know too many people who prefer to be misunderstood. And to become more proficient, we read books, magazines, newspapers, and practice composition in order to become completely familiar with our language.

However, if we try to describe in words the geometry, appearance, and details of a fixture, machine, house or building, it can be down right impossible using just words in most cases. This is where we need to use another language called the “Graphic Language of Drawing”. So that when our words fail to give a complete or accurate description we look to literature that uses diagrams, pictures, and drawings to better explain the concept of whatever it is we are studying or attempting to build.

This is where drafters come into play. A trained drafter is able to draw an image from many different perspectives so that there is very few questions what a finished object will look like when fabricated. This professional drafter not only creates a pictorial representation of an object, but also gives dimensions and instructions that can be understood in any workshop or construction site.

In the past, the tools of the drafter were pencil, pen, paper, tee square or parallel bar, drafting board, scales, dividers, and templates, but for the most part, with the invention of computer aided drafting tools or CAD for short, the professional can create accurate drawings that can be easily understood by most anyone. That’s not to say that drawing on a drafting board is a lost art. It’s still very common today and a excellent way for the drafter to keep up his discipline and skills.

About the Author

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural and mechanical plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Article Submission Tools and Tidbits

2010-02-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

It is a widely known fact that writing and submitting articles is a daunting task but the rewards are far more than the work involved. Writing articles and then submitting them to article directories is one of if not the best way to promote your web site bar none, including blogs, in my opinion.

If you are like me, I have my own directory connected to my website. All my new articles go into this directory and then I submit them to other directories. I also reword them to be a completely new article and submit them too.

My first method was to keep a linked list on my server and then visit the individual article directories. This didn’t suit me as I was having to click back and forth between the list, my notepad, and then the directory where I was submitting to. Lots of work, let me tell you.

My second method was to download one of those automated submission tools. I figured automation was the way to go until I found that these sometimes bunched my articles into one solid paragraph and submitted into whatever category it wanted to. I dumped that method like a hot potato.

The third and final method I tried was to build my own submission page using frames. Then with the list on the left frame, the article directory on the right frame, and the text boxes I put to the top, I came up with my own article submission tool.

Frames are a very old method in HTML and I wouldn’t recommend using them for a website, but it sure made one handy dandy utensil to submit my articles with. It splices, it dices, it makes Julienne fries. Really folks, don’t discount using the old methods in dealing with the new problems.

And the best part of this method is everyone is happy. The article directory owners get their visits and you get your articles submitted to each and every one with more ease.

About the Author

Tim Davis is an article author who has made his article submission tool available to the internet public, free to use at http://receivedtext.org/artsub/ . He also is an online architectural & mechanical drafting instructor at http://101info.org

As Built Remodeling Drawings

2010-02-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

When we need to make alterations or additions to an existing building, the drafter finds that they need an accurate drawing of the structure as it stands. This is called an As-Built drawing. If the original drawings of the building are not available, it is then necessary that we measure and recorded it in some quick and accurate manner so that workable plans, elevations, etc., can be drawn. The amount of detail needed in these drawings and the care with which we make them is determined entirely by the new work to be added to the building and will vary with each instance.

The first sketch is made on grid paper. This paper is ruled vertically and horizontally with lines 1/4” inch apart forming 1/4” inch squares. As the sketches are usually made at a scale of 1/4" = 1' - 0", the plans, elevations, etc., can be more easily drawn on this paper with good proportions because each small space represents one foot at this scale. The paper should be fastened to a piece of cardboard or other lightweight board so that it can be easily carried and marked on.

A tape measure will be needed for making the measurements. A digital camera is also a handy piece of equipment because you can record exactly what the subject that you are drawing looks like in relation to your sketches. You need to be careful to make your notes as complete as possible from the beginning because if anything is left off the sketch, time may be wasted in having to repeat trips to the building the retrieve the missing information.

The first thing we draw are sketches of the floor plans. These should be measured and recorded as completely as possible. These should show all main dimensions of rooms, the location of stairways with the number and dimensions of the risers and treads. Then the thickness and material of all walls, the width, and location of all wall openings and then any other features such as heating and plumbing equipment, and so on are sketched. Take as many photo’s a you can. You can never have too much information to complete your as-builts.

In recording the vertical dimensions, the story heights should be noted first. This can be done by dropping your tape measure down through a stair well where possible. You can also measure on the outside wall from sill to sill of the windows and then adding the sill to floor dimensions of the lower story and subtracting corresponding dimensions from the upper story. And again, photograph everything possible on the exterior.

Once all this information is compiled along with notes on exterior finishes, roof pitches, grade heights, etc., the sketches can be turned into exact drawings of the structure that is to be remodeled. Form the point the additions can be made to the building and construction drawings can be completed.

About the Author
My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural and mechanical plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Architectural Detail Drawings

2010-02-16T03:19:00.000-08:00

Architectural details are drawings that made at a larger scale than the floor plans and elevations. They are used to accurately describe the various methods of construction. The scale of detail drawings vary according to the need. 3/4" = 1' - 0" is a good size for the general details like exterior elevations and wall sections while interior elevations are often made at a scale of 1/2" = 1' - 0". Full size details are drawn when absolute accuracy is needed for things like fine mouldings of a fire place mantel.

The smaller scale details are usually included in the main drawings while full-size details are furnished only to the professional worker who specializes in a particular trade such as the finishing framer, plumber, or H.V.A.C. installer.

The details for most any building consist of the following types of drawings.

A. Vertical wall sections describing all horizontal mouldings, the sill, wall thickness, method of framing the floor into walls, windows, cornice, and roof lines at the cornice.

B. Details on the exterior elevations that could not be shown properly by the 1/4” or 1/8” = 1’ – 0” scale elevations.

C. Detailed elevations and sections of the various items in the interior of the house such as doors, fireplaces, stairways, ornamental beams, cornices and other decorative features.

D. Parts of the plan are detailed when necessary.

After the general drawings are completed, the full-size details are drawn, usually in the order in which the building is finished. So then the basement windows are almost always the first full-size details made for the better class of residence work, since these windows must ordered and then delivered before the basement wall can be completed. The interior trim, stair finish, etc., are drawn full sized lastly because that is the last work to be put into the home.

About the Author
My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural and mechanical plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Drafting

2010-02-13T06:35:00.000-08:00

Drafting fields vary by the type of drafting they specialize in. The various fields are architectural, structural, electrical and electronic, mechanical or machine, boundary and topographical, general, illustrative, and tracing or reproductive. And each of these fields have their own methods of getting an idea across on paper with similarities that tie them together as a certain type of trained professional.

A good drafters qualifications are: accuracy, technique, speed, economy, and neatness and also a fluent grasp of how to draw in many of the various CAD programs on the market today as well as use of the drafting board. Like many fields, drafting used to be mostly a mans vocation, but no longer because women have entered the work force and showed that they can be just as useful and skilled as any man creating complex drawings.

Accuracy is the greatest of these qualifications. A mistake should be considered as a reflection of the drafters character and every effort should be made to create habits of doing the most accurate work possible.

Technique should be studied and developed thoroughly, because without technique the drafters work looks like it was done by an amateur.

Speed in drafting is the result of mental processes as well as manual dexterity or skill with the mouse and keyboard using CAD. It naturally follows quick thought when the subject is understood and technique is mastered. And with speed comes economy. Speed can be attained by close attention to what details, dimensions, and shading are needed and also what is not required.

And then neatness is the final form of efficiency in light of the other qualities. It should be developed into a habit, and will usually be noticed in the work of those possessing the other qualities.
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/

What Are Architectural Details?

2010-02-13T04:55:00.001-08:00

Architectural details are the drawings made at a larger scale than the plans and exterior elevations to accurately show the various methods of construction and the mouldings and ornamentation on the building.

The scale of details varies according to the size of the item being drawn in detail. 1/2" = 1'- 0" and 3/4" = 1'- 0" are the most common scales used. When absolute accuracy is needed, like the intricate mouldings on a decorative fire place mantel, full-size (life size) details are drawn. And the smaller scale details are usually included in the general drawings while full-size details are placed on their own separate drawing sheets.

The various types of details would be as follows:

Sectional Details - This is where we would draw something as if a knife had cut a slice out of the building plan and drew all the various parts of the construction like the studs showing all the things connected to them from the sheet-rock on the interior to the exterior sheathing and siding.

This type of detail would also show the insulation in the walls, floor, and ceiling, the types of rafters, end plates, headers over doors and windows, top and bottom plates of the walls, rafters or trusses, ceiling joists, and supporting structures, roof sheathing, shingle types, and ventilation, etc. These can either full cut away sections or partial depending on the detail needed.

Millwork Details - These details would show the angles of cuts and joints to various trims like base, corner, and wainscot mouldings usually called chair moulds. This would also include special columns and railings.

Special Details - Items of special interest like kitchen and bathroom cabinet drawings or closet specialties like built in shoe boxes and clothing lockers.

Utility Details - Usually when a special fireplace, stair, book case or entertainment center is to be built, this would be done in section or elevation showing the various parts and the extra ordinary items.

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural and mechanical plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Scale Drawings of House Plans

2010-02-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

Working drawings contain all plans, elevations (both exterior and interior views), sections, scale details and full size details necessary for the adequate construction of a home. The scale drawings of a structure are those which show the general layout of the entire building, locating the various features of the layout, showing their relation to each other and giving the needed dimensions required to accurately complete the construction.

The scale drawings of the architectural designer or architect in a certain way, resemble the assembly drawings of the machine designer. The characteristic of the designers scale drawings are that it deals with in general conditions of the home and clarifies them by symbols rather than to showing each feature exactly as it would look in real life.

To give an example, a fireplace is shown on a scale drawing by dimensioning to its center line on the plan. Then on the detailed drawings, everything is thoroughly shown and completely dimensioned. So in other words a scale drawing is merely an general representation while the more accurate description is left for the detail sheet.

To determine a scale, the first thing to be decided on the scale drawings is the scale that they will be drawn at. This is determined by the size of the building and the degree we want to go into detail.

The average residential drawing is drawn at a scale of ¼” = 1’- 0” (one quarter inch equals one foot and zero inches), while a very large house must be drawn at a scale of 1/8” = 1’ – 0” (one eight inch equals one foot and zero inches). The size of the sheet is often determined by the scale of the drawing.
About the Author

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural and mechanical plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Why Is Stone Masonry Home Construction So Expensive?

2010-02-11T19:08:00.001-08:00

The prettiest of all materials for a house is probably stone. This accounts for the increasing amount of houses with stone finishes erected in the past few years. But stone is also one of the most expensive materials you can use. Its use in home building costs is more than that of brick or stucco or wood. It comes as a real shock to new perspective home owners when they find out the cost difference because they had learned that when this country was young, stone was used by the poorest of farmers to construct their dwellings.

The reason the cost was so low in earlier days was that in the first place, the farmers back had to clear their fields of rock, rubble, and stone anyway, and the expense of carrying it to the construction site was no greater than the expense of carrying it anywhere else. So basically their material was supplied for free at the site! But today we have to pay for the quarrying of the stone and then more for the shipping.

And besides that, the roads and methods of transportation were so bad that it was near impossible to get brick even a few miles from brick kilns without a great amount of expense. Brick was therefore out of the question unless you had a brick kiln in your back yard or there was a waterway close by so it could be shipped by barge. Also, in those days bricks were made by hand and not by machine. The cost of molding bricks equaled or was sometimes greater than the cost of laying stone.
About the Author

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural and mechanical plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Architectural Design and Drafting

2010-02-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

To be fully qualified in their work, the architectural drafter needs to have training and experience in a wide range of subjects related to drawing and construction.

1. He or she must be completely familiar with the principles of orthographic projection. This would include the relation of views, projections, sections, developed views, reflected views, Intersections of members of a structure, etc.

2. They have to know the Architectural Symbols, and the methods of representing various forms of construction.

3. They have to be acquainted with the history of architecture. This includes building practices that have succeeded as well as those that have failed the test of time.

4. They have to know the principles of pure and applied design.

5. They need to know various construction materials, their strengths, characteristics, limitations and various uses.

6. They should have a working knowledge of creating perspective drawings, how to shade them with shadows, and rendering so that a design can be better understood out side of the 2 dimensional plane of drafting.

Architectural drawing is not just a mechanical operation and neither is it a subject to be learned separately from architectural design. The subject of architectural placement and arrangement of visual elements of a building must go hand in hand with the ability to mechanically draw these elements.

About the Author
My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural and mechanical plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

New Article Directory

2010-02-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

Announcing a new Article Directory called Drafting, CAD, & Design Articles. Professional Articles about almost all aspects of the Drafting & Design Industry written by the Professionals Themselves.

Please visit and submit your own articles at http://www.draftingservice.us/drafting/

Drawing a Floor Plan

2010-02-06T08:13:00.001-08:00

It is not the intention of this article to give you a complete course in drawing a floor plan. That is a very involved process. In short though, I would like to walk you through the process for your general information.

Most all plans start with a sketch of some sort made by the prospective home builder, or by a professional architect or designer. Usually that sketch is drawn on graph paper so that some sort of scale can be maintained and usually that scale on the grid paper is either one quarter inch equals one foot or two feet.

The first thing that is drawn is the exterior boundary known as the perimeter walls. Weather you are using a drafting board or a CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) program, the process is still basically the same because a CAD program really is nothing more than a drafting board on your computer.

Inside the boundary line, we then draw the thickness of the exterior walls which can either be four or six inches depending on how much insulation will be used and if the construction material is wood or metal studs, with wood being the most common of the two. This is usually determined by the climate of the area the house will be built in. Houses in colder climates would receive more insulation, therefore thicker walls, and those in warmer climates would receive less.

For homes built with other materials, the thickness will vary from one material to the next. For instance if the home is masonry block, the thickness would be four, eight, or twelve inches. With poured concrete the thickness can be whatever is prescribed by the designer, but usually not under six or eight inches thick.

Once the exterior walls are drawn, the interior walls, which are almost always four inches thick, are then placed with careful attention paid to room depths and widths. For instance, a hall that is under three foot wide is of no practical use because the minimum door (from my own experience) into a bedroom should always be no less than thirty to thirty two inches wide and the framing along with the two or three inch trim should always be considered.

A bedroom should always be a minimum of ten feet wide and ten feet deep not including the closet to allow for a bed, dresser and chest of drawers. The closets should be a minimum of two feet deep by three or four feet wide to allow for clothing storage.

The bathroom or bathrooms of a home should be drawn at a minimum of five feet wide to accommodate a bath tub and no less than seven feet deep to allow room for a toilet and sink vanity. A half bath should be a minimum of four feet wide by four feet deep to allow for the sink and toilet.

The living or family room should almost always be at least one and one half times the size of the smallest bedroom to allow for plenty of room for socializing and relaxing while watching television or entertaining guests.

Kitchen sizes will vary but the minimum size kitchen for a two or three bedroom home should be at least one hundred square feet to allow for cooking appliances, dish washing, food storage, and preparation.

If a utility room is on the house sketch, this should be a minimum of three feet deep by five feet wide for a washer and dryer to be placed in it. This type of utility room usually has a five foot wide bi-fold or double door to allow access to both appliances.

And lastly, if we have a garage, the minimum for a single car should be twelve feet wide by twenty two feet deep and an eight foot wide garage door.

Once the rooms are laid out then the doors are placed. The nearest a door should be to a wall is three inches because of the trim surrounding the door casing. The minimum door sizes are as follows: Main Entrance - 36 inch, Secondary Entrance - 32 inch, Bedrooms - 30 inch, Study or Library - 32 inch, Bathrooms - 24 inch, Utility Rooms - 32 inch, Linen Closets - 16 inch, Bedroom Closets - 24 inch, Pantries - 12 inch, Storage Rooms - 32 inch.

These sizes are the preferences of most people I have drawn houses for and may have to be altered to suit the home builder or your client. It's also good to swing a door to the closest wall for the sake of space. Wherever a door is placed, you can't have furniture! So door placement is a matter of functionality also.

Windows are very important to the home as these allow light and fresh air into the rooms. For a bedroom, the minimum window should be three feet wide by four feet four inches tall to allow fire egress (a fire escape) should it be needed.

Once these stages are completed then things like dimensions, door and window labels, notes, and electrical can be placed on the plan.

About the Author
My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural and mechanical plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

A Course In Mechanical Drafting

2010-02-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

Taking a course in mechanical drafting is not one of the easiest endeavors. A student needs to develop a discipline over the way he or she looks at things. They also need to develop a constructive way of thinking so that the student can think in a mechanical way. Not only this but they need to be trained to be able to communicate graphically so that the intentions of an idea, process, or item are understood without question in a fabrication or machine shop.

Mathematics are a major part of the learning process. In this field of drafting, some of those math classes you took in high school will actually seem like a necessary skill to have once you start your studies. Calculations of material stresses and deflection, calculations of material density and volume, sheering, load tables, etc. are only a few of the things a student will have to learn.

The student has to get a working knowledge of the fundamental operations and conventions of mechanical drawings from lettering and calculations, to the lay out of the work and so on in order that the completed sheet or sheets of drawings reflect a well arranged and clearly executed finished drawing. In the making of working drawings, it is often very difficult for the novice because of its conventional character of the work.

In today’s engineering drafting offices, the student will need to be able to work on a CAD system. CAD is short for Computer Aided Drafting. In other words, it is a drafting board in a computer. And before a CAD system is learned it is always best to learn how to draw on a drafting board. Manual drafting may be a disappearing discipline but in my mind as a teacher it is indispensable.

As I said, it isn’t the easiest career to learn. But like anything you have to learn to do, once you get past the basics it can become second nature to you. It is a high paying however and good pay means a more comfortable life. With enough determination, you too can do it. I did…

About the Author
My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural and mechanical plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Architectural Rendering

2010-02-05T12:34:00.001-08:00

To manually render a drawing is to make a still life of an exterior elevation or view of a building requires either a natural gift for art or a great deal of practice. It is a subject most usually only taught in a university or higher learning technical school. Some high schools attempt to teach it, but usually in it’s most elementary form. These types of drawings can be rendered in various ways using pencil, pen and ink, and water color.

The first step is to draw the exterior elevation in a perspective view using vanishing point lines. These are lines that gradually from two single points ray out until they connect to the perspective lines from an opposite side of the paper.

After the perspective elevation has been carefully drawn, and the shadows laid in outline, it is ready to be rendered. Shadows on the perspectives can be easily determined if they are cast first on the elevations, and then applied to the perspective. Then trees, shrubs, people, and whatever else can be added to the drawing.

Rendering in pencil is probably the most simple way to do it. Use a sharp #2 lead pencil, and then start with firm, short lines. If done properly, the pencil rendering will resemble the pen and ink. If you have a steady hand you can also add water color to the drawing.

On the other hand, with modern technology and the advent of automated CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) rendering can also be completed in the drafting program. This is by far the fastest way, but call me a purist if you will, there is nothing that looks better than a hand drawn rendering.
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, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Economically Designing A New Home

2010-02-04T17:45:00.000-08:00

In planning and designing a home, one of the first considerations is cost because cost will actually determine the size, shape, and style of the house. Cost of home construction will vary in every state. For instance, in some places where lumber mills are close by, lumber is a lower price. Lumber varies in cost several dollars per thousand feet in different sections of the country.

In comparing the higher cost of building today with the lower cost of building yesterday, you should remember that present day houses are more comfortable and convenient than houses of long ago. Old fashioned houses lacked many things to make life comfortable. Planning was not as well understood as it is today and of necessity, there are many other cost factors that have to be added into the modern home.

Whenever possible you should consider the orientation of a home on it’s lot by making sure that sunlight is utilized to the fullest extent. In doing so you can save your client a great deal of money in heating costs in the cold months by considering passive solar heat.

Saving space is the key word for a successful house plan, large or small. Owners should study the plans over and over again. After the rooms are sketched out, go over them carefully and see if you can eliminate any wasted space. A good room arrangement depends more upon your ingenuity to use space wisely than it does on how much money you put into it.

The shape of a house has much to do with the possibilities of planning. Rectangular or near rectangular houses allow for a better arrangement of rooms than a square house. The most economical arrangement has a central living or great room with one hall to access the two or three bedrooms, baths, kitchen, and dining room all enclosed in a rectangle.

Porches and decks are very important and the designer should consider them carefully. The most useful porch is situated, not on the front of the house where privacy is rarely secured, but on one side or in the rear of the house.

An attached garage or carport is always preferable to one build separately since it incorporates into the rectangular home easily and can share the main roof giving an even greater savings in material costs.

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, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

What Are Mechanical Assembly Drawings?

2010-02-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

There are several different types of assembly drawings. They are Outline or Setting Drawings, Erection Drawings, Assembly Working Drawings, Diagram Drawings, Part Assembly Drawings, and General Assembly Drawings.

1. Outline or Setting Drawings
The Outline Assembly Drawing shows the machines outline with no details. Center distances and over-all dimensions are given. An outline assembly drawing is used both for illustrations for a catalog and to show prospective customers an outline of the machine. In this case, only the general appearance of the machine is need.

2. Erection Drawings
Erection Drawings are those used in the erection of a machine. Each part is numbered and named so that it can be identified easily. These drawings give the exact location of each and every part and the proper order of the procedure in the erection of the machine.

3. Assembly Working Drawings
The Assembly Working Drawing is used when only a few machines are going to be built. Each part is fully dimensioned therefore making it possible for the mechanic to build the machine from the assembly drawing instead of having to refer to various detail sheets. Using this method, a time is saved in the drafting room, since each detail does not have to be drawn individually.

4. Diagram Drawings
A Diagram Drawing shows either a sectional or an external view of the entire machine. In this kind of an assembly drawing, all the parts are either numbered and named. A list of the parts is also included on the drawing.

5. Part Assembly Drawings
A Part Assembly Drawing is the one that only a few parts of the machine are illustrated. In this instance, the parts should be shown relative to the entire machine and also to one another. An assembly drawing is made of the parts and each part is fully dimensioned so that greater detail is not needed in the part drawings.

6. General Assembly Drawings
General assembly drawings are the illustrations used in designing a complete machine. When the design of a machine is undertaken in a drafting office, the drafter begins the process by making the preliminary sketches from the engineers notes and sketches and then creates a general assembly drawing. This general assembly drawing shows all the needed dimensions that limit the strength or working capacity of the machine and shows the general relation of the various parts to each other in the assembled machine.

This drawing is then turned over to another drafter who specializes in detailing or creating detail sheets where all the parts are drawn with all detail and dimensions.

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, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Why Are Accurate Woodworking Drawings Needed?

2010-02-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

A simple drawing will often give you a better idea of an object you are trying to draw and then ultimately build than you can get from any verbal description. Drawing is not only a very ancient form of getting an idea across, but one that is more easily understood by people of all countries and languages. It is one of the main tools of a woodworker, so the sooner you become familiar with it, the better.

When you want to create any particular item, you should begin by making rough sketches to explore your idea. From there you can create a more accurate working drawing in which every detail and measurement is clearly displayed. Make all your working drawings carefully to scale, and when possible, make them to full size. Never guess at the height, width, and length. Always measure very carefully. It does not matter if it takes a little more time. Do it right first, and with practice you will soon teach yourself to do it quicker.

Try to get your measurements and lines exact. You should never just be satisfied with coming to within an eighth of an inch. Make your drawings accurate. You can not have a good finished product unless you have laid it out right and are cutting exactly to the exact dimension. There will be a lot of waste if the line is in the wrong place or the dimension is wrong.

Go over each of your measurements a second and third time. It is even a good idea to check them by measuring in the opposite direction. Nothing is easier to make than mistakes in measuring. There is no amount of experience that will prevent the chance of it. It only takes a second or two to measure twice and then there is much less need to correct mistakes later.

So in summation, it is a whole lot cheaper to correct mistakes on a drawing than to have to redo it in the workshop.
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, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

An Education In Mechanical Drafting

2010-02-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

Drafting is a form of graphic expression so it is therefore a type of language. When applied in the engineering field, drawing or drafting is mechanical in character and is used primarily for the purpose of communicating information related to the construction of machines and structures. It is then reasonable to believe that the methods used and the standards adopted in the teaching of engineering drafting would be based on an study of the conditions found in the engineering world.

In the best engineering practice, the technical standards of drawing are high, so high in fact that they should be used as a model to use in the classroom. Examples of good draftsmanship selected from real world engineering offices would most definitely serve to furnish a model for classroom work, both in the technique and the methods of representation.

Engineering drawing demands brain power as much as it does skill of with the hands. The drafter in conceiving and planning his design, visualizes their problem, making all the necessary calculations for it, and then graphically representing the results on the drafting board or CAD Program. The development of all the details of their design makes it necessary that they be a trained observer of shapes, forms, and methods.

Since new designs frequently involve modifications of old designs, in their efforts to remember old designs and create new ones, they develop what is known in the trade as a visual memory. Modern methods of instruction recognize and encourage both the physical and mental factors involved in the production of engineering drawings. It is the aim of the drafting course in engineering schools to familiarize the student with the standards of technique and methods of representation found in the best commercial firms and also to develop in them the ability to visualize and reason, which should be the attributes of the commercial drafter and designer.

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

How to Build an Architectural Model

2010-02-02T06:46:00.001-08:00

There are several methods of building a model of a house or building. When I designed modular homes in the early nineties, they had to be built quickly so that the client could get a better feel for their proposed home. The method I used was to take a one quarter inch scale plan view of the house and paste it to a piece of plywood.

Then I would use the same scale elevation drawings, (exterior views of the home) and paste them to cardboard. Once pasted, I would use felt tip pens and color the different elements of the home. Afterwards, I would cut out the individual views and paste them together using glue over the plan pasted to the plywood. This way the model stays square and accurate.

The roof would be a thicker cardboard. The edges would be taped over with masking tape to simulate the fascia of the roof. I would thence draw a shingle pattern and glue it to the body of the house.

The following step would be to paint the tan colored concrete driveway and walkways, and then paint the green grass on the plan. To do the landscaping, I would use lichen for the shrubs and model trees bought from a hobby shop to finish up the model. The entire process would take less than four or five hours depending on the complexity of the home.

Interior walls are built using the same method if the interior was to be part of the model. In this case the roof wouldn't be glued to the walls. If I wanted to get real fancy, I would take a surgical knife and cut out the window panes so you would be able to see inside the model.

Another method I have used was balsa wood. Of course this method takes a bit more work than the cardboard but the detail would be much greater. Not to mention more time consuming.

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

What is a Mechanical Drafter or Draftsman?

2010-02-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

Mechanical drafting or drawing is the art of creating illustrations used by engineers, architects, machine shop workers, wood workers, inventors, etc., in working out the details of constructive designs. In these drawings are the ways which ideas of the exact form, nature, shape, arrangement, and dimension of the parts in objects of a structural nature are expressed and made understandable to others.

Mechanical drafting enables the construction work of any kind to be carried on with accuracy, economy of time and material, and takes the place of lengthy verbal descriptions which would not be able to express with clarity and exactness the information required by the workman to create whatever they are building.

So then mechanical drafting is the graphic language of the mechanical creation of machinery and manufactured parts. A mechanical drawing that is properly dimensioned and prepared as a guide in constructing the object is called a working drawing. A mechanical drafter or draftsman is one who creates these types of drawings.

Because of the exact nature of the facts that are intended to record or convey the drawing is generally executed with the aid of instruments. In past times, instruments like a drafting board, drafting arm, tee square, or parallel bar, compass, protractors, scale rules, mechanical pens and pencils, were used in the creation of mechanical drawings. Over the past two decades a computer program call CAD or CADD (Computer Aided Drafting or Computer Assisted Design and Drafting) program is used.

Mechanical drafters are employed in areas such as structural engineering and architecture, factory fabrication, wood shops, etc.
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, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

What is an Architectural Drafter or Draftsman?

2010-02-01T18:46:00.000-08:00

Have you ever stood and watched a high building being erected in a large city? It is interesting to see the elevator carry a person with materials like sheet rock and metal studs to the upper floors and the crane lift huge steel girders high in the air. But have you ever stopped to wonder how each person knows where to place each particular girder, wall, stair, window, etc.? If you asked one of the supervisors, they might show you the plans that show them where and how each and everything should be placed.

Or how about watching a house grow from a ditch in the ground to a fully finished home for a family. Most likely you will see these builders reading from large pieces of paper containing each element of the proposed home. These are called Architectural Plans.

From ancient days to the present, almost all structures of any type, from a outbuilding to a high rise apartment have been built with a plan. In modern building, the architect or designer plans every detail from the roofing material right down to the floor coverings. They have to show in their drawings exactly how the finished building will look both inside and out. They must indicate the kinds of material that are used and the exact spot where each element needs to be placed. Everything in those building plans must be so clear that any builder, by looking at the drawings and reading the written instructions will know exactly what to do.

In order to make the huge amount of plans required it is many times necessary that the architect or designer hire a number of people known as architectural drafters. From the architects or designers sketches they make the drawings or plans, and in many cases do original designing themselves. A master drafter is in charge of all the others in the drafting room and are considered the architects "right-hand man."

To become an architectural drafter a person may enter an architects office as an apprentice. This is rare these days but still happens from time to time. At first they are given only basic office work to do. After a while they are put to the task of making small tracings and other less important work. Once they have the basics, they are probably then trained to do original drawings on the drafting board or trained to use a CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) program on the computer.

Another method of learning to be an architectural drafter is to enter a vocational school. Here is where the beginner will be given practical work like in an office, and will be exposed to the principles of all kinds of architectural drafting. As a result of this they will be better equipped to enter almost any architectural office and would not be restricted in their choice of a field. There are many fine drafting schools over the internet to choose from also.

There is an ever increasing need for drafters. Even if the weather or season is unfit for building, there is always need of drafters in designing and planning buildings. There are thousands of buildings and homes built every year and each of them requires a certain number of drafters.

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans, site plans, mechanical and shop drawings and other types of drafting that I have been trained to do in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Structural Drafting

2010-01-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

Structural drafting can be defined as the discipline of making drawings of structural objects, then placing descriptive dimensions and other notes on that drawing which when placed together, will communicate the needed information for the creation and in some cases the finishing of a structure.

In making of these drawings, super accuracy in drafting is not always required. The main things needed are that the lettering and dimensions should be clear enough that no misunderstanding is possible.

The different types of drawings made in a structural drafting room are:
The Assembly Drawings
General Details
The Stress Sheets
The Shop Drawings.

The assembly drawings usually give the views of a structure as it appears after it has been erected. On these views we find the dimensions of the members as they appear in the finished structure together with all the bolts that hold them together, their locations, and other details necessary for their completion.

The overall dimensions are always shown and also any other dimensions which are necessary for the drafter to complete the shop drawings. While the size of the members and their connections, as well as the number of bolts and nuts required are always shown.

A stress sheet is the drawing that is usually shown as a skeleton outline of the structure. On the lines you’ll find the stresses which are caused by the building movement in the wind and the loads of pressure such as furnishing and the movement of people in the structure.

The shop drawings contain the views of a certain member of the finished structure so dimensioned that it may be constructed by the people in the metal shop. It takes much greater skill and experience to make the assembly drawings than it does the detailed drawings.

My name is Tim Davis and I draw architectural plans for a living. I also teach others how to draw house plans and other types of drafting in a virtual classroom on the internet called 101 Info Dot Org at http://101info.org

Preparations for Drawing a Floor Plan on a Drafting Board

2010-01-18T06:26:00.001-08:00

What's needed:

* A drafting board of Course. Probably best to use one that will hold a twenty four inch wide by eighteen inch high sheet of paper.

* A Tee Square or Parallel Bar. This way you can draw the floor plan square. Accuracy is important. The Tee square is used on the left side of the drafting board to keep the drawing in square. This insures that your parallel lines are actually parallel.

* Two 45 degree drafting triangles. One of them needs to be around 10 inches in height.

* An Architectural Template at 1/4" scale.

* Two sharp #2 lead pencils with eraser. #5 lead mechanical pencils will do just as well. (You can use a gum eraser if you wish. Not really necessary though.)

* 11" x 17" white printer paper. Transparent paper is preferable as it will aide you in tracing your drawing if you continue on with the rest of the lessons. (Vellum or Transparent Bond Paper)

* 1/2" roll of Masking Tape.

Place the paper on the drafting board near the center with your tee square or parallel bar underneath the paper to make it square with the board. Once square, tape the corners (all four) to the board. This way your paper stays parallel to the drafting board.

With your scale, measure the top of the page to the center of the paper and with your triangle, draw a light vertical line from the top to the bottom of the sheet. Do the same thing horizontally. This will give you the center of the paper so that you can center your floor plan on the page.

Now you are ready to begin the drawing.
About the Author

More complete instructions to drawing a complete floor plan on a drafting board can be found at http://draftingservice.us/homes/drafting-lessons/drawing-a-simple-floor-plan-on-a-drafting-board-preface.html. If you would like to learn to draw complete house plans go to http://homedesign.8m.com.

The Ability To Draw House Plans

2010-01-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

It wasn't until I started teaching it, that I realized how many were interested in the field of architectural drafting. But having an interest and actually being committed enough to complete the education are two distinctly different things all together. There has to be a certain amount of ambition that goes into learning such a skill that seems to be limited to those who can imagine geometry in their head and then put it to paper.

On the other hand a drafting student can overcome an inability to visualize a house layout by training their minds to think in real life. You accomplish this by remembering the shapes and spaces they have already experienced in the homes and buildings you’ve been in throughout your life.

For instance, when confronted with laying out a room that is not only functional but also comfortable, I close my eyes and try to imagine walking through that room with furnishings included. We all have the ability because we all have experienced it, we just haven’t trained our minds to accomplish it. I use that same visualization method to draw the outside of a house too.

A good understanding of mathematics doesn’t hurt. As a matter of fact it’s necessary in order to dimension your plan and calculate what is what. We aren’t talking trigonometry and calculus here folks. Simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division are all that’s really needed.

You will also need to be able to communicate because communication skills are a big factor in being a good house drafter. If we don’t have good communication skills, how can we relate in the notes on your drawings how to do whatever it is we are wanting the builder to do?

Tim Davis is a trained Architectural Designer and Drafter who has created a complete no nonsense course in drawing House Plans at http://homedesign.8m.com and also a course in drawing a Site Plan which can be found at http://siteplans.8m.com.

Announcing a New Message Board

2010-01-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

New Drafting, CAD, & Design Message Board at http://draftingservice.us/forum/

I'm hoping this message board will bring drafting professionals together to share tips, drawing symbols, and references with one another.

What is a Site Plan

2009-12-19T07:03:00.000-08:00

Even before a set of architectural drawings is created, it’s necessary to determine if a building will fit on a piece of real estate. This is where a site plan comes into play. No complete set of architectural plans is really complete without the site plan. A site plan, also known as a plot plan, is a drawing representing a piece of property where a building is going to be placed or remodeled.

What’s included in a Site Plan

Boundaries: The boundary is the measurement and angles of lines that defines a piece of real estate. These are measured by using coordinates of a line with their distance from one point to the other. For instance if a lines coordinates are N32d15’32”E ~ 325.0’, it means the line is started in a north easterly section that is angled thirty two degrees, fifteen minutes, thirty two seconds by a distance of three hundred twenty five feet. After all the boundary lines are complete it should represent a closed area.

Building Footprint: This is the representation or drawing of the perimeter of the structure that is to be built on the property. This will include porches, and decks attached to the house.

Setbacks and Easements: Setbacks are the lines where local municipalities have ordered that a structure cannot cross and easements are where utilities like sewer or power lines cross the properties area.

Roadways: These are the roads that are touching the property. If no road is accessible from the land a right of way must exist so that the owner can have access to their property.

Driveways and Walkways: These show where vehicle access, parking and foot access are located in relation to the house.

Utility Locations: This is where access to services like water, power, sewer, or septic tanks are shown on the drawings.

Topography: A representation of the surface features of a piece of property, indicating their relative positions and heights of the ground.

Tim Davis is a seasoned drafter and teacher who has developed a class on drawing site plans at http://siteplans.8m.com/ This course is part of his classes on how to draw complete house plans at http://homedesign.8m.com which can be taken separately or together.

A Review Of The Drafting 101 Courses

2009-12-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

If you have an interest in drawing things like houses or mechanical stuff, you have no doubt searched on Google or Yahoo for “how to draw house plans” or “how to draw woodworking drawings” and found House Plan Drafting 101 or Mechanical Drafting 101. These were written by a veteran architectural designer and general draftsman named Tim Davis. This fellow is from the old south and his charming way of explaining things is very evident in his work.

I enrolled in both of these courses and have nothing really bad to say about them at all. Actually I have nothing but praise. It was hard sometimes to get things clear in my head by that wasn’t my instructors fault! Tim put forth a very simple, and straightforward set of instructions that would help anyone involved in learning architectural or mechanical drawing to understand the subject being taught.

I did learn that drawing on a drafting board is a fading art. Computer Aided Drafting or CAD for short, is the way of the world now. Tim however suggested learning on the drafting board also, simply because of the way it developed discipline.

The instructor spent a considerable amount of time teaching the architectural drafting student to look for omissions and mistakes, and went into depth about every aspect needed to put out a quality finished product. Once I completed all of these very under priced courses, I was equipped to draw house plans that were more than suitable to build from and submit to a building inspector.

He also spent just as much time in the mechanical drawing course as he did in the architectural to again make sure that the students drawings were complete and error free. When I had a question, I simply went to his message board, posted my question and very quickly received an answer to my problem. Tim is a minister and pastor now and uses the proceeds of the courses to fund an online ministry called The Parsons Corner.

Copyright 2009
J.Q.P. is an online article writer and web resource critic.
House Plan Drafting 101 can be found at http://homedesign.8m.com
Mechanical Drafting 101 can be found at http://draftingservice.us/m101/
The Parsons Corner can be found on the web at http://parsonscorner.org

Posted with permission of the Author

A Career in Drafting

2009-12-05T08:59:00.001-08:00

No matter how bad the economy gets, there is always a need for drafters. Drafters are the ones who create technical construction drawings from information given to them by professionals like architects, engineers, designers, and surveyors. Drafters create drawings and plans on a drafting board or Computer Aided Drafting and Design program. These drawings are then used by craftsmen to build various projects or products.

Below are a few of the fields drafters are need in:

Architecture:
Architectural drafters prepare drawings of buildings, and houses.

Engineering and Civil:
These drafters prepare drawings for roadways, structural drawings for large commercial buildings, topographical surveys, steel fabrication drawings, etc.

Survey:
Survey drafters work for surveyors laying out land boundaries, topography, building and structure locations, etc.

Industrial:
These drafters are used in manufacturing plant layout, product illustration and cut sheet drawings, assembly drawings, etc.

Tim Davis, a fully trained general drafter with 20 plus years experience, has created a virtual drafting school where many of these drafting disciplines are taught in a easy to understand format at http://101info.org.

Types of SPAM and how to avoid or cure it

2009-11-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

Personally, I have never, ever sent out any type of advertising email of any sort out of respect for others privacy. I figure if they want to find me and my sites, they can do that on search engines and directories or from the byline on the articles I write. But I have been plagued over the years by spam and spammers because of the past advertising I've placed on the web. That's a no brainer for everyone that has a presence on the web. There are quite a few ways to fight it, but oft times it seems like a loosing battle.

Spam method number one and it's cure:

Many of you have used auto submitters to advertise your site. Some of you probably made the mistake of using you main email address to submit it with. Some disreputable submission sites will harvest these emails and compile a list of suckers. Your email then is sold on that list to thousands of spammers. Big mistake.

If you have a website, most likely you have a way to create multiple email accounts. The best thing to do is to create a email address like submit@whateveryourdomainis.com and after a month of submitting your ads, delete that one and make a new one like submit2@whateveryourdomainis.com. Next month, repeat the process. So then you have actually created a problem for the ones spamming you. In order to stop all the bounce backs, they will have to edit their lists. It may not be a major task, but even if you cause the spammer a moments aggravation, you've succeeded.

Spam method number two and it's cure:

Spammers love message boards. Especially the guys who don't speak English. There seems to be a quintessential group of nationalities who just love to fill your message board with virility pills and pornography from Russia, Croatia, and Korea to name a few.

I personally have four message boards used for various reasons. One is for my online architectural drafting classes at http://101info.org/drafting/. I'll check the board daily and wouldn't you know it, a spammer has joined and filled the threads with images that would make some sailors blush.

The cure can come in several forms. The best but most inconvenient for me is to require their registration be approved by me before they can post. This however takes up quite a bit of time on my part. The second best is to keep an eye on your forums and when they register, ban their back sides. They usually are easy to spot because of the user names they use like Amequelet, PraigeZoori, or Detoxon. Banning on my SMF message board usually take a second or two and they have been stopped in their tracks because of IP blocking. After a while most spammer groups will give up on their efforts.

If your message board has a calendar, you might better set the permissions to admin only for posting to it. Spammers love calendars also. On my Christian fellowship board I found over 600 posts with URL and key words that were eating bandwidth like candy.

Spam method number three and it's cure:

Do you have an article directory? I have one called E-Articles R US. Spammers love this method too. But not in the submitting of articles. No, actually what they do is make multiple drafts of a particular article, stuff them with key words and url's, then leave them in draft form where they are actually picked up by search engines. Of my three article directories, my general directory was plagued by this. When I figured out what they were doing, there was over 5,000 drafts in my database. The solution I've found is to disable drafts on your directory.

Tim Davis is the webmaster for many various sites including House Plan Drafting 101 at http://houseplandrafting101.com where I teach students how to draw house plans over the internet.

Right now I'm trying an experiment that I hope will draw spammers away from my sites. It is a message board devoted to spammers and the junk they want to post at http://101info.org/spam/

The Fear Of 2012

2009-11-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

A conversation has started on the Old Pathways Message board concerning every bodies fears of the predictions concerning the year 2012. The thread is at http://101info.org/oldpath/index.php?topic=75.0

Don’t Be Deceived, Ask Questions

2009-11-03T09:46:00.001-08:00

There is a popular saying; If you don't ask, how are you going to know? You've probably heard it many times. It's a true saying to a major degree in that knowledge has to be sought. We aren't born with it. And if you don't seek knowledge from the right source, you are more apt to be deceived.

I've run a Christian Question and Answer web site since 1995 and have found that those things I've learned over the years do not seem to be common knowledge to the majority of those asking.

Prophecy seems to be one of the number one areas that people have questions about. For instance, did you know that the Bible tells us that in the last days, danger will be everywhere. It then goes on to tell us why. It says this will happen because men will love themselves more than anything else. They will be jealous of what others have and will boast about themselves wanting all the attention on them and no where else. They will also be proud. So proud that when help is needed, they'll believe they can handle everything themselves.

The Bible then says that they will speak terrible things against God. That children will be totally disobedient to parents, and unthankful as if everything is owed to them and will be unholy. Folks will ignore natural affection and they'll do things that are totally against nature. They'll be trucebreakers, false accusers, not happy or content in any situation and unable to control their emotions, fierce, hating those that are trying to do good.

The Bible also states prophesies that in those last days, there won't be many loyalties because they are traitors and have a high mind about everything. Then it caps off the prophecy with everyone loving pleasure more than God and gaining all kinds of knowledge but never realizing the truth.

The greatest pleasure I have is to answer questions concerning the scriptures. My name is Tim Davis, otherwise known as The Parson. If you have a question about the Bible and want a plain, no nonsense and direct answer, go to http://101info.org/oldpath and submit any question you may have. It will be a blessing for both of us.

Have You Been Banned From Bible Forums???

2009-10-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

Banned from Bible Forums???

Unusual title isn’t it? But it seems to be a common question among some old time and fundamental Christians who have visited this message board. And the reasons vary from ex member to ex member.

My name is Tim Davis also known as “The Parson”. For years I was a member of this board even making it up the ranks as a mediator. I’ve had many discussions there over various matters like bible versions, eternal security, roles of the church, etc. and never once received an infraction or much less a reprimand from the staff of the board. In other words did my best to behave in a Christian manner.

Then, some time last year I had a member of the board come from Georgia and join my church whom shall remain nameless. Within eight months of his joining, the church was splitting and this man was making a play for the pastorate without my knowledge. Members were being turned against members, lies spreading throughout the church, and teachings contrary to who we are and where we stand on solely biblical based beliefs were being attacked.

Once I found out all the circumstances, this member had already made a decision to cut and run. I didn’t even have the opportunity to ask him to leave. Actually I praise God for that as he had already started cleaning house before the pastor (myself) could act on the situation. Before I had the chance to ask them to leave they were packing their bags. Needless to say I told him I learned a long time ago that if someone set their mind to leaving, I wasn’t about to stand in their way.

Shortly thereafter, I was unceremoniously banned from Bible Forums where this man had apparently told everyone I was some kind of cult leader. Forgive me but if being a pastor of an old type Baptist church and fending off wolves is being a cult leader, oh well. I really didn’t even get a chance to defend myself of the charges.

But there is more to it. During my last few months with Bible Forums, I witnessed more banning and restricting of brothers and sisters who held to the old ways of worship. It broke my heart to see them go and it even caused me to loose interest in what used to be a thriving mission field on the net.

The ones who were banned more than others were those who trusted the old King James Version Bible. Seems that they didn’t want to hear about the old path anymore. What a pity.

There is now a new message board called “The Old Pathways” at http://receivedtext.org/oldpath/index.php where you are free to discuss your belief’s even if they are contrary to the theme of the board as long as you behave yourself in a Christian manner. I created this board to replace a very old ministry site I used to have called “The Parsons Corner, Ask The Preacher”. Even if you aren’t a refugee from Bible Forums, you are more than welcome to come and participate.

1st John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,
The Parson
Formerly a member of Bible Forums at http://bibleforums.org/forums/

The End Of Time

2009-10-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

eschatology n : the branch of theology that is concerned with such final things as death and judgment; heaven and hell; the end of the world. In the Christian world, there are four basic doctrines or teachings concerning the End Times. Below is a description of each.

The Amillennial brethren are the ones who consider the 1000 year reign of the Lord and Savior to be spiritual in nature and not literal and that the Church will be called out in the end of the world. They hold to the scriptures that say there is no accounting of time with God.

The Post Tribulational group believes the Seven Year Tribulation will take place and then the calling out (rapture) of the Church by the Lord Jesus Christ takes place followed by a literal 1000 year reign of Christ on this earth.

The Mid Tribulational brethren believe that the Seven Year Tribulation takes place with the calling out (rapture) of the Church by the Lord Jesus Christ after the first 3 1/2 years followed by a literal 1000 year reign of Christ on this earth.

Last and the newest school of eschatological thought is the Pre Millennial or Pre Tribulational brethren who believe the calling out (rapture) of the Church by the Lord Jesus Christ takes place first and then a Seven Year Tribulational Period followed by a literal 1000 year reign of Christ on this earth. These brethren are also know as dispensationalists.

As a young man, I was brought up in an Amillennial church where the belief was that the church would be taken out when God destroyed this earth to make a new Heaven and a new earth. I had agonized for years over the order of events that were to take place and after studying the scriptures could come to one conclusion. Christ will not leave his bride in the path of Gods wrath. (destruction) You see, the Lord told us there will be a great tribulation, (Matthew:24) such as the world has never seen and the question in my mind is would the church be here when this happened?

There is quite a bit of controversy surrounding the millennial doctrines. The Pre-Trib's arguing with the Posts, the Posts with the Mid's, and the Am's with the Pre's. During the 1970's and 1980's there were many a church split over these schools of thought. Why? Was it because people were using their own wisdom to divide the word of God? Not all of them can be right and the Holy Spirit didn't cause certain people to believe one thing and some another. God is not the author of confusion and the debate that should actually be a reasoning session continues to this day.

Tim Davis is the webmaster for “The Old Pathways” message board which has been newly opened on the web. The url is http://101info.org/oldpath/ and it’s purpose is to defend the faith and the scriptures for what they really are which I truly believe is the truth. If you feel strong enough in your beliefs to have them tested by Godly reason and the scriptures, please feel free to come, make an account, and discuss the matters. We welcome you and will treat you with kindness and respect there.

Are You Afraid To Back Up Your Beliefs?

2009-10-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

It isn't limited to the Christian world. There are many who believe various things about how we were created or came to be. There are those, including myself who believe wholly in the biblical account of creation. Then there are some who believe that Darwinism (which I believe is a religion in it's self) is the only plausible answer. In the realm of how the universe came to be there are those that there was this Big Bang. On my end of the spectrum, who exactly lit the fuse? I believe with conviction it was the Lord God Almighty.

I have always believed that if you don't stand for something, you'll most certainly fall for anything. Forgive the cliché, but if "any way" will do, "no way" will do just as well. In the world I see only two possibilities. There is only truth or falsehood. There is no in between. I don't care how much you care to philosophize the subject. And man, not God has decided to make his own answers, which quite frankly has caused even more confusion over who God is, or more importantly, who He isn't.

Man also has created his own pathways to heaven, refusing to realize there is but one way to heaven and that way is by the Grace of God through Christ Jesus.

My own belief's are based on faith and also on historical evidence being that my own heritage is that of the Anabaptist (Baptist) lineage and education. We have been around since the end of the first century and believed basically the same since and have been called by many names, howbeit none were chosen by us.

So in reference to the title of this article, would you consider your beliefs strong enough to be examined by the scripture and by history?

About the Author

Tim Davis is the webmaster for "The Old Pathways" message board which has been newly opened on the web. The url is http://101info.org/oldpath/ and it's purpose is to defend the faith and the scriptures for what they really are which I truly believe is the truth. If you feel strong enough in your beliefs to have them tested by Godly reason and the scriptures, please feel free to come, make an account, and discuss the matters. We welcome you and will treat you with kindness and respect there.