# My Metalshop/drafting projects - "Make Your Own Tools"



## Buffalo Bob (Nov 2, 2013)

My first high school was Lane Technical School, in Chicago. A large school they had about every shop you could think of. A great preparatory school for college or profession. Mechanical drawing gave me the opportunity to plan and draw objects. Lots of good help but you will rue the day you had to produce a clean, ink drawn print. My heart goes out to the draftsmen and women I knew who made a living drafting until their eyes gave out. Plus the print checkers and engineers relying on their judgement and experience to correctly produce what was drawn. Geez...........

Anyway I have copied projects I worked to make your own tools and gauges. They are easy regarding precision and will allow you to learn new things. 
BB


----------



## Mike Nash (Nov 2, 2013)

I learned CAD so I could stop doing electrical drawings in _pencil_. Never mind pen. 

But your depth micrometer plan has me wondering again why depth micrometers are SO expensive compared to a standard 0-1". Is it the base or the rods?


----------



## Buffalo Bob (Nov 2, 2013)

*Re: My Metalshop/drafting projects - &quot;Make Your Own Tools&quot;*



Mike Nash said:


> I learned CAD so I could stop doing electrical drawings in _pencil_. Never mind pen.
> 
> But your depth micrometer plan has me wondering again why depth micrometers are SO expensive compared to a standard 0-1". Is it the base or the rods?



Mike I too know "Pencil". BLGBWC (Before-Life-Got-Better-With-computers) I manually updated Bills of material, by hand, in pencil and recalculated on an adding machine. Then tried to get the numbers to balance. My automation was an electric eraser. Until the page wore through. Then added footnotes. LOTUS Ver 1a spreadsheet was a miracle. Then it all went downhill with MS. 

Regarding the depth micro, I couldn't say. Just because they can I suppose. What's that old saying about needing more tools to make more tools? Try explaining that to my wife!  Enjoy your day..
BB

- - - Updated - - -


----------



## gjmontll (Nov 2, 2013)

Bob

Thanks for the drawings and the memories they invoked. The hammer looks just like the one I made in my high school shop class about 50 years ago in NJ. Except, I think that we cast the aluminum grip around the steel handle shaft, then turned it down and knurled it. Or maybe that was just on the screwdriver handle; for sure, it had the aluminum grip. 
I remember also making a cold chisel and a ***** punch. Other stuff I don't remember... I had the hammer until a few years ago. I thought I might still have the punch, but a quick trip to my toolbox says no.
That class was the first and last time I used a metal lathe until I started my home machine shop five years ago. 

Greg


----------



## Buffalo Bob (Nov 2, 2013)

*Re: My Metalshop/drafting projects - &quot;Make Your Own Tools&quot;*



gjmontll said:


> Bob
> 
> Thanks for the drawings and the memories they invoked. The hammer looks just like the one I made in my high school shop class about 50 years ago in NJ. Except, I think that we cast the aluminum grip around the steel handle shaft, then turned it down and knurled it. Or maybe that was just on the screwdriver handle; for sure, it had the aluminum grip.
> I remember also making a cold chisel and a ***** punch. Other stuff I don't remember... I had the hammer until a few years ago. I thought I might still have the punch, but a quick trip to my toolbox says no.
> ...



I worked in a machine shop for a while until I went back to school. Loved it. No matter how crude or misdirected my efforts were, the Tool & Die Makers were always so supportive. Always ready to show the right way to do things. At that time my best friend was a lead hammer. Had a few woodworking hobby/business for many years and returned to metalworking. It's a wonderful retirement hobby...

- - - Updated - - -

Does this work?
BB

http://www.MyEasyPics.com/pf.php?fid=8nu3egn0yr3zvog34s5s


----------



## davidh (Nov 2, 2013)

I was a draftsman for  about 15 years, back in the late 50's.  and today at a estate sale, I MISSED a complete set of Leroy lettering set with 6 or more templates / scales, the pen and different size tips in a beautiful wooden case.   it had $20 on the price.  I nearly bopped the fella on the head. . . .   not really but it was a beautiful instrument from the past. . .


----------



## Terrywerm (Nov 3, 2013)

What memories this thread brings back!  I too remember making many drawings in drafting class. I never did any in ink, only in pencil, but I remember them well. I also fondly remember making a screwdriver (still have it), a number of cast aluminum projects, a small steam engine, and even a cannon. The cannon did not fire, at least not when it left the school, but a little bit of work with my dad's drill press and it worked just fine. 

I am glad that you posted the drawings for the hammer, as something like that will be an excellent project with my granddaughter. Thanks for posting!


----------



## Bill C. (Nov 3, 2013)

Mike Nash said:


> I learned CAD so I could stop doing electrical drawings in _pencil_. Never mind pen.
> 
> But your depth micrometer plan has me wondering again why depth micrometers are SO expensive compared to a standard 0-1". Is it the base or the rods?



I always figured the price of the micrometer was due to it's brand name and number manufactured. 

I too made a lot  of pencil drawings in my day.  Could never letter worth anything, used templates.  Pick up CAD on my own, I use CadStd, free venison.  It would have been nice to have had CAD back in my collage days.  It came out after leaving school.  The program then was like CadStd compared to what is used in todays engineering departments.



Thanks everyone for sharing your drawings.


----------



## Buffalo Bob (Nov 3, 2013)

Thanks for the memories. I also marvel how big companies like GE operated before Xerox machines. Carbon copies.. may six copies that are readable. Guess it's true that desperation leads to discovery. Thank goodness....  
BB


----------



## Terrywerm (Nov 3, 2013)

Don't mean to go off topic, but....

I almost forgot... when I was in high school we also made actual blueprints using specially reactive paper and ammonia. I only did it once, so I don't remember the exact process, but the results were cool.

When I first graduated from high school I worked in a machine shop for a year, and all of the prints were actual blueprints, hand drawn and blued. Some of the mills used NC (numerical control) using punched paper tapes to load the programs. If just one of the machine movements was wrong, the whole tape had to be remade. If there was a power outage, or even a power bump, the whole program had to be reloaded from the tape. The digital readouts on the control panels still used vacuum tube number displays. One machine, only a year old, had LED number displays. Digital dial calipers did not exist. Digital micrometers did, but the digital readout was mechanical, much like the old odometers in cars, and they were really expensive.

Enough of the trip down memory lane! Time to get back on the topic at hand!


----------



## Buffalo Bob (Nov 4, 2013)

Just bought a K&E 42" Jacob's Parallel Straightedge for $5. It's just beautiful. Fine grain mahogany and maple with a plastic edge. For drawing parallel lines with a drafting machine. Cool looking.

Regarding accuracy of micrometers, I tried to get the print dimensions as close as I could. Then the company inspector would use his mike like a C-Clamp. Squeeze it till it wouldn't move any more... and say I was under size. So accuracy in hand tools was sometimes subjective. Went to school on that and corrected any dimension error beforehand on the gang mill where the run was 40,000. Then had to deburr each one on a Ladish? machine. That's why I went back to school! But wish I was still there now.  
BB


----------



## Mike Nash (Nov 4, 2013)

Man, I had almost forgotten about the "copier" I got for Christmas one year. I was probably 8 or 9 so that would have been around 1967-1968. It was actually a blueprint "machine". Slip your 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper around the plastic tube containing the UV tube along with the blueprint paper, close the flap over it and expose it. I don't really remember how the ammonia part worked then. But the blueprint was the older style where the lines were white and the background was dark blue.

I used to get some really cool stuff when I was a kid. Anyone remember the Ideal Kookie Kamera? Take a picture and crank the film down into the developer tank. Similar to the Polaroid. I still have that.


----------



## Tony Wells (Nov 4, 2013)

I still have the depth gage I made. Looks identical to your drawing. The hammer went away a long time ago. Made several since, but not with the care of that first one. Great memories. 

The comment about C-clamps brings an amusing (to some of us, anyway) anecdote. We were enduring a customer quality audit, and one wise guy machinist, carefully laid out properly sized C-clamps on a shop towel at his work station. That and sunglasses and he passed as our blind machinist. It was NOT funny to me, as at the time, I was Director of Quality Assurance. After explaining the odd sense of humor to the auditor (major oilfield company), he thought it was hilarious, and we passed the audit with flying colors. I have other audit stories for other times. 

Those are good projects for our beginning machinists, and when they have them in 30-40 years, they will remember this place as where they were inspired to make them. That makes this place worthwhile to me. Thanks for posting the "cartoons". I grew up drafting. Still have some of the instruments, but the table and machine are long gone. All CAD now. I don't miss hand drafting too much, but a little, yes.


----------



## Terrywerm (Nov 4, 2013)

Tony Wells said:


> The comment about C-clamps brings an amusing (to some of us, anyway) anecdote. We were enduring a customer quality audit, and one wise guy machinist, carefully laid out properly sized C-clamps on a shop towel at his work station. That and sunglasses and he passed as our blind machinist. It was NOT funny to me, as at the time, I was Director of Quality Assurance. After explaining the odd sense of humor to the auditor (major oilfield company), he thought it was hilarious, and we passed the audit with flying colors. I have other audit stories for other times.



Amusing??   Ha!!  That was downright funny!!!  Thanks for sharing it!




Tony Wells said:


> Those are good projects for our beginning machinists, and when they have them in 30-40 years, they will remember this place as where they were inspired to make them. That makes this place worthwhile to me. Thanks for posting the "cartoons". I grew up drafting. Still have some of the instruments, but the table and machine are long gone. All CAD now. I don't miss hand drafting too much, but a little, yes.



My sentiments as well!


----------



## ScrapMetal (Nov 5, 2013)

Thanks for the drawings.

-Ron


----------



## GK1918 (Nov 5, 2013)

davidh said:


> I was a draftsman for  about 15 years, back in the late 50's.  and today at a estate sale, I MISSED a complete set of Leroy lettering set with 6 or more templates / scales, the pen and different size tips in a beautiful wooden case.   it had $20 on the price.  I nearly bopped the fella on the head. . . .   not really but it was a beautiful instrument from the past. . .



Holy smokes  more than 50yrs since I had my hands on one of those!!


----------



## Privateer (Nov 21, 2013)

A question regarding the hammer drawings. In them I notice that the spec is for CRS, and that you then harden it. Never having hardened anything metal in my life, I'm curious as to what product you would add to the heated metal. I understand Kasenit(sp?) is no longer available, what would be a suitable alternative?

Terry


----------



## Flammable_Solid (Nov 21, 2013)

Depending on the carbon content if the steel, you may only need to quench it fast enough after you let it dwell at the proper austenitizing temperature.  You would then need to temper it.

Or you could case harden it by a few different methods too.


----------



## TOOLMASTER (Nov 21, 2013)

i loved technical illustration in school.. taught a few classes too...hated cad


----------



## Terrywerm (Nov 21, 2013)

Privateer said:


> A question regarding the hammer drawings. In them I notice that the spec is for CRS, and that you then harden it. Never having hardened anything metal in my life, I'm curious as to what product you would add to the heated metal. I understand Kasenit(sp?) is no longer available, what would be a suitable alternative?
> 
> Terry



I understand that there is a product available called Cherry Red that is similar to the old Kasenit product. Midway USA carries it, and most likely Brownell's does now too.  Not sure about Enco or McMaster Carr, but you could do a search for it. If you find out anything, it might be worthwhile to start a separate thread on it, probably in the Shop Made Tooling forum.


----------



## Tony Wells (Nov 21, 2013)

I've used Hard-N-Tough with good success, and I think it is still available:

http://www.cameronwelding.com/WS/_item_detail.html?item_num=100201++++++++++++++


----------



## Privateer (Nov 22, 2013)

Thank you, everyone. I'll look into those products.


Terry


----------



## The Liberal Arts Garage (Jan 1, 2014)

TOOLMASTER said:


> i loved technical illustration in school.. taught a few classes too...hated cad[/QUOTE
> Learned to sharpen pencils with a pocket knife. Passed drafting. Off to work!  BLJHB


----------



## Guv (Feb 7, 2015)

Looking at those drawing made me think of my school days at Pretoria Technical High school more than fifty years ago. I loved the technical drawing classes and couldn't wait for that period. I think we had three periods of technical drawings a week.
Willy


----------



## Round in circles (Jun 16, 2015)

Buffalo Bob said:


> Thanks for the memories. I also marvel how big companies like GE operated before Xerox machines. Carbon copies.. may six copies that are readable. Guess it's true that desperation leads to discovery. Thank goodness....
> BB


 

Carbon copies only six readable  , when you needed a hundred or so copies that's when you used the big Gestetner duplicator that used waxed skins and  inks . I would have hated to be a technical draughtsman with pens & pencils in a big company's drawing office  . All sat on high stools at a massive counter balanced sloped drawing easel like little sand boys row after row, slowly destroying their eyesight , spines & lungs because everyone smoked at their desks in those evil days .

I used to do the technical drawing for valve radios and other such equipment as part of my electro mechanical apprenticeship & hobby back in 1966. I have no doubt that my drawings were used for all radios for there is no doubt that most of the drawings ended up  a wireless even though I'd checked them several times .
.


----------



## Bill C. (Jun 16, 2015)

Round in circles said:


> Carbon copies only six readable  , when you needed a hundred or so copies that's when you used the big Gestetner duplicator that used waxed skins and  inks . I would have hated to be a technical draughtsman with pens & pencils in a big company's drawing office  . All sat on high stools at a massive counter balanced sloped drawing easel like little sand boys row after row, slowly destroying their eyesight , spines & lungs because everyone smoked at their desks in those evil days .
> 
> I used to do the technical drawing for valve radios and other such equipment as part of my electro mechanical apprenticeship & hobby back in 1966. I have no doubt that my drawings were used for all radios for there is no doubt that most of the drawings ended up  a wireless even though I'd checked them several times .
> .




I have a cousin who had to give up drafting due to his eyesight. I think eye strain was causing bad headaches.


----------



## wnec65 (Jun 17, 2015)

Wish now I had saved all my drawings from high school.  I'd frame them and hang them in my shop.


----------



## RJSakowski (Jun 17, 2015)

terrywerm said:


> I understand that there is a product available called Cherry Red that is similar to the old Kasenit product. Midway USA carries it, and most likely Brownell's does now too.  Not sure about Enco or McMaster Carr, but you could do a search for it. If you find out anything, it might be worthwhile to start a separate thread on it, probably in the Shop Made Tooling forum.


Cherry Red is still available from Enco. It is a little hard to find; their online search engine is looking for surface hardening.  It is on page 853 of their catalog.  McMaster Carr also carries a surface hardening compound; search for case hardening.  Sodium cyanide was commonly used in the past for case hardening. Presumably abandoned for health and safety reasons.
My first professional job was as an analytical chemist for a major battery manufacturer.  One day the machine shop foreman brought in a covered stainless steel box with about 10 lbs. of sodium cyanide which they had used for case hardening parts.  He was a bit concerned about safety issues.  I did a bit of research on it and concluded that household bleach would convert the cyanide to harmless (relatively) CO2 and N2 gas.  The reaction was rather violent so the bleach was added a drop at a time in a fume hood until the reaction completed. It took about three gallons of bleach to do the job.  I still have that stainless steel box.


----------



## RJSakowski (Jun 17, 2015)

I had four years of drafting in high school.  I remember the lettering lessons learning how to make perfect upper case and diminutive lower case lettering, 15 degree slant, as I recall.  Also the old fashion pens with various sized nibs for different line widths.  And scraping the India ink mistakes off with a razor blade.  How about laying out a screw thread helix by transferring points on a circle to a side view and connecting the dots with a French curve?


----------



## Joe P. (Jan 27, 2017)

Thanks for sharing the shop projects, I wish I had better memories of my high school days. I went to a public high school in New York City in the late 70's,  a time which was the city's finances were really bad. I remember the first day of my machine shop class seeing the lathes, milling machine and other machinery saying to myself that this is going to be great. The teacher told us straight out that there was no money in the budget for any supplies and he is retiring at the end of the year, all we needed to do to pass was show up. Everyone did homework or whatever they wanted while the teacher drank coffee and read the newspaper. I was so disappointed that I lost all interest in school and barely graduated. Ironically I also work for the City of New York and after 30+ years, I see the frustration that my shop teacher must of went through with all of the politics and bureaucracy. Sorry for the rant. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Superburban (Jan 27, 2017)

I went to school in Pa, in the late 70's also. We had to pay for the metal we used, otherwise the class was not bad. I never worked in the field, but always enjoyed working with metal tools. I still have a hammer that I made. I started another that was going to be a ball peen, but couldn't get back on the lathe, so I only got the handle done. Someday I will run across it again (still have lots of stuff packed from several moves) and finish it.


----------



## ddickey (Jan 30, 2017)

Buffalo Bob said:


> *Re: My Metalshop/drafting projects - &quot;Make Your Own Tools&quot;*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What's the purpose of the 3/16 hole?


----------



## timmyisme22 (Feb 23, 2017)

ddickey said:


> What's the purpose of the 3/16 hole?


Looks like an alignment bar goes through there. Upper right of the diagram has that bar called for as well.


----------



## fixit (Feb 23, 2017)

I go back to the days of Tee Squares & Triangles with Pens & Ink on Blue Linen cloth. Days of beautiful detailed drawings showing threads & freehand wood grain. Followed by pencil & lead on White linen cloth.  Then there was Parallel Blade machines with strings & pulleys, Elbow machines, & then the big X & Y machines. God that was a Lifetime ago.

fixit


----------



## ch2co (Feb 23, 2017)

You mentioned drafting arms, does anyone else have a left hand drafting arm? I do. I still get it out every now an then. (just to show it off)
Got it from a friend who knew that I was left handed and he got it when his company got rid of such things when the digital age arrived.


----------



## Zamfir (Jun 24, 2017)

Wow!  That brings back some memories!  I made that hammer!


----------



## frankly2 (Nov 29, 2019)

Wish I knew how to upload my DWG files to the site. Have many to share !


----------



## Hoss (Nov 29, 2019)

frankly2 said:


> Wish I knew how to upload my DWG files to the site. Have many to share !


I have some DWG files that I am currently unable to read, I wish I could convert them to pdf. I downloaded a free autocad type program that was supposed to be able to convert them to pdf, but to view them but I could not see measurements, only outlines. Not helpful.  Any suggestions, or help?  Thanks. Hoss


----------



## projectnut (Nov 30, 2019)

davidh said:


> I was a draftsman for  about 15 years, back in the late 50's.  and today at a estate sale, I MISSED a complete set of Leroy lettering set with 6 or more templates / scales, the pen and different size tips in a beautiful wooden case.   it had $20 on the price.  I nearly bopped the fella on the head. . . .   not really but it was a beautiful instrument from the past. . .



I've always enjoyed using a drafting board and machine over CAD.  Back in the mid 1980's our company switched from the boards to Autotrol and eventually to AutoCad.  At the time we were giving boards, machines, lights, desks and drawing sets to the local technical college.  After a few years they also started moving toward CAD.

The net result was we had store rooms full of manual drafting equipment we couldn't give away.  I was one of the last who had to give up the board.  Although it hadn't been used in a couple years it still made a good place to store things.  When the facilities people came to haul it away I asked our department head if I could purchase it for home use.  The answer was a resounding YES, PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY.

I had to pay a token $50.00 for the board, machine, light, return desk, and a lifetime supply of mechanical pencils, drafting tools, templates, paper pencil leads, and other assorted drafting equipment.  Some 30+ years later I still use the board, although the supply of drawing paper has long been depleted.
Here's a picture of the board and machine.  For a little perspective the board is 72" long.


----------



## mickri (Nov 30, 2019)

I loved my old drafting board.  I could draw anything that I wanted to quickly.  I have never been able to master any of the cad programs.  They seem so foreign to me.  I now use Sketchup.  I found it to be a lot like drawing with pen and paper.  And I end up with a 3d drawing.  My current project is modeling the frame for a locost 7 roadster.  Don't know if this project will ever get off the drawing board.  I am working on the front suspension mounting points right now.  This is a work in progress.


----------



## RWoerz (Nov 22, 2020)

Oh the memories. I started a hammer while a tool and die apprentice and never finished it as Uncle Sam had other ideas. I just last week bought a Boyar Schultz SixTwelve surface grinder so I can finish it and a few other tools I was supposed to make. Hope I'm able to get it finished this time. Now all I need to do is find prints to the other tools. It was 1968. Thanks.


----------



## tq60 (Nov 23, 2020)

ch2co said:


> You mentioned drafting arms, does anyone else have a left hand drafting arm? I do. I still get it out every now an then. (just to show it off)
> Got it from a friend who knew that I was left handed and he got it when his company got rid of such things when the digital age arrived.


We haveaeft hand vtrack big unit on large table, gotat estate sale.

Picked up right hand version at antique store on clearance... $5.00

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


----------



## Dabbler (Feb 15, 2021)

just over a year ago I found a fully adjustable single arm drafting table - the kind that went from vert to horiz, from 24" from the ground to almost 48". It adjusts with a single locking lever It had a really nice faber castel drafting machine...  It was in a thrift store;  I think I paid 40 bucks for it...

Now all I have to d is find some brand new plastic scales for it with that steel dovetail on it....


----------



## frankly2 (Feb 16, 2021)

Dabbler said:


> just over a year ago I found a fully adjustable single arm drafting table - the kind that went from vert to horiz, from 24" from the ground to almost 48". It adjusts with a single locking lever It had a really nice faber castel drafting machine...  It was in a thrift store;  I think I paid 40 bucks for it...
> 
> Now all I have to d is find some brand new plastic scales for it with that steel dovetail on it....


I may have what u need, what do the dovetails look like? Better yet I’ll send or post pic’s, how’s that,


----------



## Janderso (Feb 16, 2021)

Golly, metal shop started in 7th grade and followed me through my senior year. Loved every minute of it.
We made the hammer, did some sheet metal work and soldering, foundry work in Intermediate school.
In High School I met my 13" South Bend, Bridgeport, arc welding, Oxy-Acy. welding too.
I made a work bench, a bench press, clutch-brake fulcrum assembly for a 1970 F100. A shift shift lever, a metal shear.
I don't remember using the Bridgeport much???
Many of the things I made I just can't seem to recall. It's been almost 50 years.
I was a TA in two classes in my senior year, they just started allowing girls in the classes.


Superburban said:


> I went to school in Pa, in the late 70's also. We had to pay for the metal we used, otherwise the class was not bad. I never worked in the field, but always enjoyed working with metal tools. I still have a hammer that I made. I started another that was going to be a ball peen, but couldn't get back on the lathe, so I only got the handle done. Someday I will run across it again (still have lots of stuff packed from several moves) and finish it.
> 
> View attachment 225004


We had to pay for materials also. The facilities and equipment were outstanding. This was Walnut Creek and Concord CA.
I don't imagine they have any more shops of any kind now. You know. vocations are obsolete and all.  =Bless them for they not know what they do


----------



## Janderso (Feb 16, 2021)

Buffalo Bob said:


> My first high school was Lane Technical School, in Chicago. A large school they had about every shop you could think of. A great preparatory school for college or profession. Mechanical drawing gave me the opportunity to plan and draw objects. Lots of good help but you will rue the day you had to produce a clean, ink drawn print. My heart goes out to the draftsmen and women I knew who made a living drafting until their eyes gave out. Plus the print checkers and engineers relying on their judgement and experience to correctly produce what was drawn. Geez...........
> 
> Anyway I have copied projects I worked to make your own tools and gauges. They are easy regarding precision and will allow you to learn new things.
> BB
> ...


Thank you B. Bob. I downloaded them. My grand son will need to learn how to read the print. My grand daughter too for that matter, if her mother will let her in my shop. My son will


----------



## projectnut (Feb 16, 2021)

Janderso said:


> Golly, metal shop started in 7th grade and followed me through my senior year. Loved every minute of it.
> We made the hammer, did some sheet metal work and soldering, foundry work in Intermediate school.
> In High School I met my 13" South Bend, Bridgeport, arc welding, Oxy-Acy. welding too.
> I made a work bench, a bench press, clutch-brake fulcrum assembly for a 1970 F100. A shift shift lever, a metal shear.
> ...


That's not uncommon even at the technical school level.  Several years ago I took some classes at our local technical college so I could assess their surface grinders.  The "tuition" was about $70.00 for a semester, but if you took a class in the "machine tool curriculum" they added another $300.00 for "tooling and supplies".


----------



## Janderso (Feb 16, 2021)

projectnut said:


> if you took a class in the "machine tool curriculum"


I haven't looked but I wouldn't be surprised if machining courses were even available in our area.
We do have Chico State University and a community college that specializes in welding, nursing and Ag classes.
They probably do have some equipment out at the community college come to think of it.
Maybe when I retire I'll look into taking some classes.


----------



## Janderso (Feb 16, 2021)

I just realized this thread started in 2013.


----------



## Dabbler (Feb 16, 2021)

frankly2 said:


> I may have what u need, what do the dovetails look like? Better yet I’ll send or post pic’s, how’s that,



@frankly2 I can post a photo or 2 as well (as soon as our deep freeze warms up a bit).


----------



## frankly2 (Feb 17, 2021)

Dabbler said:


> @frankly2 I can post a photo or 2 as well (as soon as our deep freeze warms up a bit).


Must have thrown them out during last cleaning, sorry for leaping too soon. My shop is small (15’ X 9’) and as I am such a pack-rat, clear areas are a premium and that forces me to regularly clear out things that only get used occasionally. 
I have been using AutoCad for many years so have not needed drafting equipment for a long time. I suppose thats why I threw them out ! Sorry for speaking too soon !


----------



## Dabbler (Feb 17, 2021)

frankly2 said:


> Sorry for speaking too soon !



no biggie!


----------



## MSnicks (Oct 12, 2021)

Hi everyone! I just started machining classes at Laney College located in Oakland, CA. I absolutely love it as I'm coming from an artist's background growing up with a deep appreciation for Japanese craftsmanship. I realized very quickly that technical drawings are a form of art and I'm attempting to teach myself with a Mutoh drafting machine and "Technical Drawing, Eighth edition" by Giesecke, Mitchell, Spencer, Hill, and Dygdon, 1986, Macmillan Publishing Company. I think I've got all the drafting instruments—some solid K&E and Dietzgen sets. I need help with answers for problems found in the textbook. I don't think answers were ever published for these textbooks?? I have the workbooks as well. I was wondering if it would be okay to ask here for some help as I work through the book?
Also, I hope this is the appropriate thread to be posting in.


----------



## Gaffer (Oct 12, 2021)

Welcome to the forums! Unfortunately, I can't help you but I'm sure there are plenty of folks who will can.


----------



## MSnicks (Oct 12, 2021)

Gaffer said:


> Welcome to the forums! Unfortunately, I can't help you but I'm sure there are plenty of folks who will can.


Thank you for the swifty and warm welcome!

Maybe it would help if I posted my first question. 

The first one is in the picture fig. 4.68. It is in METRIC. In what sequence of setting off measurements do I locate the center of R34?

Here is my sequence:

draw center line
set off two lines 16mm from each side of centerline
with compass use the 16mm as a radius. close end of handle
from end of handle to center point of R22 and R50. strike both arcs
at 15 degrees from centerline and with centerpoint being R22 and R50 pulled 2 parallel lines 43mm from center. These are the outermost (apex) points of the 15 degree tilted ellipse. I also draw parallel lines 19mm from center.
Here is where I'm unsure how the center point for the arc with R34 is located. And how does the curvature from R50 and R34 resolve? Do I use an irregular curve to connect these two radii?
Thanks for any help!


----------



## Nogoingback (Oct 14, 2021)

MSnicks said:


> Thank you for the swifty and warm welcome!
> 
> Maybe it would help if I posted my first question.
> 
> ...


First off, welcome to the group!
I don't know anything about drafting, but looking at the drawing, it appears to me that the 
R34 and R50 radii "change over" at the point that R25 intersects them.  It doesn't seem 
that you need to resolve it in the sense of a gradual change.  I would draw R50, then R25
and then R34.  As for R34, it looks as though the lower line that defines the 86mm width of the
spanner could be used as a tangent line.  Draw a 34mm line 90 degrees to it, find the center point,
and draw the arc.  Actually, it looks like you would have to do that twice for the upper and lower radii.

How's that for a completely uniformed opinion?

My son just started class for a one year Solidworks certification program.  One of his classes started
the students out with manual drafting.  He has some art background as well, but he told me he likes
the drafting because it satisfies his OCD.     (which he actually doesn't have...)


----------



## Suzuki4evr (Oct 14, 2021)

Thanks for the FREE drawings @Buffalo Bob. I will deffanatly make the clamp and depth gauge sometime in the future.

-Michael-


----------



## tq60 (Oct 14, 2021)

If you know the dimension for R34 then locate the tangent or transition points at each end.

Use these points as center and swing arcs towards the to be determined center point.

Where they cross is center.

For the body of wrench wrong order.

Center line first "construction type"

Strike a construction line vertical at end of body.

Set compas to 16 radius and arc to vertical line at each end.

Now draw horizontal.

The trick is not using a ruler over and over.

Your compas has many uses, locating things and creating parallel lies.

Look for high school drafting books from pre 1980.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk


----------



## MSnicks (Oct 16, 2021)

I think I got it! Thanks, @Nogoingback and @tq60. As suggested I  set the compass at 16mm and marked out the horizontal lines from there instead of using the ruler again. I found the tangent points to all the different radii and struck my arcs. Keeping the line weight consistent between compass-drawn lines and visible lines is a difficult match. The break away (cutout) line is weird and needs fewer craggy parts. Tried for the fourth time in making the least amount of construction lines. Not perfect but not bad?
Letters are all over the place.
(The scales are changed over to imperial for the next drawing.)


----------



## Nogoingback (Oct 17, 2021)

Nice work!


----------

