Simplified draughtsmanship for engineering students

by E. Skelton

Engineering drawing is the language of the engineer. Unlike the artist's drawing it is not an end in itself, it is only a stage in the manufacture of a component, its installation in a machine or plant for the purpose of producing a product for the consumer. It is not very many years since elaborate penmanship was the hallmark of the professional draughtsman, and the artistic appearance of a drawing was regarded as being equal in importance to its practical value. Drawings were then made on cartridge paper and as well as being given the fullest delineation of linework they were also coloured. Cast iron was coloured grey, steel was distinguished by a blue tint whilst brass parts were shown in chrome yellow. Sections of parts were denoted by flat washes of colour in place of the now conventional section or cross-hatching lines, and a narrow edge of the appropriate colour was applied inside the boundary line to each component in the assembly drawing. Although the conception of engineering