It has heretofore generally been the custom for each company starting or operating a drafting room, to compile its own set of Standard Practice Sheets at much expense of time and with divers results.This book is an attempt to describe methods and illustrate forms which would be generally applicable in engineering offices and drafting rooms and combine with this the conventional symbols or standards for the different branches of drafting, such as Architectural, Electrical, Mechanical, Patent Office, Structural, and Topographical. Provision is also made in the index and at the end of each part for the inclusion of special information, data, instructions, etc., pertaining only to the business of each user, and the addition of which information should be a convenience and a step toward completeness.

Parts I and III are intended for those directing a drafting room, as well as draftsmen. The directions for draftsmen and particularly tracers are necessary if uniformity of work is to be attained; otherwise each man will do his work in his own way and the results will be anything but uniform. Part II will be of most value to draftsmen. Here it has been endeavored to give as complete a list of standard symbols as is now available and which either have no traceable parentage or have come into general use through the actions of Government Departments, Committees of the various Engineering and Manufacturers' Societies, and recommendations of the Engineering Publications. To all of these, grateful acknowledgment is made for the matter used, as noted on the respective standards. Part IV is intended to give some of the tables most often referred to by the draftsman without entering the field of the engineering handbook.

The book was first compiled for the engineering division of a rapidly growing organization engaged in both construction and manufacture. A copy was given to each engineer, draftsman, and tracer, and the results attained in standardization and in the improved operation of the division encouraged the hope that it would prove as useful in other offices. The copy in the hands of the new man, with instructions and an opportunity given him to become familiar with it, was also found to materially reduce the not inconsiderable expense of instructing and training the new employee.

General Directions. Two important rules should be kept in mind to insure satisfactory work in the drafting room:

First. - Arrange and perform the work in the order of its importance.

Second. - Do not start new work until the completion of old, unless the latter is held up for information or some other very good reason.

Work Orders. Authorizations for drawing work should be issued by the chief draftsman on special forms, such as shown in Part III, and which shall give name of part or section of plant for which the work is intended, location, character of work, for whom intended, date, account or charge number, directions for and disposal of the completed work.

Copies of authorizations to the number required for office routine will be made, the usual distribution being to estimating department, engineer, chief draftsman, and draftsman.

The draftsman's copy has on reverse side a space in which to add directions as to titles, drawing numbers, and space for draftsman's time for cost account. The draftsman's copy follows the drawing throughout and is returned with completed drawings to chief draftsman for record and file. After completion of work any of the other copies may be destroyed as desired, their purpose being to assist in following up the work.

Much time is wasted and heavy drafting expense incurred when important proposed work is not first sketched out and discussed before any drafting is done. Some offices even make it a practice not to discuss such work until the tracings are finished; not realizing the time and money lost in making the changes which invariably follow this method, and the loss of interest and initiative on the part of the draftsman who has his supposedly completed work changed again and again.

At these discussions the endeavor should be made to get the source of information as close to the drawing board as possible, to avoid loss of value in transmitted information. Granting the information has come to the Chief or Squad Draftsman in good form for, let us say, an article to be manufactured, he is expected to make, the drawing with due regard to all operations which follow, such as, tool making, pattern making, foundry work, machining, assembling, and, last but not least, selling. As few men are familiar with all these processes, preliminary sketches or prints and discussions should touch all these departments with a view to obtaining the best information relative to economical and rapid progress of the work through each.

With proper organization and handling, this can be done without friction and the results in the final product should justify the initial trouble and expense.

With sufficient new work it is advisable to have a man or men assigned to this class of preliminary work, preparing pencil sketches for discussion and approval of those in authority, before any real drafting work is attempted. Revised sketches should then be issued with the work authorizations and be filed with them when the drawings are completed.

Starting a Drawing. Return to the proper source all work orders, drawings, reference prints, and data relating to the last completed job.

Write in pencil, on the lower right-hand edge of the paper, the name of the drawing, plant, order number of the work, and your initials.

Keep the work one and one half inches from the left edge of the paper or cloth, to leave room for binding of prints.

Do not crowd the views or parts shown. Leave space on detail sheets near title, for additions and revisions.

Scale. - The scale to which a drawing should be made is the one just large enough to show clearly the parts wanted, and to accommodate without crowding the dimensions and notes.

Arrangement. In general, draw plan at the left side of the sheet, with front elevation below and end elevation to the right.

Avoid unnecessary ornamental and shading work that will increase the drafting time and cost.

When more than one sheet is required for a piece of work, if practicable keep the sheets of uniform size.

When details call for several classes of materials which would be supplied by different companies, group the parts to be made of like material, and show each group on a separate sheet or sheets.

Do not crowd the work. If detailing several small parts on one sheet, use a drawing sheet large enough to leave room for the addition of two or three more parts and for revisions. Draw details in their natural position and to the same "hand" as seen in the assembly drawing.

Dimensions. Give length and breadth dimensions on the plan, and dimensions of height or depth on one of the elevations only.

Do not repeat dimensions on the different elevations or projections.

Give over-all dimensions. Give dimensions in inches up to 72", after that in feet and inches.

Center lines are often only imaginary lines, and for that reason, on mechanical work, it is better to work from a finished edge or surface.

Use thin broken lines for dimension lines and do not place them near construction lines.

Do not cross dimension and construction lines when it can be avoided.

Make notes about dimensions, above the construction lines rather than below.

Make notes and figures to read from not more than two directions; namely, bottom and right side of drawing.

Make notes and figures read from the same direction that the drawing reads to which the notes and figures apply.

Keep notes outside the objects drawn and use a light pointing line to the part to which reference is made.

Group the notes referring to the same detail.

Do not write notes across dimension or construction lines.

Be consistent and follow the same system of making notes and dimensions throughout the work.

Use single-stroke inclined figures.

Lettering. Few things add so much to the appearance of a drawing as well-lettered notes and figures properly placed. The art of making good letters and figures requires some study as well as practice, for the picture of a perfect letter or figure must exist in the mind before it can be made with the hand. The first step, then, is to memorize the appearance of a perfectly formed alphabet and set of figures, of the style to be used, and then practice the strokes necessary to make them. Single straight strokes should be tried first, then the o, c, and s, which will cover most of the strokes also required for the figures.

The most common faults to be guarded against are too much space between the letters of a word and not enough space between the words.

A fine but stiff pen will be found the most satisfactory for small lettering and figures, and a ball point pen for the larger sizes, titles, etc.

Naming of Parts and Drawings. It is very important that care be given to this matter as noted under filing, and general instructions issued covering this subject. Otherwise different names will creep into use for the same object and much confusion will result in getting prints out of the files, in discussion, and ordering of material.

Titles. Name of the drawn parts should be the most prominent, company's name next, and data last. Whether the company's name or the subject-matter should be first is an open question; probably most engineers would say that to give the subject the most prominence would require it to be put at the top of the title frame, but this splits the information to be filled in, by insertion of the company's name at this place.

It is important that care be given to the assignment of all drawing titles, as on them will depend the success of the alphabetical index. Titles, therefore, should be assigned by one person only.

Tracing. - Tracings are to be made on the rough side of the cloth. Start at the top of the sheet and keep the work about 1 1/2" from the left-hand edge, to allow for binding the prints in sets.

Trace center lines, curves, vertical, and horizontal lines in the order given. If cloth from the roll is used, trace border lines and titles last. A little ingenuity in doing the work will obviate the necessity of waiting for the ink to dry.

Erasures are to be made with rubber only. Sand rubbers are not to be used.

The parts of the object that lie nearest the observer should be traced first and with the heaviest lines. This brings out the object and makes the drawing easier to read. The dotted lines, showing the invisible parts, will then be traced and confusion of these lines avoided.

Signatures. Every finished drawing or tracing is to be signed with the initials of the draftsman, tracer, and checker who has worked on it.

Every drawing is to be signed "Approved" by the chief engineer, or whoever is sponsor for that drawing.

For estimating purposes on rush work only, preliminary prints may be issued before drawings are checked or approved. In that event all such prints should be stamped “PRELIMINARY” and one kept for record as noted under  "RECORD PRINTS.”

Calculations. On design work calculations will be made in a book provided for that purpose on application to the file clerk.

Commence each note or calculation with date, name of drawing, and separate by a line notes relating to different drawings.

Make calculations and notes in a neat and legible manner and so marked as to be readily understood by others.

Catalogues. Necessary catalogues can be applied for through the file clerk, who will obtain them as required and file and index them under manufacturers' names and names of articles. This file should be kept up to date with new issues of catalogues as they appear.

A receipt card should be signed when catalogues are taken from the files, and they are to be returned promptly to the files after serving their purpose.

Checking Prints. All drawings shall be checked by checkers or squad foremen. For this purpose a check print shall be made when the drawing warrants it.