FREEHAND LETTERING PENS
Frequently, you will prepare inked drawings,
maps, or charts that require freehand lines and
lettering. There are many types of freehand pens
available. But here we will be concerned only with
those pens used by the EA. Included in the
draftsman kit is a reservoir pen set, which may
be used either with a penholder, as a freehand pen,
or fitted into a mechanical lettering device for
template lettering.
The technical fountain pen (sometimes called
a Rapidograph pen or reservoir pen) may be
used for ruling straight lines of uniform width
with the aid of a T square, triangle, or other
straightedge. It may also be used for freehand
lettering and drawing and with various drawing
and lettering templates. One of the best features
of the technical fountain pen is its ink reservoir.
The reservoir, depending on the style of pen, is
either built into the barrel of the pen or is a
translucent plastic ink cartridge attached to the
body of the pen. The large ink capacity of the
reservoir saves time because you do not have to
constantly replenish the ink supply. Therefore,
many EAs prefer the technical fountain pen to
the ruling pen.
A typical technical fountain pen is shown in
figure 2-31. Variations in pen style and line size
are offered from various manufacturers. Some
pens are labeled by the metric system according
to the line weight they make. Other pens are
labeled with a code that indicates line width
measured in inches. For instance, a No. 2
pen draws a line .026 in. in width. Most
technical fountain pens are color-coded for easy
142.326
Figure 2-31.-Technical fountain pen.
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