UNIT 3

USE AND CARE OF DRAWING INSTRUMENTS

Description:
This unit is a study of the most straightforward tools, materials, and
equipment used in mechanical drawing for students. It introduces proper use and
care of the tools, instruments, and equipment and its importance in the picture.
In a trade or work, quality is a requirement. As a technologist of various
fields, excellent artistry required. This good craft coupled with quality brands of
tools and instruments as well as materials in making good drawings. Further, the
way how it is used and cared is the enormous measurements of a draftsperson
— furthermore, durable and quality drawing instruments, tools, and equipment
preferred in this course; accompanied with proper care and maintenance, these
tools and devices will last a lifetime and best service to the work. So, as the
facilitator of learning, it is essential to teach a positive attitude towards work; that
is also very significant in the workplace.

A. DRAWING TABLE/BOARD
A drawing table (also drawing board, drafting table or architect's table) is in its
antique form, a kind of multipurpose desk which can be used for any type of drawing,
writing or impromptu sketching on a large sheet of paper or for reading a large
format book or other oversized document or for drafting precise technical illustrations.
The drawing tables used as a frequent companion to a pedestal desk in a gentleman's
study or private library, during the preindustrial and early industrial era.

Furthermore, a drawing table, according to draftingsteal.com (2019) is a

multipurpose desk used by architects, engineers, and artists. It is a stable platform for
drawing and reading blueprints. Most tables are height adjustable, so you can stand or
sit while working. A key feature found in drafting tables is the ability to adjust the board
incline angle to a comfortable drawing position.

Technically, both ends of the board were cleats-known as "working edge,"

Figure 2-1(a) shows the image of drawing table, while Figure 2-1(b) shows the
drawing board.

, Working edge

(a)

Figure 2-1 (b)

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 Do not cut papers or objects directly on the top of the
drawing table/board because it will damage the
surface producing poor quality drawing later on.

B. T-SQUARE

T-Square is a tool shaped like a letter T, and that is used to draw parallel
lines and right angles (http://www.merriam-webster.com/). It used as a guide in
making horizontal lines and to provide an edge against which the triangles. When
making horizontal lines, the direction should be from left to right (if right-handed)
and right to left (if left-handed). Technically, the rule is called the blade attached
to one end, and the cross piece is known as the head. These parts are the
"working edge," which worked on the drawing table/board.

The materials used in the making are steel, wood, plastic vinyl, and
others. For beginners usually, the ideal length is 24 inches, and for advance, 36
inches is recommended. Figure 2-2, illustrates the types of T-square according to
head. Figure 2-3 shows the drawing horizontal and vertical lines with a T-square
and triangle using right-hand. Figure 2-3b left-handed method using T-square
and triangle. BLADE

HEAD

Figure 2-2

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 (a) (b)
Figure 2-3

The best way to preserve the life of a T-square, the

student should not be used it as ruler for the cutter to
cut paper, because it will damage the working edge of
the T-square if not correctly done. Provide covering if
not in use and hang it on the wall.

C. TRIANGLE

In the drawing of lines and angles the standard combination of triangle

used are 30ºx60ºx90º and 45ºx45ºx90º because these two are available in the
market. There also other types of triangle, the adjustable one which is more
expensive compared to the other two. They are made of plastic and usually
transparent to show the other side of the drawing. Triangles used in combination
with the T-square for making vertical lines and respective angles. The direction
of making vertical and inclined lines done from bottom to up. Types of the triangle
shown in Figure 2-4. Figure 2-5 shows the use of a T-square and triangles to
draw angles.

Figure 2-4 Figure 2-5

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 The best way to preserve the life of a triangle, the
student should not be used it as ruler for the cutter to
cut paper, because it will damage the working edge of
the triangle if not correctly done. Provide covering if
not in use and place in a flat surface or hang it on the
wall.

D. PENCIL

Drawing pencil is the essential tool of a draftsman. The hexagonal shape

is ergonomically designed to fit the thumb, forefinger and the second finger and
to prevent them from rolling off the table. Drawing pencil leads made of graphite
with kaolin (clay) added in a varying amount to produce different grades of leads.
The class of pencil, as shown here, depends on the type of works needed,
papers, and humidity which affect the surface of the paper.

Common or ordinary pencils numbered 1, 2, and 3. Number 1 is the

softest, 2 is the medium, and 3 is the hardest.

Figure 2-6 shows is an illustration of the classifications of pencil according to

groups.
1. Hard – from 4H to 9H
2. Medium – from B to 3H
3. Soft – from 2B to 7B

Figure 2-6

Hard pencils used where extreme accuracy is required. Sometimes they

are used in making guidelines. Medium pencils are for general-purpose work in
technical drawing. While soft pencils are too soft to be used in mechanical
drawing, they used in smudges and rough lines which are not distinct and are
difficult to erase. These grades are used in artworks of various kinds and for full-

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size details in architectural drawing. Some used these grades are for sketching
and freehand drawings.

Another type of pencil is a mechanical pencil with leads, which eliminates

the necessity for sharpening is shown in Figure 2-7. A shouldered extension of
the tips makes this kind of pencil equally adaptable to any instrument and
freehand drawing. Figure 2-8a shows the methods of sharpening the pencil to
obtain the desired points. Figure 2-8b illustrates the pencil pointing results.

Figure 2-7

conical wedge or chisel bevel

Figure 2-8a

Figure 2-8b

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 If not in use, place a pencil in a case or container in
order not to fall off the drawing table. The pencil is
not a “toy”; therefore; do not use it as a sword or
knife-like pointing to anybody. It could harm them.
Always sharpen your pencil when it becomes dull.
These show that you are a cautious, responsible
owner, and an excellent drawer.
E. SANDING PAD OR PENCIL POINTER

A sanding pad is used to re-point a pencil when it becomes dull. It is

made up of a small thin piece of wood with a beautiful piece of sandpaper pasted
on it. A little bit of felt paper is also glued to wipe off the graphite dust from the
pencil in Figure 2-9. The sanding pad should be free from graphite dust by
tapping it against the inside part of a receptacle or wastebasket. Figure 2-10
shows how to sharpen the pencil using the sanding pad. Furthermore, Figure 2-
11 illustrates the proper way of sharpening the pencil using a knife or a cutter.

Figure 2-9

Figure 2-10

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 Figure 2-11

If not in use, the pencil pointer should be kept in case

or container in order not to spread the excess powder
on drawing paper and instruments. If possible,
separate it from other instruments.

F. DRAWING PAPER

In selecting drawing paper, considered the purpose. Figure 2-12 gives the
sample of drawing paper with borderline and blocks. For mechanical drawings,
where fine and clean sharp lines produced with hard pencil, a paper with
sufficient grain is desirable. It can withstand considerable erasing without soiling
the paper. For pencil layouts and working drawings, cream or buff detail paper
preferred as they are easier on the eyes and do not soil as quickly as white
papers. If freehand lettering is done, the surface must be reasonably smooth to
secure the best results. For freehand drawing where it is desired to produce
porous uniform lines with a soft pencil, a slightly grained surface is satisfactory.
A smooth surface is better for fine ink ruling and all complicated drawings. In
general, the paper should have sufficient grain to make the output of the pencil
agreeable to the eye; the surface has a hard texture for smoothly grooving and
tracing qualities.

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 Figure 2-12
Drawing paper is the primary material for every activity
in this subject. So, extra care to maintain its cleanliness
and make it scratch-free. Place it in a folder with plastic
envelope to protect it from rain or roll the plate and put it
in a tube to preserve it. The rating depends on the
appearance of the plate once it is submitted. Technically,
paper is the venue for drawing.

G. FASTENER

A common type of fastener used in attaching drawing paper on the

drawing table is masking tape. Figure 2-13 shows a masking tape. It is a
removable adhesive tape used to provide temporary protection to an area while
an adjacent area is being worked on (http://www.wisegeek.com). They come in
different sizes. Standard sizes used in drawing are ¼ inch, ½ inch, and 1 inch
and available in different brands.

Figure 2-13

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 The adhesion of the drafting or masking tape depends
on its storage. If not properly kept and exposed to
heat, it will not hold the drawing plate on the surface
of the drawing table.
Always keep the surface of the tape clean and never
use it as pencil pointer.

H. SCALES

Scales are used to reproduce the dimensions of an object to full size on

the drawing to enlarge or reduce them to some regular proportions. Ordinary
scales made of boxwoods; some made of plastic, paper, and wood-plastic edges.
Below are the common drafting scale shapes. Figure 2-14 shows the forms of the
Drafting scales.
The types of scales were mechanical
scale mostly used by the mechanical
engineers. It uses the English system
of measurements, while civil
engineer’s scale, which is used by the
civil engineers is in Metric system of
measures.
Avoid using it as guide in making
vertical and horizontal lines. Let
the triangles and T-square do
them. Do not strike the scale on
any surface because it will distort
the gradations or it will break it.
Do not also use it as a drumstick.
Do not use it a guide in cutting
paper or other material using a
cutter because it damages the Figure 2-14
working edge of the scale.

I. PROTRACTOR

A protractor is a semicircular instrument for measuring and constructing

angles (The Grolier International Dictionary: 1981). The scale divided into 180
equal parts, each of which is called degree (°). The illustration is shown in Figure
2-15.

Figure 2-15

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 Do not use the protractor as a palette when spreading
the photographic mixture on the screen. Do not also
use it as a guide in cutting paper or Styrofoam using
the cutter for it will damage the working edge of the
instrument.

J. ERASER

An eraser is an object, typically a piece of soft rubber or plastic used to rub out
something written. When erasing, use dusting brush or clean rag to brush away
rubber crumbs. Figure 2-16 shows examples of erasers.

Figure 2-16

An eraser is not a toy; therefore; do not play with it or

eat it because of its gummy texture. Keep it in a clean
container, and separate from pencils or pens so that
they will not stain the eraser. Also, before erasing
something written, clean the eraser first by testing it
on scratch paper.
K. ERASING SHIELD

An erasing shield is a thin sheet of celluloid or steel. It contains varied

shapes of holes which make it possible to protect neighboring lines when erasing
by fitting the exact way of the opening to the form of the mistake. It made of
tempered spring steel which will resist wear and tear and springs back flat after
being bent. Figure 2-17 shows an erasing shield and how to use it.

Figure 2-17
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 Do not play with the erasing shield. It is not a toy.
Avoid bending it. Because it is made of steel, it can
wound the skin. Handle it properly. Do not use as a
substitute to cutter or even palette.

L. DUSTING BRUSH

A dusting brush made of fine animal hair which used to remove or brush
way rubber crumbs and loose dirt particles that collect on a drawing. Different
types of dusting brush shown in Figure 2-18.

Figure 2-18

Do not use the dusting brush in any other activity

aside from removing dirt and crumbs. Removing
them with the hands may cause smudges and imbed
the dirt on the drawing. Hang it if not in use or place
in a container or storage available always when
needed. Use a separate brush for signage and
paintings.

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M. DRAWING INK

Drawing ink is composed of finely ground carbon in suspension with

natural or synthetic gum added to make the suspension mixture waterproof. The
fine particles of carbon give the deep black luster to the ink, and the gum makes
it waterproof and quick to dry. Variety of drawing inks is now available in the
market. The common brands are shown in Figure 2-19.

Figure 2-19

N. PENHOLDERS AND PEN POINTS

The pen holders are used to hold the speedball pens and other lettering
pens while making a freehand drawing. It should have a grip of medium size,
small enough to enter the mouth of a drawing ink bottle quickly, yet not so low as
to cramp the finger while in use. A penholder slightly more significant than the
diameter of a pencil is good enough. Figure 2-20 shows the set of Speedball
pens. Figure 2-21 presents modern calligraphy pens.

Figure 2-20
Figure 2-21

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 Do not leave the bottle uncovered as evaporation will
cause the ink to thicken and dry. Always place the
ink bottle in a safe place. Avoid dropping it from the
drawing table. Clean the penholders and pen points
with water after use, do not let the ink dry in it that will
cause reduced performance and rusting of the
material. Nibs and pens should be kept in a container
with foam in order not to make collisions that will
result in distortion of its parts.

O. TRACING PAPER

Tracing paper is a thin, translucent material commonly called "vellum." It

is a transparent paper upon which copies or tracing of drawing made to
reproduce them by blueprint or by other similar processes. Tracing may be
made in pencil or ink. The thickness of the tracing paper depends on the job you
wanted to do. The gauge may be from 50-55, 60-65, 70-75, 80-85, 90-95; the
more significant the gauge, the thicker the tracing paper. Figure 2-22 shows the
storage and the assorted colors of tracing paper.

Figure 2-22

To prevent the tracing paper from crumbling and

tearing keep it inside the tube by rolling it. The
tracing tube is used to protect the paper from moist
and water spills. If spilled water, it will crumple the
paper and will give poor results in drawing. Drawing
pencils, pens, erasers, scales and other drawing
instruments should not keep in the tube together with
the tracing paper for they may get stained with inks
and leads coming from them.

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P. CASE INSTRUMENTS

Case instruments are layman’s name for compasses. The case

instruments as shown in Figure 2-23 composed of the compass, the lengthening
bar or the extension bar, compass pen, hairspring dividers, small divider or bow
spacers, bow pencil or bow compasses, bow pen, and the ruling pen. Modern
compasses were designed and sold in the market for quickly eliminating other
instruments in the case which are not in use in Figure 2-24.

Figure 2-23

Some of the instruments in the case were no longer useful due to the
advent of new designs and materials found in the market. Figure 2-24a shows
the conventional drawing compasses used nowadays. Figure 2-24b shows the
compasses and function.

(b)
(a) Figure 2-24

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 UNIT 3 TEST

Multiple Choice:

Directions: Read the items carefully. Write the letter of the best answer on the
space provided before each number.

_____1. What drawing instrument is used to reproduce the dimensions of an

object to full size or to reduce and to enlarge them to some regular
proportions?
A. ruler B. triangle
C. T-square D. scale
_____2. The instrument used to measure and lay off angles is known
as________.
A. protractor B. compasses
C. T-square D. Templates
_____3. What instrument used as a guide in making horizontal lines?
A. ruler C. triangle
B. protractor D. T-square
_____4. What instrument used in making vertical lines?
A. foot rule C. T-square
B. triangle D. Protractor
_____5. What instrument used for making arcs and circles?
A. dividers C. compasses
B. template D. ruler
_____6. The tool which is also called multipurpose desk used for any drawing,
writing or impromptu sketching on a large sheet of paper or for reading
a large-format book, other oversized document or for drafting precise
technical illustrations is called________.
A. drawing table C. drawing plate
B. drawing desk D. drawing tablet
_____7. The most essential tool of a draftsman is known as a ____________.
A. technical pen C. ball pen
B. pencil D. brush
_____8. What tool used when re-pointing the pencil when it becomes dull?
A. pencil pointer C. pencil sharpener
B. pencil case D. cutter
_____9. This tool is used to hold the drawing paper or drawing plate on the top
of the drawing table to fix it.
A. thumbtacks C. glue
B. staple wire D. masking tape/drafting tape
_____10. The venue of drawing and with sufficient grains to produce sharp clean
lines for a variety of pencils or pens is known as________.
A. drawing paper C. cartolina
B. tracing paper D. manila paper

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_____11. The tool that is used to erase mistakes usually made of rubber is
known as______.
A. correction gum C. eraser
B. erasing shield D. scraper
_____12. What do you call a mixture composed of finely ground carbon in
suspension with natural or synthetic gum added to make the
suspension waterproof?
A. watercolor C. paint
B. ink D. thinner
_____13. It is a tool that is made of fine animal hair with about fourteen inches
over-all length with a handle. It is used to remove or brush away rubber
crumbs, and loose dirt particles are called________.
A. dusting eraser C. sweeping brush
B. erasing brush D. dusting brush
_____14. What tool is used to hold the speedball pen and other lettering pens
while making a freehand drawing?
A. pen holder C. lettering holder
B. stylus D. nib holder
_____15. A thin sheet of celluloid or steel which has varied shapes of holes that
makes it possible to protect neighboring line when erasing by fitting the
exact shape of the opening of the mistake is called_______.
A. templates C. tracing paper
B. erasing shield D. eraser
_____16. What paper is used to make copies of drawing to reproduce them in a
blueprint or by other similar processes?
A. whiteprint paper C. manila paper
B. tracing paper D. cartolina
_____17. What do you call a horizontal part of the T-square that is also a working
edge for a drawing table?
A. blade C. head
B. body D. handle
_____18. They are sets of the instrument which is composed of different type of
compasses is known as_______.
A. case instruments C. templates
B. tube instruments D. calligraphy instruments
_____19. Who uses a scale that is in fraction form?
A. civil engineer’s scale C. architect’s scale
B. mechanical engineer’s scale D. draftsman’s scale
_____20. What do you call a vertical part of the T-square that is also a working
edge for a drawing table?
A. blade C. head
B. body D. handle

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 Unit 3 Activities

Plate No. 4
Title: Line Exercises (Mechanical Drawing)

Tools and Materials: * Proposed Criteria for Grading the

Drawing Plates
1. pencil Accuracy 30%
2. drawing paper Dimensioning 20%
3. foot rule or ruler Line Uniformity 20%
Lettering 15%
4. masking tape/drafting tape Neatness 15%
5. T-square Total 100%
6. triangles (30ºx60ºx90º) and (45ºx45ºx90º)
7. eraser

Steps:
1. Fasten the drawing paper on the top of the drawing table.
2. Secure the top margin of the paper to parallel to the T-square properly.
3. Divide the drawing paper into 6 equal parts.
4. Position the ruler inclined and set for numbers 0, 4″, 8″, 12″, and mark
them to make a vertical division.
5. Position the ruler inclined and set for numbers 0, 6″, 12″, and mark them
to make a horizontal division.

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 6. Use a T-square to make a horizontal line.
7. Use a triangle to make a vertical line.
8. In the first frame, draw horizontal lines. It is a T-square activity.
9. In the second frame, draw vertical lines for the triangle’s activity.
10. The third top is for 30° triangle.
11. The fourth is for 45° triangle.
12. The fifth is for 30°x60° triangle.
13. The last is for 45°x45° triangle.

Plate No. 5
Title: Performance Test

HORIZONTAL LINES 30 X 60 DEGREES

VERTICAL LINES 45 X 45 DEGREES

PERFORMANCE
TEST

Tools and Materials: * Proposed Criteria for Grading the

Drawing Plates
Accuracy 30%
1. pencil
Dimensioning 20%
2. drawing paper Line Uniformity 20%
3. foot rule or ruler Lettering 15%
Neatness 15%
4. masking tape/drafting tape Total 100%
5. T-square
6. triangles (30ºx60ºx90º) and (45ºx45ºx90º)
7. eraser
Steps:

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 1. Secure a paper and place it on the top of the drawing table using a
drafting tape.
2. Divide the paper into four equal parts.
3. In this performance test, the previous knowledge and skills in making
plates are applied. Listen to the instructions of your facilitator.

Plate No. 6
Title: Creative Designs

* Proposed Criteria for Grading the

Drawing Plates
Tools and Materials: Accuracy 30%
Dimensioning 20%
1. pencil Line Uniformity 20%
Lettering 15%
2. drawing paper Neatness 15%
3. foot rule or ruler Total 100%
4. masking tape/drafting tape
5. T-square
6. triangles (30ºx60ºx90º) and (45ºx45ºx90º)
7. eraser

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Steps:

1. Secure a paper and place it on the top of the drawing table using a
drafting tape.
2. Draw a vertical line in the middle of the paper.
3. Divide the other two halves. These will be the starting point of making the
three (3) designs.
4. Draw the design as required.
5. Use construction lines for constructing and finalize them with dark solid
lines.

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