Jefferis_SCR_Chapter 03.

QXP 4/7/10 2:07 PM Page 1

CHAPTER 3
Manual Drafting
Equipment

TECHNICAL PENS AND ACCESSORIES

Technical Pens
Technical pens produce excellent inked lines. These pens function on a capillary action: a needle acts as a valve to allow ink
to flow from a storage cylinder through a small tube, which is designed to meter the ink so a specific line width is created.
Figure CD3.1 shows a comparison of some of the different line widths available with technical pens.
Technical pens can be used with templates to make circles, arcs, and symbols. Compass adapters to hold technical pens are
also available. Technical pen tips are designed to fit into scribers for use with lettering guides. This concept is discussed fur-
ther in Chapter 6.

Pen Cleaning
Some symptoms to look for when pens need cleaning are listed below:
• Ink constantly creates a drop at the pen tip.
• Ink tends to flow out around the tip holder.
• The point plunger does not activate properly. If you do not hear and feel the plunger when you
shake the pen, it is probably clogged with thick or dried ink.
• When you are drawing a line, ink does not flow freely.
• Ink flow starts with difficulty.
The ink level in the reservoir should be kept between one-quarter to three-quarters full.
Read the cleaning instructions that come with the pen you purchase. Some pens require disassembly for cleaning; others
should not be taken apart. Pens should be cleaned before each filling or before being stored for a long period of time. Clean
the technical pen nib, cartridge, and body separately in warm water or a special cleaning solution.

Inks
Drafting inks should be opaque or have a matte or semiflat black finish that does not reflect light. The ink should reproduce
without line variation. Drafting ink should have excellent adhesion properties for use on paper or film. Certain inks are rec-
ommended for use on film in order to avoid peeling, chipping, or cracking. Inks recommended for use in technical pens also
have non clogging characteristics.

6x0 4x0 3x0 00 0 1 2 21/2 3 31/2 4 6 7

.13 .18 .25 .30 .35 .50 .60 .70 .80 1.00 1.20 1.40 2.00
005 in 007 in 010 in 012 in 014 in 020 in 024 in 028 in 031 in 039 in 047 in 055 in 079 in

13mm 18mm 25mm 30mm 35mm 50mm 60mm 70mm 80mm 100mm 120mm 140mm 200mm

FIGURE CD3.1

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2 I Architectural Drafting and Design Supplemental Chapter Reading

FIGURE CD3.2

TEMPLATE USE WITH TECHNICAL PENS

When using a template and a technical pen, keep the pen perpendicular to the drawing sheet. Some templates have risers built
in to keep the template above the drawing sheet. Without this feature, there is a risk of ink running under a template that is
flat against the drawing. If your template does not have risers, purchase and add plastic stick-on template lifters. A few layers
of drafting tape can be placed on the underside of the template, although tape does not always work well. You can also place
a second template with a large circle under the template you are using. See Figure CD3.2.

DRAFTING MACHINE CONTROLS

AND MACHINE HEAD OPERATION
The drafting machine head contains the controls for horizontal, vertical, and angular movement. Although each brand has
similar features, controls may be found in different places on different brands. See Figure CD3.3.

FIGURE CD3.3

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CHAPTER 3 Manual Drafting Equipment I 3

VERNIER PLATE

20
60
PROTRACTOR
0
10

60

FIGURE CD3.4

To operate the drafting machine protractor head, place your hand on the handle, and with your thumb, depress the index
thumb piece. Depressing the index thumb piece allows the head to rotate. Each increment marked on the protractor is 1°, with
a label every 10° as shown in Figure CD3.4. As the vernier plate moves past the protractor, the zero on the vernier aligns with
the angle that you want to read. The vernier plate is the small scale numbered from 0 to 60. Figure CD3.4 shows a reading of
10°. As you rotate the handle, notice that the head automatically locks every 15°. To move the protractor past the 15° incre-
ment, you must again depress the index thumb piece. The indexing thumb piece is called the indexing release lever on the
drafting machine head model shown in Figure CD3.3.
With the protractor head rotated 40° clockwise, the machine is in the position shown in Figure CD3.5. The vernier plate at
the protractor reads 40°, which means that both the horizontal and the vertical scale moved 40° from their original positions
of 0° and 90°, respectively. The horizontal scale reads directly from the protractor, starting from 0°. The vertical scale reading

90°

40°

START
HERE

50°

0°

40°

FIGURE CD3.5

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4 I Architectural Drafting and Design Supplemental Chapter Reading

MOVE HORIZONTAL SCALE

THIS WAY 30°
30°

HORIZONTAL BASE

HORIZONTAL BASE

50°

MOVE HORIZONTAL SCALE

THIS WAY 50°

MOVE VERTICAL SCALE

THIS WAY 25°

25°

MOVE VERTICAL SCALE

VERTICAL THIS WAY 75°
BASE

75°
VERTICAL
BASE

30°
MOVE VERTICAL SCALE
EACH WAY 15°

15° 15°

CENTER LINE

FIGURE CD3.6

begins from the 90° position. The key to measuring angles is to determine if the angle is to be measured from the horizontal
or the vertical starting point. See the examples in Figure CD3.6.
Measuring full degree increments is easy: you match the zero mark on the vernier plate with a full degree mark on the pro-
tractor. See the reading of 12° in Figure CD3.7. The vernier scale allows you to measure angles as accurately as 5'.

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Jefferis_SCR_Chapter 03.QXP 4/7/10 2:08 PM Page 5

CHAPTER 3 Manual Drafting Equipment I 5

60
20
30
12° 0
30
12° POSITIVE
10 60 ANGLE

0 0°
NEGATIVE ANGLES
ARE BELOW 0°

FIGURE CD3.7

Reading and Setting Angles with the Vernier Scale

To read an angle other than a full degree, assume that the vernier scale is set at a positive angle, as shown in Figure CD3.8.
Positive angles read upward, and negative angles read downward from zero. Each mark on the vernier scale represents 5'. First,
see the angle to be read is between 7 and 8°. Then find the 5' mark on the upper half of the vernier (the direction in which
the scale has been turned) that is most closely aligned with a full degree on the protractor. In this example, it is the 40' mark.
Add the minutes to the degree just past. The correct reading is 7°40'.
The procedure for reading negative angles is the same, except you read the minute marks on the lower half of the vernier.

DRAFTING FURNITURE
Tables
Drafting tables are generally sized by the dimensions of their tops. Standard table-top sizes range from 24" ⫻ 36" (610 ⫻
915 mm) to 42" ⫻ 84" (1067 ⫻ 2134 mm).
Most offices commonly cover drafting-table tops with specially designed smooth surfaces. The material, usually vinyl, pro-
vides the proper density for effective use under normal drafting conditions. Drafting tape is commonly used to adhere draw-
ings to the table top, although some drafting tables have magnetized tops and use magnetic strips to attach drawings.

Chairs
Good drafting chairs have these characteristics:
• Padded or contoured seat design.
• Height adjustment.
• Footrest.
• Fabric that allows air to circulate.
• Sturdy construction.

60
30
45
20 30
PROTRACTOR
15
10 VERNIER PLATE
0

0 15
30
10
45
20 60

FIGURE CD3.8

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