Jump to content

A bit of pre-AutoCAD drafting history


brassworks

Recommended Posts

Guest Alan Cullen

oh shit......when I was in college, and returned to New Guinea on term holidays...and had to go into Dad's office.....back in 1967 (aged 17) say......I was on $68 (or there abouts) a week..........so I'm now a real dick?

 

Sorry, Dave.......:(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 131
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • ReMark

    25

  • brassworks

    8

  • dbroada

    7

  • PotGuy

    7

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Last night I dusted off one of my trusty slide rules (have 2). Yep, it still works; but I had to go read the manual (gasp!!) to remember how to do certain esoteric functions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh man dyeline machines were the baine of my early drafting life, being the office jnr i got the job printing the copies for production, 10 copies of each drawing, all a1 and a2, i stank of ammonia for months untill we got a new jnr heheh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and aren't ammonia filled paper cuts lovely. :(

 

we had a print room that did that but as the junior I was the one most expected to help during busy or holiday periods.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
we had a print room that did that but as the junior I was the one most expected to help during busy or holiday periods.

 

Our Junior in one office was given a dozen or so floor plans, drawn in ink on linen and told 'print 2 copies of each, then fold them all up and leave them on the front desk'.

 

Do you know how difficult it is getting creases out of linen drawings..?

 

And the de-greaser that we used was called 'Pounce'. It's only $3.85 these days apparently. I worked at home for a couple of years doing workshop drawings and I ran out of the stuff. I couldn't find any locally so I ended up using talcum powder. My drawings smelt like a babies bum.

 

See this page for some nostalgia:

 

http://www.completeline.com/catalog.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

At home I still have a drafting table. It must have been made in the 1950s: wooden legs, green linoleum (or something) on top, and one of those horizontal bars that slides up and down on wires (always thought that was some kind of magic).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay.....he's some piccies of old drafting aids ......:lol:

 

Fench curves, circle templates......

[ATTACH]1850[/ATTACH]

 

Lettering stencils, Leroy lettering stencils.....

[ATTACH]1851[/ATTACH]

 

Drawing pens, scalpel (for scapping out to amend), drawing set......

[ATTACH]1852[/ATTACH]

 

Railway curves......

[ATTACH]1853[/ATTACH]

 

Parrallel ruler, set squares, erasing shield, protractor......

[ATTACH]1854[/ATTACH]

 

:shock: I wonder why i can't see any attachments until i quote the post ???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
Last night I dusted off one of my trusty slide rules (have 2). Yep, it still works; but I had to go read the manual (gasp!!) to remember how to do certain esoteric functions.

 

 

How about the circular slide rules ! They made life easy and you could always go in the same direction. After a while we could get a "feel" what the numbers meant and what was a reasonable value. I must dig out my circular one from days gone by.

 

Mike:wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never seen or heard of a circular slide rule. Anybody got a picture of one to post?

 

Mine is the Concise Alpha 4300 but I don't see it on this link. These are similar. I wore out the first one and have a second. It is always interesting to see people's reaction when they see it. They were really easy to use but you needed good eyesight:roll:

 

http://www.concise.co.jp/eng0731/circle01.html

 

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Great thread!

 

I started on linen with ink in 1965. Ruling Pens and Crow Quill Lettering Pens ruled the day.

 

We did not start with mylar and plastic led until we worked on the DFW International Airport in the early 1970's.

 

Now as a historical preservation architect, I get to input the old plans into CAD.

 

It is amazing how tight they dimensioned layouts. I have found dimension strings in the 64ths of an inch in some sets.

 

Anyone remember the Add Feet? Of course you folks on metric may call it something else. I need to dig mine out and post a photo of it.

 

I still have a few tungsten tip ruling pens and a bunch of chisel cut crow quill tips as well. Lord only knows how many Rapidiographs I have.

 

I have been full time on CAD since the mid 80's, but once you learn to draft, you never really lose the touch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

last year we finaly decided to retire our blueline machine lol. Big ole honking burnt umber machine. I hated when the person that ran the prints was out of the office, I had to run them. Talk about a hangover from the ammonia fumes. and yea, the papercuts from the chemically treated paper.

 

We decided to retire it after we could not find any parts for it anymore, we did have three machines in storage we used for parts.

 

two of our guys still do hand drafting, we have some very very old equipment that they rely on. including an architectural book we have for humor around the office that was printed in 1898

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyone here ever use "pin bar" registration? Pre-punched sheets of mylar were attached to a thin, flat, stainless steel bar with raised "nubs" every 6 inches. It was the forerunner of "layers" in a manner of speaking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, I remember pin bar registration. I think I have a couple pin bars in the archives of my junk at home. The analogy to CAD layers is exactly correct, but CAD layers aren't subject to slipping out of alignment. Computer drafting has tons of advantages over hand drafting, but I do miss the heightened sense of art and planning that hand drafting always challenged me with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

....

 

two of our guys still do hand drafting, we have some very very old equipment that they rely on. including an architectural book we have for humor around the office that was printed in 1898

oo - do we get to see some scanned pages?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

oo - do we get to see some scanned pages?

 

I would have to see if I can grab a few of their sheets when they are not looking lol.

 

We have a few of our old blueline sets sitting around the office for memory sake. I actually do miss the light aroma of the ammonia from day to day.

 

I will see what I can grab tomorrow after I get this house out to permit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
two of our guys still do hand drafting, we have some very very old equipment that they rely on. including an architectural book we have for humor around the office that was printed in 1898

 

Title?

 

I have many old construction books, the oldest being from the 1860's. They are invaluable in restoring old buildings, which is what I do most of the time.

 

The oldest I have worked on is a 1895 adobe structure. Very interesting to try and get inside the heads of the people that built that one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just don't beleive that someone still using their hand to draw Architectural drawing. There is so many options to make them digital format and use them for ever.

Is it not?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just don't beleive that someone still using their hand to draw Architectural drawing. There is so many options to make them digital format and use them for ever.

Is it not?

 

I have a college friend who still hand draws, and his work is immaculate in drafting and concept. He has dabbled - very lightly - in CAD and I have offered to tutor him in the basics but - it is not for him - he does not need it.

 

Actually he should have been an artist: painter or sculptor or even photographer. But, you are correct , I think he is a dying species in construction...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...