Sketch, freehand drawing and views
Imagine you have to explain to a workshop, over the phone and without them seeing it, exactly what a phone stand looks like. A photograph is not enough: some faces cannot be seen and some measurements cannot be worked out by eye. That is what technical drawing is for.
From idea to paper: sketch, freehand drawing and plan
You don't draw the same way at the start of an idea as at the end of the process. There are three levels, each more precise than the last.
Order these three drawings of the same lamp according to how detailed they are, and explain what each one contains: (a) a freehand drawing, without dimensions, made in…
Order these three drawings of the same lamp according to how detailed they are, and explain what each one contains: (a) a freehand drawing, without dimensions, made in one minute to note down the idea; (b) a freehand drawing but with the main dimensions marked; (c) a ruler drawing, to scale and with all the details. State the name of each type (rough sketch, dimensioned sketch or scaled drawing) and what stage each one is useful for.
Choose an object from the classroom (a stapler, a pencil case or a ruler) and describe the dimensioned sketch you would make of it: which three views you would draw…
Choose an object from the classroom (a stapler, a pencil case or a ruler) and describe the dimensioned sketch you would make of it: which three views you would draw freehand, which four or five dimensions you would measure with the ruler, and where you would note them down. Explain the difference between this dimensioned sketch and the initial rough sketch you made when thinking of the object for the first time.
To manufacture a metal bracket in the school workshop, two teams present the following sketch proposals: Team A: They have drawn a very detailed isometric perspective…
To manufacture a metal bracket in the school workshop, two teams present the following sketch proposals:
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Team A: They have drawn a very detailed isometric perspective with artistic shading. They dimensioned the total height and width, but the dimension lines touch the edges of the part directly, one dimension crosses over another, and they have not indicated the thickness of the material or the position of the holes.
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Team B: They have drawn the three orthographic views freehand as provided. They have dimensioned absolutely all visible and hidden edges, repeating the same height measurement in both the front and side views, and have dimensioned the position of a hole with respect to three different edges at the same time (overdimensioning).
- a) Technically analyze both sketches: identify at least two failures regarding UNE standards or technical function for each team, explaining why they hinder manufacturing in the workshop.
- b) Explain the real problem that Team B's overdimensioning would cause if the operator cuts the sheet metal with a small deviation of $1\ \text{mm}$ (conflict of dimensions and tolerances).
- c) Reasonably justify what essential elements make up a correct dimensioning (dimension lines, extension lines, arrowheads, and dimension values) and what basic rule prohibits repeating unnecessary dimensions.
You can do it on paper and submit a photo with your answer.
The three views: front elevation, plan and side elevation
A single image of a part hides some of its faces. That is why the orthographic system draws it three times, looking at it from three different directions.
In orthographic projection, a part is drawn three times: from the front (front view), from above (plan view) and from the side (side view). Explain why a single photo of…
In orthographic projection, a part is drawn three times: from the front (front view), from above (plan view) and from the side (side view). Explain why a single photo of the part is not enough to manufacture it and what each of the three views shows: which dimensions are visible in each one (length, width and height).
The figure shows a part made of three cubes and, beside it, its three views, labelled as view a, view b and view c, without specifying which is which. State which view…
The figure shows a part made of three cubes and, beside it, its three views, labelled as view a, view b and view c, without specifying which is which.
State which view (a, b or c) is the front view, which is the plan view, and which is the side view of the part, justifying your answer by explaining from where the part is viewed in each case.
The figure shows a part made of three cubes with its front view and side view already drawn, but the plan view is covered with a question mark. Look closely at the part:…
The figure shows a part made of three cubes with its front view and side view already drawn, but the plan view is covered with a question mark.
Look closely at the part: draw or describe what its plan view looks like (how many squares it has and how they are positioned) and explain why the front view and side view, which are identical, are not sufficient to know what the part looks like.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
Continuous and dashed lines: what is seen and what is hidden
Not all the lines in a plan mean the same thing. There is a code that must always be followed.
In technical drawings, not all lines are the same: visible edges are drawn with a continuous line and those that are hidden behind the part with a dashed line. A cube…
In technical drawings, not all lines are the same: visible edges are drawn with a continuous line and those that are hidden behind the part with a dashed line. A cube that is hollow inside, like a box without a lid, has hidden edges. State, with reasoning, which edges of this box would be drawn as continuous lines and which as dashed lines in the front view.
The figure shows a block with a square recess that does not go all the way through (a blind slot), together with its front view and plan view. Explain why in the plan…
The figure shows a block with a square recess that does not go all the way through (a blind slot), together with its front view and plan view.
Explain why in the plan view the slot is drawn with a continuous line and in the front view it appears with dashed lines, and what those three dashed lines in the front view represent: which edges of the part they stand for.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
In the technical office of a workshop, a drawing of a piece is received: its front elevation is a rectangle with a continuous line circle in the center, and its plan…
In the technical office of a workshop, a drawing of a piece is received: its front elevation is a rectangle with a continuous line circle in the center, and its plan view is simply a rectangle with continuous outer lines, without any dashed lines or annotations inside.
- a) An operator claims: "This drawing is ambiguous; with this information, I can manufacture at least three completely different three-dimensional pieces and none would contradict the drawing." Justify the operator's claim by describing or sketching those three different pieces (think about whether the hole is through, blind, or if it is a protruding cylinder).
- b) If the piece that is actually needed is a solid block completely traversed from side to side by a cylindrical through-hole, draw or describe with standardized precision how the plan view and side elevation should be represented, specifying which lines must be dashed, what the centerlines (axes of symmetry) indicate, and why they are mandatory.
- c) Predict what economic and technical consequences would occur in the machining of a batch of 500 pieces if the drafter had omitted the dashed lines in the workshop drawing.
You can do this on paper and submit a photo with your answer.
Scale: drawing bigger or smaller than real life
A real part almost never fits on a sheet of paper at its actual size. That is why plans are drawn to scale: a fixed proportion between the drawing and reality.
A drawing at scale $1:1$ draws the part at its actual size. Explain what that means and deduce, measuring with a ruler from the description, what size a $80\ \text{mm}$…
A drawing at scale $1:1$ draws the part at its actual size. Explain what that means and deduce, measuring with a ruler from the description, what size a $80\ \text{mm}$ part drawn at scale $1:1$ would be on paper. What if the drawing took up half the size, what scale would it be?
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
In a drawing at scale $1:2$, each millimetre on paper represents $2\ \text{mm}$ of the real part. You measure a part on the drawing and its drawn length is…
In a drawing at scale $1:2$, each millimetre on paper represents $2\ \text{mm}$ of the real part. You measure a part on the drawing and its drawn length is $45\ \text{mm}$: calculate its actual length. Then, if the real part is $30\ \text{mm}$ high, calculate how tall that height will be on the drawing. Explain what operation you perform in each direction.
A very small screw, $10\ \text{mm}$ long, is drawn at scale $2:1$ to see it better. Explain what that scale means (which is double which) and calculate how long the…
A very small screw, $10\ \text{mm}$ long, is drawn at scale $2:1$ to see it better. Explain what that scale means (which is double which) and calculate how long the screw will be in the drawing. Also state what scale you would use to draw a $5\ \text{mm}$ nut if you want it to occupy $25\ \text{mm}$ on paper.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
You have an A4 sheet of paper (about $297\ \text{mm}$ long) and you need to draw a table $1.500\ \text{mm}$ long. Reason which scale you would choose among $1:1$, $1:2$,…
You have an A4 sheet of paper (about $297\ \text{mm}$ long) and you need to draw a table $1.500\ \text{mm}$ long. Reason which scale you would choose among $1:1$, $1:2$, $1:10$ and $2:1$ so that the table fits comfortably on the sheet, carrying out the calculations for how much space it would take up with each scale. What about drawing a $12\ \text{mm}$ button in detail?
The technical drawing of a bookshelf at a $1:15$ scale shows the following dimensioned measurements on paper: $60\ \text{mm}$ wide, $120\ \text{mm}$ high, and…
The technical drawing of a bookshelf at a $1:15$ scale shows the following dimensioned measurements on paper: $60\ \text{mm}$ wide, $120\ \text{mm}$ high, and $24\ \text{mm}$ deep. You want to install it in a recess between a pillar and a door where you have a clear width of $95\ \text{cm}$, a clear height of $1,90\ \text{m}$, and a maximum walkway depth of $40\ \text{cm}$. However, at the base of the wall there is a continuous skirting board (baseboard) that is $2,5\ \text{cm}$ thick and $10\ \text{cm}$ high, and the bookshelf rests directly on the floor without legs or a rear cutout.
- a) Calculate the real dimensions of the bookshelf in centimeters by correctly interpreting the $1:15$ scale.
- b) Analyze with numerical data whether the bookshelf fits and whether it can sit completely flush against the vertical wall, or what spatial problem the skirting board will cause regarding the total depth the furniture will occupy in the walkway area.
- c) To transport the assembled bookshelf to that room, you must go through a door with a clear width of $80\ \text{cm}$. Mathematically justify in which position (standing upright, on its side, or lying flat) it must pass through the door so that it goes through without rubbing.
On the floor plan of a home at a $1:50$ scale, you measure with a ruler that a rectangular room measures $64\ \text{mm}$ wide by $80\ \text{mm}$ long on the paper. The…
On the floor plan of a home at a $1:50$ scale, you measure with a ruler that a rectangular room measures $64\ \text{mm}$ wide by $80\ \text{mm}$ long on the paper. The drawing shows a $16\ \text{mm}$ wide door located in a corner that opens inward at $90^\circ$, and on the opposite wall a centered French window $30\ \text{mm}$ wide that also opens inward.
- a) Interpret the scale to calculate the real dimensions of the room (in meters) and its total usable floor area.
- b) You want to place a $2,00\times 1,50\ \text{m}$ bed and a wardrobe $1,20\ \text{m}$ wide by $0,60\ \text{m}$ deep. According to functionality standards, no furniture can encroach on the opening swing of the door or the French window, and there must be a clear passage corridor of at least $70\ \text{cm}$ around the accessible sides of the bed. Justify with calculations and a dimensioned diagram on which wall or position you would place each piece of furniture to meet the requirements, or prove if the space is insufficient.
- c) If you are asked to redraw only that room at a $1:20$ scale on a DIN A4 sheet ($210\times 297\ \text{mm}$), justify mathematically whether it will fit on the paper leaving a perimeter margin of $15\ \text{mm}$.
Back to the start: Instead of trying to describe it over the phone or with an incomplete photo, you send the workshop a standard plan with its three views (front elevation, plan and side elevation) and its real dimensions: with that universal language they will know how to make it exactly and without any doubts.