TECHNICAL DRAWING
What is Technical Drawing?
Technical Drawing is a form of drawing that provides exact and complete information about all
aspects of objects to be built or constructed.
Materials, Tools, Equipment and Instruments used in Technical Drawing
Tools:
1. T–Square – contains two main parts namely; the head and the blade. A t-square is used
to draw horizontal lines as well as assist with the proper alignment of paper unto a
drawing board.
2. Drawing Board – a flat, slightly angled surface on which paper is set to produce
drawings.
Materials:
1. Drawing Paper – a flat sheet on which drawings are placed. Paper sizes range from A1,
A2, A3, A4 and A5. It should be noted that the smaller the numeral, the larger the paper.
Equipment:
1. Drafting Machine – combines the functions of a T-Square, protractor, triangles and
scales attached to a drawing board.
Instruments:
1. Set Squares – are used for drawing angles of 90◦, 45◦, 30◦ and 60◦ or a combination of
these. Set squares are usually made of plastic and require regular cleaning with paper and
cloth.
2. Protractor - is used for measuring and marking out angles.
3. Divider – can be used when measuring from another drawing to determine an unknown
dimension.
4. Compass – a pair of spring–bow compasses is a valuable asset when drawing circles and
curves of radius 25mm and less.
5. Irregular Curve/French Curve – are used for drawing curves which cannot be drawn
with a compass.
6. Erasers and Erasing Shield – erasers remove unwanted material from paper. Erasing
shields allow you to erase unwanted material while protecting material that you would
like to keep.
7. Lettering Guides/Stencil – guides one’s writing to ensure even and tidy letters,
numerals and symbols.
8. Pencils – are used to produce drawings on paper. H pencils are used in Technical
Drawing. Examples include: 2H, 3H, 4H and 5H. It should be noted that the smaller the
numeral, the darker the pencil.
9. Ruler – used to measure and draw straight lines.
Lines used in Technical Drawing
1. Border Lines - are rich, dark lines marking out the boundaries of the drawing area.
2. Construction Lines – are light lines used to begin a drawing and most times remain
towards the end of the drawing. Construction lines are important because they show the
steps involved in completing a figure.
3. Object Lines - are deep and dark lines showing the outline of a figure. Object lines are
drawn at the exact length needed. They are achieved by tracing over construction lines
with slightly added pressure on the pencil.
4. Guidelines - are the lightest lines used in Technical Drawing. They serve as an upper and
bottom boundary for letters. These lines should not be visible while sitting up to view the
drawing but rather, only when bent down to the drawing.
5. Hidden Lines - are used to indicate hidden details.
6. Dimension and Extension Lines - are light lines that are drawn and work together to
indicate measurements on a drawing including length, width and height on a drawing.
Dimension lines are drawn parallel to the figure or object that the measurement is being
taken for. Therefore, they are drawn at the exact measurement indicated. Extension lines
on the other hand, are drawn perpendicular to dimension lines. They mark the beginning
and the end of dimension lines. They should never touch the drawing.
7. Centre Lines - are alternately long and dashed lines that may be used to represent the
centre of circular or cylindrical features. It also shows symmetry.
8. Phantom Lines - long – short – short – long lines that indicate movement of an object or
part of an object in different positions.
Lettering Used in Technical Drawing
● The lettering used in Technical Drawing is called Single Stroke Commercial Gothic
Lettering.
● It is a simple style of lettering that is easy to read and understand.
● This lettering can be sloping or upright using capital letters.
● The height of the letters should be 3mm except for headings which should be 5mm.
● Light guidelines must be used otherwise your lettering will be uneven and untidy.
Points to Remember
1. Take your time and letter carefully.
2. Leave sufficient space between words.
3. Space letters evenly and not too far apart.
4. Use light horizontal guidelines to keep your writing neat and tidy.
Examples have been provided below.
Figure 1 Shows Sloping Lettering
Figure 2 Shows Upright Lettering
