OFFICE MATERIALS

All calculation-blanks should be of an extra-good quality of paper, capable of withstanding a great deal of erasing and scratching, which is often necessary in making sketches for details. The tracing-cloth should be of the best quality, as it is impracticable to make a good drawing on poor cloth. The best brand that the author has ever used is the Imperial.

Powdered chalk or talcum should be rubbed over the surface of the tracing-cloth to make it take the ink uniformly. Pencil-marks and dirt can be easily removed from a tracing by moistening a towel in benzine and washing the surface of the cloth with it. If a good quality of ink be used it will not be affected by such washing.

There are many liquid India inks in the market, but none of them will give quite as good results as will the genuine stick ink when properly ground; nevertheless, except for very fine work, the former are preferable on account of the saving of time which they effect. Higgins' water-proof ink is the most satisfactory which has yet been tried in the author's office.

A good quality of brown detail paper is very essential, for there is in all kinds of detailing a great deal of erasing to be done; and time is always saved by using good, tough paper that does not rough up by having an eraser used upon it.

CONCLUSION.

In concluding this chapter on "Office Practice" the author desires to again call the reader's attention to the necessity for adopting the most systematic methods possible for doing all kinds of work, keeping all kinds of records, and filing all kinds of accumulated material. As soon as a large piece of work is finished a thorough systemization should be made of the knowledge obtained in making both the design and the various calculations, so that the office force shall be able to use the same to the best possible advantage when starting  on  another  similar  piece  of   work.   And  whenever  there  is  any