1 HOW TO USE AN ARCHITECTS TRIANGULAR SCALE

A Technical Paper presented to the Faculty of the Liberal Arts Department Technological University of the Philippines Cavite Campus

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course Architectural Technology

by Josh Matthew Rementilla September 20, 2011

2 I. Description An architect's scale is a specialized ruler designed to facilitate the drafting and measuring of architectural drawings, such as floor plans and orthographic projections. Because the scale of such drawings is often smaller than life-size, an architect's scale features multiple units of length and proportional length increments. For accuracy and longevity, the material used should be dimensionally stable and durable. Scales were traditionally made of wood, but today they are usually made of rigid plastic or aluminum. Architect's scales may are symmetric 3-lobed cross-section, with 12 scales(Wikipedia, 2011).

II. Parts of an Architects Triangular Scale The following states the major parts of a compass and its use: 1. 1:20 / 1:200 scale This scale is used to reduce or enlarge the object to a scale of 1:20 or 1:200. 2. 1:25 / 1:250 scale This scale is used to reduce or enlarge the object to a scale of 1:20 or 1:200. 3. 1:30 / 1:300 scale This scale is used to reduce or enlarge the object to a scale of 1:20 or 1:200. 4. 1:40 / 1:400 scale This scale is used to reduce or enlarge the object to a scale of 1:20 or 1:200. 5. 1:50 / 1:500 scale This scale is used to reduce or enlarge the object to a scale of 1:20 or 1:200.; 1

3 III. How to use An Architects Triangular Scale The uses of an Architects Triangular Scale are as follows: A. Reducing B. Enlarging C. Measuring

A. How to use an Architects Triangular Scale in reducing Reducing is the process of which a drawing is scaled to a smaller representation compared to its actual size. The scales used in reducing are: 6. 1:20 / 1:200 7. 1:25 / 1:250 8. 1:30 / 1:300 9. 1:40 / 1:400 10. 1:50 / 1:500 The steps on how to use an Architects Triangular Scale in reducing are as follows: 1. Identify the scale to be used according to the instruction of the engineer or architect. This is indicated on the lower left side of the drawing paper, tracing paper of blueprint. If the scale to be used is not indicated, it is necessary to measure the object/figure first and comparing it to the space allotted on the paper deciding on which scale will fit.

4 2. Flip the Architects Triangular Scale to the side that shows the scale to be used and rest it on the blade of the t-square. 3. Reduce the horizontal lines of the object using a 5H pencil and make sure that the measurements used correspond to the scale. 4. Proceed with the reducing of vertical lines. To plot vertical lines, rest a triangle perpendicular to the blade of the t-square and rest the Architects Triangular Scale on the 90 side of the triangle. Using a 5H pencil, plot the vertical lines of the object making sure that the measurements used correspond to the scale. 5. Position the Architects Triangular Scale on the desired angle to reduce inclined lines. Using a 5H pencil, plot the inclined lines of the object making sure that the measurements used correspond to the scale. 6. Place the Architects Triangular Scale on a triangle resting on the 30 side in reducing isometric drawings. Using a 5H pencil, plot the inclined 30 lines of the isometric drawing making sure that the measurements used correspond to the scale. 7. Place the Architects Triangular Scale on a triangle resting on the 45 side to reduce oblique drawings. Using a 5H pencil, plot the inclined 45 lines of the isometric drawing making sure that the measurements used correspond to the scale.

5 B. How to use an Architects Triangular Scale in enlarging Enlarging is the process of which a drawing is scaled to a bigger representation compared to its actual size. Scales used in enlarging are not directly found on the Architects Triangular Scale. It uses the same scales in reducing but follows a different trend due to the formula used in its computation. Since the scale 1:100 represents the actual size of the object, its reciprocal has to be multiplied by the scale to be used in enlarging required in the drawing. The reciprocal of the product is the scale indicated on the Architects Triangular Scale to be used in drawing. Figure 1 shows the computation in converting the scale for enlarging.

Figure 1. Computation in converting the scale for enlarging The scales used in enlarging are as follows: 1. 1:5 2. 1:4 (1:20 as represented in the Architects Triangular Scale) (1:25 as represented in the Architects Triangular Scale)

3. 1:3.3 ( 1:30 as represented in the Architects Triangular Scale) 4. 1:2.5 (1:40 as represented in the Architects Triangular Scale) 5. 1:2 (1:50 as represented in the Architects Triangular Scale)

6 The steps on how to use an Architects Triangular Scale in enlarging are as follows: 1. Identify the scale to be used according to the instruction of the engineer or architect. This is indicated on the lower left side of the drawing paper, tracing paper of blueprint. If the scale to be used is not indicated, it is necessary to measure the object/figure first and comparing it to the space allotted on the paper deciding on which scale will fit. 2. Perform the computation in converting the scale for enlarging. 3. Flip the Architects Triangular Scale to the side that shows the scale to be used and rest it on the blade of the t-square. 4. Reduce the horizontal lines of the object using a 5H pencil and make sure that the measurements used correspond to the scale. 5. Proceed with the reducing of vertical lines. To plot vertical lines, rest a triangle perpendicular to the blade of the t-square and rest the Architects Triangular Scale on the 90 side of the triangle. Using a 5H pencil, plot the vertical lines of the object making sure that the measurements used correspond to the scale. 6. Position the Architects Triangular Scale on the desired angle to reduce inclined lines. Using a 5H pencil, plot the inclined lines of the object making sure that the measurements used correspond to the scale.

7 7. Place the Architects Triangular Scale on a triangle resting on the 30 side in reducing isometric drawings. Using a 5H pencil, plot the inclined 30 lines of the isometric drawing making sure that the measurements used correspond to the scale. 8. Place the Architects Triangular Scale on a triangle resting on the 45 side to reduce oblique drawings. Using a 5H pencil, plot the inclined 45 lines of the isometric drawing making sure that the measurements used correspond to the scale.

C. How to use an Architects Triangular Scale in measuring The steps on how to use an Architects Triangular Scale in measuring are as follows: 1. Read the scale to be used according to the instruction of the engineer or architect. This is indicated on the lower left side of the drawing paper, tracing paper of blueprint. 2. Flip the Architects Triangular Scale on the side that shows the scale to be used. 3. Place the zero marker on one edge of the dimension to be measured. 4. Read the number that corresponds to the other end of the dimension. This is the measurement of the object in its actual size.

8 IV. Significance of an Architects Triangular Scale Reducing or enlarging a drawn figure can be done in two ways preferably by the use of an Architects Triangular Scale. The other method is by computing for the reduced or enlarged measurements by multiplying the actual size to the scale indicated. It is claimed that in reducing or enlarging a drawn figure it is preferable to use an Architects Triangular Scale based on the following: 1. An Architects Triangular scale has six standard scales which are readily available in the six sides of its blades. Using these scales is preferable since these six scales are frequently used in the industry. 2. Measuring the scale to be used by just measuring the allotted space for the drawn figure can be done using an Architects Triangular Scale. Determining the scale to be used is easier with its use. 3. Using an Architects Triangular Scale makes reducing and enlarging a drawn figure easier and faster since measurements are readily available just by reading the proceeding lines on the sides of the blade.

9 LITERATURE CITED

Wikipedia. (August 7, 2011). Architects Scale. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architect's_scale