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Homeowner Forum / Construction / February 2007



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Any good book for reading construction blueprints

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Alice_Rutherford@excite.com - 25 Feb 2007 17:35 GMT
Are there any good books or free online resources for understanding
how to read construction blueprints? I need this for my friend who is
a carpenter, in order to get a better job, he needs to be able to read
house/construction blueprints.

He is a carpenter, but has trouble reading blueprints. Please suggest
some standard text or something that you think will definitely help
him. He works in North America.
DanG - 25 Feb 2007 20:31 GMT
I am sure not trying to be a smart alec.  I am not aware of any
books about reading blueprints, there are books about drawing
blueprints.  I really think an honest attempt of looking at a well
drawn set of blue prints of something that you know about is
virtually self explanatory.

If you can read a road map, if you can read the little drawing
they give you at the museum or the zoo, if you can make a sketch
of what you want to make - you are using blueprints.  Each
draftsman may use slightly different conventions and
abbreviations.  Your friend needs to get a set of blueprints.
Many contractors may give you a set of old prints.  Try for a set
of small house prints as these will be the easiest and we have all
lived in houses.  Study every single picture, see how it is
dimensioned, see if looks like an aerial photo or map (plan view),
or more like a photo (elevation) and see where the information
fits in relation to a house you know about.

After your friend has made a very honest attempt (30 minutes to an
hour or more per page), a very short visit with anyone who knows
prints will be much more rewarding.

Signature

______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG  (remove the sevens)
dgriff237@7cox.net

> Are there any good books or free online resources for
> understanding
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> help
> him. He works in North America.
Alice_Rutherford@excite.com - 25 Feb 2007 21:22 GMT
> I am sure not trying to be a smart alec.  I am not aware of any
> books about reading blueprints, there are books about drawing
[quoted text clipped - 41 lines]
> > help
> > him. He works in North America.

I don't think you are trying to be a smart alec. i appreciate your
advise and I think that you're right. I would like to help my friend,
and make things easier. I need a book or even something online, this
is for a carpenter who is extremely skilled, but has never opened a
blueprint.

Perhaps, something that is a prescribed text for a carpentry class
might be useful, I do not know, I need ideas and suggestions. Thank
you.
DanG - 25 Feb 2007 22:56 GMT
Alice,
Blue print courses, books, etc tend to start out drawing an object
like a bolt or nut and working on the number of pictures necessary
for a machinist to make the part.  I'm afraid your carpenter might
get frustrated by that approach.  Each craft and trade has
different conventions and types of drawings.  What type of
carpentry does this person do?  Residential/commercial,
rough/finish, wood/steel/other, works for the prime/or a
subcontractor, old/young, wants to be the owner some day.

If you can work with him and/or if he is computer literate, this
site
http://www.tpub.com/content/construction/
has a tremendous amount of information.  There are plenty of
drawings to study, though many are done in perspective or
isometric form (a type of 3 dimensional drawing) which is easier
for the layman to see.  Blueprints tend to be very 2 dimensional.

If you work on these Navy manuals, concentrate on the Builders
series.

Hope this helps in some way.

Signature

______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG  (remove the sevens)
dgriff237@7cox.net

>> I am sure not trying to be a smart alec.  I am not aware of any
>> books about reading blueprints, there are books about drawing
[quoted text clipped - 67 lines]
> Thank
> you.
AAllc.architects@gmail.com - 27 Feb 2007 18:33 GMT
> I am sure not trying to be a smart alec.  I am not aware of any
> books about reading blueprints, there are books about drawing
[quoted text clipped - 41 lines]
> > help
> > him. He works in North America.

Bookmark.com
Blueprint Reading for the Building Trades
John E Traister
$14.75
192 pg
Michael Bulatovich - 25 Feb 2007 23:24 GMT
> Are there any good books or free online resources for understanding
> how to read construction blueprints? I need this for my friend who is
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> some standard text or something that you think will definitely help
> him. He works in North America.

Alice,

*** I *** find construction drawings difficult to read and I've been drawing
them for decades. The trouble is that there is usually a ton of information
in a very small  area. This can lead to "glazed eye" where you are looking,
but not seeing anything.

People who make drawings vary in skill, but it is always a challenge to make
a set of drawing "read". You're friend should 'put his head down and power
through' it.

Besides that, I'd say that a course in *making* drawings would help him read
drawings because he would learn the conventions (there are many). It would
also help him appreciate how hard it is to draw them well.
Signature


MichaelB
www.michaelbulatovich.ca

NuWaveDave - 26 Feb 2007 04:41 GMT
> Are there any good books or free online resources for understanding
> how to read construction blueprints? I need this for my friend who is
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> some standard text or something that you think will definitely help
> him. He works in North America.

This just the first hit on a Google search, READING BLUEPRINTS.
       http://tpub.com/content/draftsman/14040/

There were nine more pages showing.  Simple, really.
- -
NuWave Dave in Houston
Rima Neas - 26 Feb 2007 21:54 GMT
> Are there any good books or free online resources for understanding
> how to read construction blueprints?

Not specifically for blueprints, but invaluable nontheless:

Modern Carpentry
Willis H. Wagner & Howard Bud Smith
ISBN 1-56637-198-8

There may be later versions... mine is 96.

Cheers, Shawn
Jack - 27 Feb 2007 22:48 GMT
> Are there any good books or free online resources for understanding
> how to read construction blueprints? I need this for my friend who is
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> some standard text or something that you think will definitely help
> him. He works in North America.

Take a class at your local community college. The class are usually
called 'Blueprint reading'
 
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