Course to understand engineers drawings?

[F.J.]

Evening all,

Does anybody know of any courses available that teach how to understand drawings? I have never had to read them before but jobs are coming in now where I can't keep asking the bloke who works for me to interpret them just so I can build quotes or execute the job itself. I also have a mate who has a steel firm and may need me in the future as they are so busy they have asked if they can sub some work to me and don't want to look daft as everything they do comes from drawings.

I have seen courses for structural surveying and understanding engineers drawings are a section of the course but I would just like to do a course that focuses on just the drawings of that is possible?

Thanks

 

[CRB]

Find a friend for an evening or two.

I had to learn too, a long time ago, but once you know what you are looking at it does fall into place. I found doing an isometric view of the part or structure helpful. I do find though that some people can see it immediately and some cannot.

I am presuming steel fabrication drawings, but there would be plenty of help here, I am sure.

 

[penfold]

I doubt you'll find such a thing; there are courses in how to draw which cover the basics, but it's a bit of an odd way to do it. You could just buy a BS308/BS888 book and have a read; the whole point of technical drawing is that it conveys information in a consistent, unambiguous and easily understandable way.

 

[J.B. Welding]

I find it takes a few minutes of plain old staring at to get things going-then things start to jump out at you and before you know it your geting the jist.
Don't expect to glance down and see everything straight away-find a quiet space and let it soak in a bit.

 

[bricol]

You want a copy of BSI Engineering Drawing Practice for Schools and Colleges,

• ISBN-10: 0580153894

• ISBN-13: 978-0580153891

Very good initial reference and to get you thinking of how the views are created, or are combined to make the whole. I still use mine occasionally as a quick reference after 20yrs working in engineering design.

Bri

 

[Kent]

I will search the library and give you some isbn. Codes later
To be fair things have and can change and drawing offices make mistakes so take care as errors can be both costly and embarrassing

 

[penfold]

I have 'Manual of British Standards in Engineering Drawing and Design' edited by Maurice Parker ISBN0748710310; not much has changed with the advent of BS888 in terms of paper drawings, just a few things being simplified AFAIK.

 

[Kent]

Still I should check because if there is a trap to fall into I bet it's one that matters
Often I used to see reference to drawing std used
Thing is in case of dispute you need something to quote from
I tend not to take such work on much coz there ain't the money in it round my way and the lowest bidder generally wins. I did my time in the eighties and clearly remember a few interpretation mistakes at both ends including nuclear work

 

[Rocketman]

Obviously people make mistakes on drawings, obviously companies do stuff slightly different from one to another and obviously you can get caught out. This is where a properly constructed quote comes into play that covers your back.

Anyway courses.

Probably the best thing to do there is ring up the local colleges/unis and see what

1) If it's structural/fabrication stuff you do see what civil engineering/building courses they do that have units in technical drawing. So you might find a OND/ONC or HNC/HND course that has the units in it. So we actually had a guy come in from condor structural steel to lecture our units on the subject while on civil engineering

2) If it's actual engineering drawings not fabrication ring up to see what engineering courses they do with technical engineering drawing units in.

NOW YOU WILL SAY I DONT WANT TO DO A FULL OND OR HNC IN CIVIL ENGINEER - well you won't be. The simple answer is if it is a decent college/uni they will let you just pay for the units you need to do. So you will just turn up for a hour or 2 hours a week and at the end you will just get a certificate for completing those units.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

You will never find two drawing offices that draw things the same, no matter what spec they follow! If it's just fabrication drawings i can pop over one afternoon and have a brew and go through them with you? Structural drawings are a bit more of a ball ache, again some designers draw them nice and clearly, some I have seen are worse than fag packet drawings

 

[Kent]

Dan has a point
It's quite easy to understand the drawings even if your not used to it. Handing is about the main pitfall in that bit
Tolerances and notations of weld position and size etc are were you need to reference back to charts and if you don't have the chart to refer to its easy to drop a boob
I have a book in mind that will also show you development of shapes but am in hospital with daughter presently and was out pulling people out of flood water last night locally
Text me from my webpage bowlandfab.com as I have no Internet and will text you back this evening

 

[F.J.]

You want a copy of BSI Engineering Drawing Practice for Schools and Colleges,

• ISBN-10: 0580153894

• ISBN-13: 978-0580153891

Very good initial reference and to get you thinking of how the views are created, or are combined to make the whole. I still use mine occasionally as a quick reference after 20yrs working in engineering design.

Bri

Thanks, I will shop around for them, are they something you can buy online?

 

[F.J.]

I will search the library and give you some isbn. Codes later
To be fair things have and can change and drawing offices make mistakes so take care as errors can be both costly and embarrassing

I understand thing can and do change but at least having an idea of how drawings look will give me a better chance of understanding any changes should I encounter any. And thanks for your help with codes

 

[F.J.]

I have 'Manual of British Standards in Engineering Drawing and Design' edited by Maurice Parker ISBN0748710310; not much has changed with the advent of BS888 in terms of paper drawings, just a few things being simplified AFAIK.

Thanks, I will have a shop around for this one too

 

[F.J.]

You will never find two drawing offices that draw things the same, no matter what spec they follow! If it's just fabrication drawings i can pop over one afternoon and have a brew and go through them with you? Structural drawings are a bit more of a ball ache, again some designers draw them nice and clearly, some I have seen are worse than fag packet drawings

Cheers Dan, it's not that I have drawings to read from right now but I am getting more and more work off a customer who has insinuated that he could put work such as steel portal buildings and extension work my way so don't want to look daft when it comes to understanding the drawings for them if they ever come off. Either way, you more than welcome to pop over for a brew though

 

[Rocketman]

I have bsi 308 part 1 and part 2 engineering drawing practice here but I don't think they will scan in well enough to read.

Also got bsi 4500 limits and fits that probably would scan

 

[F.J.]

Dan has a point
It's quite easy to understand the drawings even if your not used to it. Handing is about the main pitfall in that bit
Tolerances and notations of weld position and size etc are were you need to reference back to charts and if you don't have the chart to refer to its easy to drop a boob
I have a book in mind that will also show you development of shapes but am in hospital with daughter presently and was out pulling people out of flood water last night locally
Text me from my webpage bowlandfab.com as I have no Internet and will text you back this evening

I hope your daughter is ok and you s nothing serious. I also heard on the radio of the guy that crashed his pickup into a river up in Carlisle! Must be hard up your way at the moment. Hats off to you for helping out with the flooding.
Thanks for the offer too, I will message you on your web page when I've put the kids to bed.

 

[F.J.]

I have bsi 308 part 1 and part 2 engineering drawing practice here but I don't think they will scan in well enough to read.

Also got bsi 4500 limits and fits that probably would scan

Anything that will help will be appreciated thank you. What ever won't scan, I will look to buying the book myself.

Regards