Workshop Drawing Book

I use QCAD as my 2D CAD program for creating drawings of parts I make in my workshop. I purchased the PDF book that accompanies it and have "Workshop Drawing" in in the Workshop Practice series.

Can anyone recommend any books to help me improve my skill levels in terms of either drawing exercises to carry out or guidance on currently accepted methods of displaying features such as screw threads? The Workshop Drawing book was published in 1988 I'm guessing things may have moved on a bit since then!

TIA

Graham

The method shown on page 58 j, k & i are still acceptable ways to show threads and is what my 3D CAD produces when 2D drawings are generated from the 3D models

It will also do "cosmetic threads" but they can clutter a drawing particularly if small and fine as they just print a black solids

Manual of Engineering Drawing is my go-to. 5th Edition is the most recent but an earlier version would be just fine as a reference for non-commercial applications.

If you want to see some really interesting, very highly detailed drawings of old steam engines, turbines, steam pumps, boilers, valves, injectors etc etc, pick up a used copy of MacGibbon's Pictorial Drawing Book for Marine Engineers.

It's dated of course, but a treasure trove of drawings related to model engineering prototypes. Still available online cheap. They were still using this book for the UK Department of Trade exams in the 1970s -- full of reciprocating steam engine stuff! But the principals of drawing are still the same. If nothing else, it is a pile of really interesting drawings to copy and maybe update in the modern style as you go.

(And note that the DOT exams insisted that thin locknuts go on top of thick nuts. Always. Or you got an F! .)

Edited By Hopper on 29/08/2022 10:36:13

I think that point was covered on another "thread"!

Thanks for the suggestion, I've just bought a used copy of the 3rd edition for £6.04 off Amazon.

The 5th was a bit pricey at £46.28

regards

Graham

Or three!

Another useful book that might be worth tracking down is 'A Manual of Machine Drawing and Design' by Low & Bevis. Perhaps not as good as MacGibbon's as it appears to be smaller in format, but it does contain fully dimensioned drawings of the components for a triple expansion engine HP 8", MP 13" & LP 21", with Bremme valve gear. The edition I have is 1906 but I doubt if it changed over the years. In the Model Engineer No. 3660 3rd. July 1981 there is a cutaway perspective drawing of the engine. It was done as a drawing exercise, in, I assume, the old fashioned way. it would make an interesting 3D CAD modelling exercise, but one that would definitely cause my brain to overheat!

You were lucky Graham! I ordered it, but had to cancel to undo Prime, added by vile Amazon without permission. Took me several minutes to fix and when I reordered, the book was gone. Bet it was you!

Your question gave me pause for thought. I have a random collection of old technical drawing books, long out of print and the most modern is about geometry rather than drawing standards. They're good as far as they go but the oldest tells me what colours should be used to indicate materials and dimensions in fractions, which the second oldest says are forbidden in most drawing offices. 20 years difference. They all insist on First Angle Projection, except the last which advises government work must be Third Angle. Most of the technical drawings I do in QCAD are simple enough not to matter or are just for me, but it's wise to follow the rules for anything complicated nd especially if the plan is for publication.

Self-teaching from a collection of old books is a good way of developing bad-habits. Consistency is important, and drawings that mix different styles, projections, and abbreviations are a pain. Which is why I decided to buy a modern book!

Although I still often use QCAD, it's less important now I'm into 3D-CAD because that reduces the need for 2D draughtsmanship. Objects are designed realistically in three-dimensions and, if required, the software creates 2D drawings from the model to one of the current standards supported by the package, usually a choice of ANSI, BSI/ISO, JIS, and ESKD. Still a fair amount of work to do on a 2D plan created from a 3D model, but the computer does all the basics in a blink and doesn't make silly mistakes.

High-end tools aren't worth the extra bother for trivial plans but they pay-off big time as complexity increases. I reckon about half of my workshop tasks are done with simple 'back of an envelope' drawings and less than 10% benefit strongly from 3D-CAD (in my case 3D-printing). That leaves 40% where drawings of middling complexity are done in either QCAD or 3D-CAD. Which is best for a particular job "depends".

Dave

At the moment most of my drawings could be done on the back of an envelope (and have been!) as they are exclusively for my own use for machining purposes. However, there have been a few times when returning to them some time later I wasn't entirely sure of my intentions at the time! I decided it would be a good idea to record them properly from now on. Plus I'm enjoying making the drawings for their own sake.

regards

Graham