Had a beer with a retired drafter who said something that stuck with me

Met up with an old guy named Frank at the local VFW hall last Friday. He said, 'Kid, you spend all day making lines perfect for a machine to read. But if the guy on the shop floor can't understand your intent in 10 seconds, you failed.' He worked in a Detroit plant for 40 years. It made me look at my callouts and notes totally differently. How do you guys make sure your drawings are actually clear for the fabricator?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_bailey17h ago

I used to obsess over perfect dimensions, but now I always ask myself if the welder would get it.

keith_owens315h ago

Read a great article about designing for the guy who has to build it. They called it "shop floor reality." Makes you focus on what actually matters.

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danielowens13h ago

Shop floor reality" can go too far though. If you only design for the guy building it, you might miss the person who has to USE it later. @joseph_bailey's welder might get it done, but the customer could end up with a part that fails faster.