Do you want to draw some engineering drawings such as ellipses, isometrics, triangles, etc? For your drawing to look correct, you have to draw with the recommended drawing instruments. In this post, I will show you top drawing instruments you have to have and discuss their uses with you.
Drawing is in higher demand than text and other written content. In engineering, drawing is more important than text as it describes something more vividly. You may see our step-by-step guide on how should students start a blog.
Assuming, when you are given a contract, you have to draw the result of what you’re going to make at the end before you start, if the person that is giving you the contract is satisfied, then he/she will then allow you to start.
In engineering, we value drawing and sketching more than everything. If you are interested to know top drawing instruments used to draw, then you are in the right place.
Now, let’s start.
List and uses of instruments used in technical drawing
#1. Protractor
A protractor is used to draw and measure the angles of lines in the drawing. It is transparent and made of plastic.
It is in the shape of a semi-circle, and the edge of the semi-circle part consists of reading with one-degree accuracy.
The bottom line joins the 0o to the 180o. The center of this bottom line is marked as “O” or “C” from which the angles are measured.
#2. French curves
French curves are made of plastic and they are in irregular shapes. Sometimes the drawing requires irregular curves or shapes or arcs which cannot be drawn using a compass.
In that case, French curves are suitable. Generally, French curves are more suitable for small curves, and for long curves, splines are used.
#3. Drawing templates
Drawing templates are nothing but plastic or wooden boards that contains spaces of several shapes or letters.
Non-dimensional shapes or a variety of font letters are drawn by using templates which makes drawing easier and perfect.
#4. Engineering pencils
A pencil is used to draw on the paper. Any type of pencil is not suitable for drawing. There are some limitations, the drawing appearance should be very neat and understandable.
Every line of the drawing in Engineering should indicate its importance. It depends upon the hardness and softness of the pencil.
| Pencil’s grade | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 3H | Construction lines |
| 2H | Dimension lines, center lines, sectional lines, hidden lines |
| H | Object lines, lettering |
| HB | Dimensioning and boundary lines |
| Name of pencil | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 9H | Hardest |
| 6H, 5H, 4H | Extremely Hard |
| 3H | Very hard |
| 2H | Hard |
| H | Moderately hard |
| F | Firm |
| HB | Medium hard |
| B | Moderately soft and black |
| 2B | Soft and black |
| 3B | Very soft and black |
| 4B, 5B, 6B | Very soft and very black |
| 7B | Softest |
#5. Eraser
An eraser is used to remove the lines or spots drawn by mistake or with wrong measurements.
The eraser used in engineering or technical drawing should be good in quality and soft. And it should not damage the paper while erasing.
#6. T square
T square is used to draw horizontal and vertical lines on the drawing sheet. It is made of wood or plastic and in a T shape.
The vertical part of T is called as blade and the horizontal part of T is called the head. The edge of the head is uniform level and attached to the edge of the board.
The working edge is used to draw lines anywhere on the sheet by moving the instrument from top to bottom.
#7. Compass
A compass is a technical drawing instrument used to draw an arc or circle with known dimensions in engineering drawing. It is generally made of steel and consists of two legs.
One leg of the compass contains a needle at the bottom and another leg contains a ring in which a pencil is placed.
The needle tip is placed at the respected point and the pencil tip is adjusted to a height of at least 1mm just above the tip of the needle.
#8. Divider
The divider looks like a compass, but the difference is the two legs of the divider are provided with needles.
This is used to divide a line or curve into equal parts. The divider is also used to check the measurements.
#9. Set squares
Set squares are used to draw lines with an angle between them. In most of the structures, 30, 45, 60, and 90-degree lines are the most common. So, set squares make the work easier for this type of drawing.
Generally, set squares are of two types. One is 45 degrees set square and the other is called a 30 – 60 degree set square.
Both are required in the drawing. 45 set square has a side of 25 cm while 30-60 set square has 25 cm length on one side.
#10. Climograph
Climograph is an instrument among the top 16 technical drawing instruments and their uses that we have discussed in this article. It is used to draw parallel lines to the inclined lines.
It contains one adjustable wing or strip which can be adjusted to the required angle. Hence, it can be termed as an adjustable set square.
#11. Drawing sheet
A drawing sheet is a white paper on which an object is drawn which is available in various sizes.
The sheet used for engineering should be of good quality. It should be white in color with uniform thickness with must resist the easy tearing of paper.
The surface of a sheet must be smooth.
Drawing sheets are categorized into different types commonly starting with ”A”
| Drawing sheet | Dimensions (length X width in mm) |
|---|---|
| A0 | 841 X 1189 |
| A1 | 594 X 841 |
| A2 | 420 X 594 |
| A3 | 297 X 420 |
| A4 | 210 X 297 |
| A5 | 148 X 210 |
#12. Drawing board
The drawing board is another one of the top 15 drawing instruments we have discussed in this article and their uses. It is generally made of softwood and it is rectangular in shape.
It is used to support drawing sheets, so, the size of the board is made according to the size of the drawing sheet.
The wood portions are joined by tongue and grove-type joints to prevent cracks. At the edge of the board, a straight ebony edge is provided for the T-square usage.
Different types of drawing boards and their sizes according to IS classification are listed below
#13. Mini drafter
A mini drafter is an instrument that can be used for multiple functions in the drawing. It contains two arms that are adjustable to the required angle and at the end of the lower arm, a scale set is attached.
The scale set contains two scales connected perpendicular to each which cannot be separated.
This instrument is fixed to the drawing board at one edge with the help of a screw provided for the drafter.
The mini drafter is used for drawing horizontal lines, vertical lines, inclined lines, angles, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, etc.
#14. Belt
A belt is used to bind the drawing sheet of what you have drawn to prevent your work from looking ugly if you are not submitting it immediately.
#15. Scale rule
Scale rule is also known as ruler. A ruler is used to measure lines in technical drawing work. You may see our expert guide on how to make money as a student in 2024.
#16. Paper holder
When the drawing sheet is placed on the board it may not be in a fixed position, hence, to fix the drawing sheet to the board paper holders should be used.
Conclusion
If you know that this article has helped you know top drawing instruments and tools and their uses, please share it with your friends and remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel or follow me on Facebook for more important updates.
It’s great to see a breakdown of essential drawing tools. Understanding the uses of each instrument really helps improve technique.
Great article. I appreciate how you clearly explained the uses of each drawing instrument are . This is really helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Nuh
Thanks for reading! I’m happy it was helpful
Thanks for this informative post! It’s a great resource to understand the different tools available for drawing.
Hi Lukas
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found it helpful
Fantastic breakdown of drawing instruments! I found this article useful. This will definitely help me choose the right tools for my next project.
Thanks for listing these tools. This post is really helpful to me. May God continue to bless you.