Materials & Equipment Knowledge Flashcards

Which lead grade is most appropriate for lettering on a finished engineering drawing?

Answer: 2H

2H lead provides clean, dark, consistent lines suitable for lettering without smearing or indenting the paper excessively.

What is the primary advantage of using vellum over bond paper for hand drafting?

Answer: It allows superior erasure and is semi-transparent for reproduction

Vellum's semi-transparency allows it to be used as an overlay or original for reproduction, and its surface erases more cleanly than bond paper.

A drafting machine combines the functions of which two traditional drafting tools?

Answer: T-square and protractor

A drafting machine replaces both the T-square (for horizontal reference) and the protractor (for angular measurement) in a single adjustable head.

Which type of drafting scale is used primarily for maps and site plans where large areas must be reduced?

Answer: Engineer's scale

The engineer's scale uses decimal divisions (1"=10', 20', 30', etc.) making it ideal for civil/site drawings covering large geographic areas.

What is the recommended method for cleaning a drawing surface before starting a new drawing?

Answer: Dust with a dry drafting brush to remove loose particles

A dry drafting brush removes eraser debris and dust without introducing moisture or oils that could damage the drawing surface or affect pencil adhesion.

Mylar (polyester film) is preferred over vellum for original drawings that will be revised repeatedly because it:

Answer: Withstands repeated erasure without surface degradation

Polyester film is dimensionally stable and its surface can withstand many more erasures than vellum without pilling, ghosting, or tearing.

When using a ruling pen with India ink, the gap between the nibs should be adjusted to control:

Answer: Line weight (width)

The nib gap on a ruling pen directly determines how wide the ink flow is, thus setting the line weight of the drawn line.