McKinley High School - Nugget Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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THE CARNATION Nagy 151s , , , I MECHANICAL DRAWING CLASS

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...gy I4 jig. THE CARNATION MECHANICAL DRAWING A W RAFTING may well be called a science in some ways, an art in others and a branch of engineering in another, but, figuratively speaking, it is a mode of expression that may well be compared to a shorthand system. It is a method of ex- pressing accurately our ideas regarding form, shape, size, rela- tion and construction of things. It therefore gives a student pre- cision and enables him to express himself much more clearly and exactly in scientific matters, when description is necessary. ln fact, a good mechanical drawing can convey, at a glance, an idea more accurately than a half-hour of oral description. Be- cause of this fact, mechanical drawing is better adapted to the working out of complicated machinery. Mechanical drawing, from the standpoint of anyone who has studied it, is nothing more than applied descriptive geometry or geometry that deals with the representation of solids in space. To make it more clear, let us imagine two planes, one horizontal, the other vertical, intersecting in a straight line, called the ground line, and forming four right diethal angles or quadrants. An object may be placed in either one of the quadrants and its form or outline projected perpendicularly to both planes. The form drawn on the horizontal plane will then be called the top view or 'plan, and the form drawn on the vertical plane, the side view or elevation. Due to the fact that a drawing must be in a single plane fthe plane of the drawing paperl, the vertical plane must be imagined as being rotated about the ground line as an axis until it coincides with the horizontal plane, form- ing a single plane. A practical draftsman sooner or later discards these complicated mental processes for simpler ones that meet his purpose just as well. Another branch of drawing, architectural, is more or less of an art because success in that branch is attained not only by hard study, but with talent as well. The latter is probably the reason why there are so few good architects. A machine drawer, although he needs little or no talent, has to have a liking for his work, and must study as well. His work is not as artistic as an architect's. A mistake by either is apt to cause serious trouble by a loss of time and consequently money. A good illustration is that of a concrete building in the east that tumbled before com- pletion either because of faulty material, faulty workmanship, or faulty architecture. lt was never determined who was to blame, but it could have been the fault of the draftsman as well as of anyone else. Not a nail is driven, a girder put in place, or any kind of construction work done today without the help of the architect. I-Ie is the one who starts the construction work and it may well be said, Around him the work revolves. G. K. PATTON.

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f ...gl I6 THE CARNATION TI-IE WOOD-TURNING SHOP ACK in the southwest corner of the first Hoor may be l seen what is officially known as Room ll3. The boys ltwiviit ' 1 ' ' h k ' 1. in the manua training course, owever, now it as t e wood-turning shop. It is a long shop, well lighted by a row of high windows on each side. It is equipped with twenty-five benches and twenty- five speed lathes, including an instruction demonstration bench lathe. The shop is well supplied with tools of a good quality for both bench and lathe work. The shop is the center of the manual training activities dur- ing the second year in this course. Up to this time the classes had a year's foundation work, consisting of joinery and cabinet making. They have learned a good many things about wood working, and about wood itself, also many things about the care of wood-working tools and that the grindstoine is not a mere ornament. ' i And the classes are now ready to try their hands at wood turning. A study is made of the lathe-its mechanism and con- struction, its adjustment and care. Each boy is assigned to his own individual machine to operate and control. It is fascinating, indeed, and the boys feel like they are breaking into the big league, for before this time they have had little to do with ma- chinery. And where is the boy who does not get a thrill out of watching-yes, and making the wheels go round? They now have issued to them a drawer full of queer looking toolsg turning gauges, screw chisels, and several others, all of which are unlike those to which they have been accustomed. The boys are compelled to begin at the beginning to learn the uses of these tools. ,They learn not only their uses, but the care of them as well. And that brings us back to the grindstone. There are two grindstones in the wood-turning shop. The various processes are learned by completing certain exer- cises and by working on various useful projects. Here is im- pressed upon the student as never before, the importance of be- ing ever on the alert. A mental lapse, though for only a moment, may destroy the result of several hours' work. The work which is done gives practice in spindle turning, face plate turning, and chuck work. ln addition the work offers a splendid opportunity for applied design, and an opportunity to learn some new methods of wood finishing. Following the wood-turning course, the subjects of pattern making and molding are then taken up. Here bench and lathe work in the making of various types of patterns are combined. Classes begin- to understand the true meaning of the word ac- curacy. The various moulding processes are not only discussed in the pattern making class, but illustrated in the moulding shop by using patterns made by the pupils. The climax of the wood working courses comes when boys behold the metal casting, the form of which has been fashioned by their own pattern, and they are eager to pass on to the metal work, whichfis the beginning of the third year's work. GEORGE WAGON ER.