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
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
How to Build an Architectural Model
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
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
Monday, February 1, 2010
What is a Mechanical Drafter or Draftsman?
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
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?
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
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
Monday, January 25, 2010
Structural Drafting
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
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
Monday, January 18, 2010
Preparations for Drawing a Floor Plan on a Drafting Board
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.
* 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.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The Ability To Draw House Plans
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.
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.
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