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I was putting my dimensions in the wrong spot for a year

I always put my dimension text right on the line, thinking it looked neat and kept the drawing clean. Then I was helping a machinist friend read a part file I drew, and he squinted at it for a solid minute before saying, 'Man, I have to hunt for every number.' That hit me. I watched him try to find a critical tolerance in a busy section, and it was a real struggle. I went back to my old drawings and saw the problem. Now I offset the text, leaving a clear gap between the line and the number. It takes a fraction of a second longer to place, but it's so much easier for the person actually using the print. Has anyone else had a simple habit that made things harder down the line?
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3 Comments
samjohnson
samjohnson28d ago
Yeah, that "hunt for every number" feeling is the worst. I've seen prints like that and it really slows things down. @nguyen.thomas, I bet your machinist friend would appreciate the change.
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elizabethhayes
A whole year with the text on the line?
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nguyen.thomas
My phone's been on that same line since last March.
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