Hammer's Blueprint Reading Basics

Blueprints, or “prints,” show what is needed to make parts. They include details such as size, shape, and acceptable variations. They also tell you the material, finish, special assembly and processing instructions, and inspection requirements. Blueprints come from engineering departments and provide all the necessary information to all those involved in making the part. They turn ideas into products, and help communicate between customers, sales, engineers, drafters, purchasers, machinists, operators, assemblers, and inspectors.

Chock full of industry practices, standards, and copies of industrial prints, Blueprint Reading Basics has long been a favorite of beginners and educators, offering readers the opportunity to practice what they’ve learned. Each chapter includes detailed review of a topic, numerous figures to help illustrate essential concepts, review questions, and worksheets. Metric and English drawings are given an equal presentation, as are international symbols, allowing readers and professionals from around the globe to understand and successfully interpret the meaning of prints without ambiguity.

This vastly improved edition focuses even more on the end-user, with a more graphical treatment and a better balance between visualization and interpretation skills, making Blueprint Reading Basics, 5e a truly indispensable resource.

Features in the new 5th edition

Emphasizes interpretation and visualization—two of the most important tasks of print reading. Updated for the most current ASME and ISO standards, affecting such topics as dimensioning, tolerances, surface texture, and threads. Hundreds of CAD-generated drawings, improved chapter review questions, worksheets, and solutions give the self-directed learner all the elements necessary to support self-study. The companion BlueprintReading Basics Instructor’s Resource Kit (sold separately) includes a wealth of materials for presenting the material in a classroom setting: PowerPoint presentations; recommended syllabi; hundreds of individual PDF files for Review Questions & Solutions, as well as Worksheet Problems & Solutions.

Author Biography

Charles Gillis has 30 years of mechanical design experience, previously serving as a machine design engineer for The Gillette Company. He has been training engineers in blueprint reading, geometric dimensioning & tolerancing, and related topics for 15 years. He is also a contributing author to the renowned Machinery’s Handbook, 32nd edition, as well as the Machine Designer’s Reference, both published by Industrial Press. Warren Hammer (deceased) had more than 50 years of experience in manufacturing. He originated the Blueprint Reading Basics book, and with this latest revision, his legacy continues to live on.