Sketch/Drawing holder

Just wondering what people use to hold their drawing or sketches so they can be viewed easily when maching?

Either bought or home made

Don't have a photo handy, but what is essentially an anglepoise lamp arm, but with the light replaced by a clipboard with a sliding ruler.
I presume they were originally designed for typists.

One of these, but not at that price, look for office clearances

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 16/11/2017 11:18:14

Sound interesting

Now sure if sketch/drawing is a suitable description but could not think of a better word

Magnetic 'notice board' and button magnets

Plastic A4 'pockets'

[the ones from Partners Ryman are good quality, and a generous size]

MichaelG.

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Corrected: https://www.ryman.co.uk/ryman-punched-pockets-a4-50-micron-box-of-200

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 16/11/2017 11:40:15

I don't bother with a special holder, it's just something else to get in the way. Most of what I make is either designed, or at least redrawn, by me so I have the drawings in electronic form. I print a copy and it sits somewhere convenient during machining, and then gets shredded. If I'm drilling multiple holes then the drawing will sit along side the work on the milling machine table.

If I don't have an electronic copy then the drawing stays in the house and I keep the dimensions in my head.

Andrew

I have a couple of super-strength magnets from an old hard drive. I have one on the mill above the spindle and the other on the lathe splashback. Simply use the magnet to hold the drawing in a convenient place. Probably not suitable if your drawing is bigger than A4!

John

Also plastic A4 envelopes and a cup hooks plus a bulldog clip

Mick

For A4 drawings I just use plastic pockets with a separate ring binder for each active project that also contains any material lists or amendments. I use the same pockets for larger drawings, making up a parts list and index first so I don't have to take them all out to find the sheet I want. In use they get spread out on any flat (or flattish) surface - to be honest, often an open drawer is all I can find.

I am a lot more organised with data than drawings, having printed and laminated back to back A4 copies of all the conversion tables, speed tables, thread specifications etc. that I use and punched three holes in the narrow end for two keyrings and a hanging hole. It makes a sort of endless board book so that I can just flip through to the one I want and it will lay flat on a bench (or drawer) or hang from a hook.

Brian

I do the same as some others already stated, magnet holding the paper sheet to the lathe splashback and a bulldog clip holding the drawing on the front chip guard of the milling machine.

Emgee

Plastic wallet... held up by a bulldog clip, at eye level behind the splash guard.

George.



George.

The simplest and cheapest ideas can often be the best

I use "tab grabbers"...

e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tab-Grabber-Holder-commercial-kitchen/dp/B0039VADHM

They are available cheaper though - check fleabay.

Thanks for that Jex, I have ordered one from ebay

Thanks again chaps, as always Model Engineer Forum came up trumps

That,s what plastic coat hangers were made for. !

I use them all the time.

#2 for the magnets and whiteboard suggested by Michael G. Whiteboard is handy for scribbled notes about things like cuts, co-ordiantes, calculations and other things I need to keep track of during the job.

Simple quick'n dirty stuff just gets ruff (very ruff) sketched and dimensioned on the whiteboard.

One whiteboard by side of the mill and one at the tailstock end of the lathe. After completion own design jobs stay in the wallets for filing in an A4 lever arch file after annotating for errors / changes which are subsequently copied back to the original CAD files.

Previously I hung drawings on the splash back like George. I found they needed an alloy sheet weight / stiffener in the wallet behind the drawings to keep them flat and stop them flapping. Bit far away for easy reading too when I moved up to larger machines.

I use a lot of those wallets. Just printed out my own personal copy of the Range Rover P38 RAVE electronic manual. No full spectrum printed manuals about and its so nice to have greasy finger proof versions. About a 3 ft shelf full of binders. Working on the parts book now.

Clive.

Edited By Clive Foster on 16/11/2017 20:48:13

I though one mainly needed the electrical section for one of those (along with instructions for renewing the heater O rings)

The wall behind my small lathe is sheeted with metal. I just stick the drawing to the wall with magnets. On my mill I use magnets to hold drawings to the arm of my DRO.

I use the home made clipboard that I used for my inspection charts when I was in the light aviation business, it's a 9" x 14" piece of hardboard with a spring clip riveted on at the at the top to hold the paper, and to hang the board, I'v been using it for over 50yrs, it will last a few more yet. There is one part of the wall in the workshop painted with blackboard paint, but I think I'v only used that once.

Ian S C