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Mechanical Drawing
NMB, Florida November 10, 2001 A.H. Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on Issues, Ideas and Reflections on the Times. Published Now and
Then. Opinions Pro or Con Are Welcome.
MECHANICAL DRAWING
I'm sure that some of my readers, particularly male, have at an early stage
of their education had some instruction in mechanical drawing. Mine was
received in South 17th St. Elementary School in Newark in the 7th or 8th
grade. In those prehistoric days the boys in the class were shown how to
use a protractor, rulers, draw a straight line and have a dim understanding
about perspective. This last proved very important later in art when trying
to recreate a picture that had depth.
As a result of being turned in to the building cops about a lack of permits
to renovate our present apartment, I have to provide drawings with a scale
of 1/4" to a foot. Now this may seem simplistic to you but I have used an
inch to a foot and have gotten into trouble. Then, too, in a second attempt
using graph paper, I discovered that the little boxes were more or less
scaled to millimeters than to quarter inches. What is a person to do?
My troubles are because of exactitude. I am a sketcher and some similarity
does it for me. The building cops down in Miami want something better than
I provided in my first attempt to meet their demands.
I sense the same kind of frustration in others who KNOW how a 1/4-inch line
means a foot when they look at my feeble attempts. I feel the same when
trying to explain how close to using a typewriter this computer is to
someone who is afraid of it. You know how some people react as their eyes
roll up when you are telling them about something near and dear to you?
They don't understand. I don't understand the intricacies of engineer's
specifications. Approximate does it for me.
I guess it is because I don't do things mechanically. I improvise and
usually consider an "artistic" rendition to be perfectly satisfactory. I
remember that when I was sick with some childhood ailment and was given clay
to play with, I modeled my left hand and came up with something that looked
like my left hand. It certainly pleased my mother who also praised my
irregular circles drawn on paper as "perfect, just perfect" "smack". (That
"smack" was a kiss.) Carol's Evaluation: 10 out of 10.
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