Knowledge Base

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs
Scroll down to the article you may be interested in:

1. CHOOSING A DRAWING BOARD- how to identify the best for you
2. ABOUT SCALES - Understanding Drafting Machine Scales
3. MANUFACTURERS WHOSE MACINES WE MAY HAVE COMPTAIBLE SCALES
4. SET SQUARE DIMENSIONS CONVENTION.

CHOOSING A DRAWING BOARD

1. Decide on the largest size of paper you are likely to use, probably A1 or A0.

2. Select a board size, which should be larger than the paper size, as the boards are always oversized to take the paper they are designed to hold. A0 users will find the 1200 x 850 size most convenient, and A1 the 1000 x 700. If you are intending to have a 'drafting machine' then you will need at least an extra 200mm on the width to 'park' the drafting machine (A0 users should specify a 1500 x 1000 board and A1 users the 1200 x 800 board).

3. Now decide if you will need a drawing machine. Normally the minimum you will need is a parallel motion. You will be able to use set squares, templates etc supported on the parallel blade and of course you will be able to draw horizontal lines parallel to each other. Our keenly priced Axial wire based parallel motion is easy to use and should suit most basic needs. The Peter Parallel Motion is a professional PM with a top roller, compensating weights, blade lock, tension adjusters and other excellent features. The Mayline is made in the USA to a very high specification and has a global reputation for quality of manufacture and use.

4. The Track type drafting machine makes drawing accurate horizontal and vertical lines fast and easy and the rulers are scales so there is no need for additional drawing equipment. The protractor head enables lines to be drawn at any angle. The variable zero makes isometric and axonometric drawing simple. A left handed machine is available.

5. Once you have decided on the board and drawing machine you can choose a stand. You will need a stool if you are using a large board or drafting machine as it easier to reach the top of the board from a stool. If you are going to be frequently adjusting the board for height and angle, choose a hand-operated lever for synchronous height and angle adjustment stand such as the BF14 or BF17; or, for the larger workstation choose the foot operated BF13, BF23 or the Poker /Tecnus.

6. Finally within the parameters above, choose the style or price you like best. And if you are still uncertain call the Drawing Office Technical advise line - 0800 085 1454.

7. Do not forget the extras to make your workstation complete. A backing sheet makes drawing with a pencil easier with consistent line widths. A Boby trolley for storing your drawing accessories and a board lamp for correct illumination. A light box makes transparency review and tracing much easier whilst a pencil tray keeps your drawing tools in your possession.

International paper sizes
A0: 1189mm x 841 mm
A1: 841 mm x 594mm
A2: 594mm x 420mm
A3: 420mm x 297mm
A4: 297mm x 210mm
A5: 210mm x 148mm
Double Elephant: 1020mm x 762mm

Our Board sizes
A: A1 1000 x 700
A+ A1 1050 x 750
B: A1X 1200 x 800
O: AO 1200 x 850
C: 1400 x 800
D: AOX 1500 x 1000
E: Super AO 1700 x 1000
F: 2000 x 1000

About Scales
SCALES FOR DRAFTING MACHINES
Up until the early 1990s all design work was produced on drawing boards. There were many manufacturers of drawing stands, boards, parallel motions and drafting machines and no industry standard to offer any form of compatibility between manufacturers. In 1990 CAD swept away the treasured drawing boards many being acquired by staff as companies struggled to dispose of these large pieces of equipment. A whole manufacturing industry was brought to its knees with many drawing office companies going out of business whilst others turned their factories to making other products.
The high standard of manufacturing meant that many drawing boards have survived, but often missing vital components. In particular we receive many calls about replacement scales for drafting machines. On this page we list some of the makes we are able to supply. As the scales are hand made, delivery can be six to eight weeks and we ask for payment in full prior to ordering and are unable to accept cancellations once payment has been received.
Call or email us for advice. Click here STOCK SCALES to go straight to our stock scales page.

Manufacturers whose machines we may have compatible scales.

MANUFACTURERS FOR WHOM WE MAY HAVE COMPATIBLE SCALES
First you need to identify the manufacturer of the Drafting Machine. This may not be the name on the drawing stand. For instance Bieffe made Drawing Stands but Zucor made the drafting machines often supplied with them. Often you will find the name of the manufacturer and the model number in the profile of the drafting machine tracks or on the reverse of the protractor head.
Scales are fixed to the Protractor Head with "SCALE PLATES". It is important that these plates fit perfectly to the protractor head, a near fit is not good enough to produce accurate drawings. If you have the Scale Plates you may find it easier to buy a set of scales without plates and fix the Scale Plates yourself - Click here to go to the product reference 310777.
Inclusion in this list does not mean the company does not exist any more. Many are highly reputable and still very much in business. Neolt for instance has maintained its high manufacturing standards and spares are available for most of their ranges - we are their UK agent.

Manufacturers of Drafting Machines we may be able to supply scales for.
WE MAY BE ABLE TO SUPPLY SCALES FOR THE FOLLOWING MANUFACTURERS:

Bieffe
Eliomec Tecn
Etipigrafo
Ferres
Kulmann (G75, G90, G79, USA)
Meli
Mutoh L, VE Small
Neolt
Nestler TS
Resta O Restino
Rieffler Piccilo
Sacchi Nuovo
Sau
Sipi
Tecnomeli
Tecnostyl 600, 800, 900
Rieffler Piccilo
Zucor

Set Square dimensions
The convention for sizing a set square is to measure the length of the long side (the hypotenuse) on the 45º set square. This means a 32cm set square will have a 21cm short side and a 32cm hypotenuse.
Manufacturing restrictions may shorten the 32cm length slightly as the point may be removed, either for safety or because in the case of an applied scale because it is impossible to adhere securely to a point.
The 32cm 60º degree set square is produced to be compatible to the size of the 45º but does not have a 32cm length at all.