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This October article marks the end of this Blueprint Reading series. The course is always available to take by simply going to the earlier listed website. Starting in November, the Education In Print articles will return with Wood Machinery Technology. You can register for MET105, WPT110 or WPT 122 at any time.

To complete this Blueprint Reading course, it is necessary to comment on a few items. First, this course is designed for people who are unfamiliar with reading prints to help them understand some of the technicalities inherent with prints. Further education in specialized areas is recommended. Second, this course is also designed for students who know what field or trade they want to pursue.

Individual trades like plumbing, welding construction and architectural woodworking each have symbols and terms that are directly related to that field. This degree of specialization makes it difficult for one person to understand prints from any field. There are generic print reading features, and those with the basic skills will be able to navigate and find the information to make a decision.

This course requires students to have a firm understanding of mathematics. The common areas for students to brush up on are the functions dealing with fractions, decimals and the metric system. Another area stressed is that of the measurement tools commonly used in an industrial setting. These tools include various calipers, gauges and devices found in a manufacturing setting.

A reader should understand the concept of measuring to three places to the right of the decimal point (thousandths) vs. only two decimal places (hundredths) and what is the potential quality difference. The degree of capable repeatable accuracy in a woodworking company is directly related to the amount of computerized equipment used in the industry. Businesses are purchasing computerized equipment because of its accuracy, versatility, repeatability and cycle time improvements as compared to conventional machining methods.

Visualization or the ability to virtually picture an object from a two-dimensional drawing is a skill learned by practice and repetition. As we progressed through the course, the concept of drawing in three dimensions — as in isometric and perspective drawings — were introduced to provide a quick reference tool for the print reader to see a completed part. Continued repetition of this practice will reduce the need for these drawings; however, they are helpful nonetheless. Providing the employee with the correct size print with legible numbers and text will also reduce mistakes.

As with visualization, correct dimensioning is a learned skill to apply as well as to read. Application of too many dimensions is a common mistake for the novice draftsperson. These unnecessary dimensions confuse the reader and cause mistakes. The concept of scaling prints changes the size of the drawn item while keeping the dimensions intact. Without this knowledge, a print reader will not know that a small object with actual dimensions is actually a technique to fit an object on a piece of paper.