light. For example, light-colored paint is used in the interior of the ship to distribute natural and artificial light to the best advantage. These same properties of reflection and absorption, incidentally, make camou- flage painting possible. For these and other reasons, the Navy uses a great deal of paint. Recommended Painting Procedures As you know, there are many kinds of paint. For example, you cannot use the same type of paint on the deck, topside, and bulkheads in the captain’s cabin. There is a different paint made for almost every pur- pose. Detailed instructions on the proper paint to use for each job may be found in the applicable NAVSEA instructions. The most important single factor in securing good paint performance is proper surface preparation. Dirt, oil, grease, and rust or mill scale must be removed completely, and the surface must be thoroughly dry. Equipment used to prepare surfaces includes hand tools, power tools, sandblasters and shot blasters, soap (or detergents) and water, and various paint and varnish removers. Each year the Navy spends thousands of dollars developing and testing finishes for specific surfaces. Consequently, you have the best material available. If you prepare the surface properly, use the recom- mended finish, and apply the finish correctly, you can have a first-rate job that lasts a long time. Do not use any material not provided by or methods not recom- mended by the Navy. Lubrication and Inspection Preservation of equipment and spare parts is a con- tinuous job aboard a ship. The moist salt air causes rust to form in a very short time. The operation and mainte- nance manual for each particular item will indicate the type of preservation to be used and which parts should be painted. Moving parts must be kept free of corrosion by application of the proper lubricant. Parts that cannot be painted and that are not used very often should be coated with a preservative compound that is readily removable with solvents or can be wiped off. Dirt and rust should be removed carefully before applying preservatives or lubricants. Such items as webbing and rubber goods require no preservative; however, they should be stowed in a clean, dry place when not in use. These items are subject to deterioration because of age and should be inspected frequently. When the over-age date (stamped on the webbing) is reached, the material should be discarded and replaced. BLUEPRINTS AND DRAWINGS LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Describe the infor- mation contained in blueprints, charts, and drawings. All ABFs must be able to read blueprints and drawings. As you advance in rating, you are expected to be able to make sketches and drawings. A sketch is made freehand and shows rough out- lines and only those details that are necessary to visu- alize a system or an object. A drawing is similar to a sketch, but it is made with mechanical drawing instru- ments and is drawn to scale. A blueprint is a duplicate of a drawing or sketch. Usually, only accurate drawings are blueprinted. These blueprints are furnished by the manufacturers of the machinery and equipment installed and used aboard ship, and also by the personnel concerned with the building and maintenance of the ship. Mechanical drawing is a special language and is defined as follows: “A language which uses lines, sym- bols, dimensions, and notations to accurately describe the form, size, kind of material, finish, and construction of an object.” Blueprints are the link between the engineers who design equipment and the people who build, maintain. and repair it. In a comparatively little space, they give a great deal of information in a universal language easily understood. Of the many types of blueprints you may use aboard ship, the simplest one is the plan view. This blueprint shows the position, location, and use of the various parts of the ship. You may use plan views to find your duty and battle stations, the sick bay, the barbershop, and other parts of the ship. In addition to plan views, you will find aboard ship other blueprints called assembly prints. These prints show various kinds of machinery and mechanical equipment. Assembly prints show the various parts of the mechanism, how the parts fit together, and their relation to each other. Individual mechanisms, such as motors and pumps, are shown on unit or subassembly prints. These show location. shape. size, and relationships of the parts of the subassembly or unit. Assembly and subassembly 2-34