How Does a Drafting Compass Work?
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What Is a Drafting Compass?
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A drafting compass looks like an inverted Y. It is comprised of two arms. One arm ends in a needle while the other holds a pencil. The arms are adjustable, which allows you to open the arms as little or as widely as you like. The knob at the top of the drafting compass, or the shaft or bottom of the Y is where you hold the drafting compass between your thumb and forefinger.
What Is the Drafting Compass' Purpose?
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The drafting compass is used to draw an arc or a circle. Because the needle of the compass does not move and the pencil moves around it, this allows you to draw a perfect circle or arc. And, because the arms of the drafting compass are adjustable, it allows you to draw a circle or arc in whatever diameter you choose--within the drafting compass' range.
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What Are the Real World Applications of a Drafting Compass?
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A drafting compass is a useful tool for an engineer or an architect. Both the engineer and the architect need to draw circles or arcs when drafting their plans. The drafting compass allows them to draw arcs or circles to scale on the plans.
Drafting Compass in Literature
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John Donne used the drafting compass as a metaphor in his poem, "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning," comparing the needle or fixed point of the compass to his love and the pencil that revolves around the point to himself.
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