Drafting

Drafting is a complex system of drawing plans for construction of objects. These objects can be as simple as a bookcase or as complex as a skyscraper. A draftsman must understand many areas of mathematics, including trigonometry and geometry. Precise drawing to scale is paramount in this profession. Engineers and architects must become prolific in understanding the terminology and symbols in order to read the blueprints, which result from the planning stage.

Proper equipment and supplies are critical items in a draftsman’s office. A drafting table must be solidly built to withstand the pressure of daily use. Straightedges, T-Squares, and rulers are critical for precise measurements to ensure that the end product will dovetail together in the appropriate places. Templates of all variations provide the ability to move things around while a project is in the planning stages. A compass is a necessity for drawing circles and half circles. Proper pens and pencils allow for transferring information onto vellum paper and tracing paper, which are essential items, as well.

Three-view drawings aid the designer to observe the object from various sides and determine how wide, high, and deep the proposed object will be. Using the three-view drawings, the draftsman can produce an isometric or oblique drawing of the object. Either of these two methods will produce a three-dimensional view of the object. Metric scales and mechanical drafting scales are critical in generating accurate measurements for production purposes.

Today, Computer Aided Design (CAD) is an immense step forward in drafting plans, as well as making corrections, in a shorter time frame. This allows quicker turnaround to meet construction deadlines.