Chapter 3.. Traditional Drafting Tools 2022
Chapter 3.. Traditional Drafting Tools 2022
Chapter 3.. Traditional Drafting Tools 2022
Traditional Drafting
Tools and
Chapter Objectives:
• Describe the tools and techniques used in traditional drafting.
• Use technical pencils, straightedges, triangles, scales, protractors, and templates to construct the geometry of technical
drawings.
• Read a conversion table to convert between decimal, fractional, and metric units.
• Use traditional drafting tools to create multiview drawings of objects including the correct placement and
depiction of visible, hidden, and center lines.
• Hand-letter notes and dimensions on technical drawings that are clear and legible.
Supplemental Files
Refer
Refertotothe
thefollowing
followingwebsites:
websites:
• •Koh-I-Noor:
Koh-I-Noor:http://www.kohinoorusa.com/
http://www.kohinoorusa.com/
• •Alvin:
Alvin:www.alvinco.com
www.alvinco.com
• •Pentel:
Pentel:www.pentel.com
www.pentel.com
• •Staedtler:
Staedtler:www.staedtler.com
www.staedtler.com
In today’s engineering or architectural office, it would be rare for a drafter to create a drawing in the traditional way, but
many of the techniques developed by traditional drafters, like orthographic projection, are still used to create 2D CAD
drawings. The traditional tools discussed in this unit can be purchased through drafting supply outlets.
Shown in Figures 3.1 through 3.3 are examples of traditional drafting equipment. A Drafting machine, or a parallel
straight-edge, attached to the top of a drawing table allows a drafter to draw horizontal lines that are parallel to each
other. Another tool that can be used to draw parallel horizontal lines is a T-Square.
Figure 3.1
Drafting Machine-can be easily adjusted for drawing variable angles. Drafting Machines were once common in engineering offices.
Technical pens and pencils come in differing line widths (.3mm, .5mm, .7mm, .9mm) and leads for technical pencils are
available in a variety of hardness grades depending on the type of work to be performed.
Table 3.1 shows the lead hardness grades and the appropriate application for the leads in each hardness range.
Figure 3.6
To draw vertical lines, the triangle should be placed on top of the straight-edge as in Figure 3.9. In this way you are
assured that a vertical line will be at a 90 degree angle relative to a line drawn along the top of the parallel straight-edge.
Hold both the straight-edge and triangle with your left hand while drawing the vertical line. You can use either the 30-60
triangle (as shown), or the 45 degree triangle.
In Figure 3.10, vertical and horizontal lines have been drawn and the drafter would like to draw a line connecting their end
points. The desired angle does not match one of the triangle’s normal angles (30, 45, 60, or 90 degrees). In this case, the
triangle would be floated and aligned with the ends of the vertical and horizontal lines. The line is drawn between the points
along the edge of the triangle.
Depending on the type of drawing being created, a designer may choose either the Engineer’s, Architect’s, or
Metric scales to measure distances (a Combination scale is also available that has a mix of the most commonly
used scales).
Figure 3.17 Measuring Feet with the Engineer’s 10 Scale-This Scale would be interpreted as 1”=100’
Figure 3.19 Reading Feet and Inches on the Architect’s ¼” equals 1’ Scale
Figure 3.20 Interpreting Inch Marks on the Architect’s 1/2 and 1/8 scales
Figure 3.31 Drawing a Light Construction Line Figure 3.32 Marking the Desired Length with Light Tick Marks
Drafters create drawings on standardized sheet sizes. Sheet size varies with the
type of drawing and/or the unit of measurement used to create the drawing.
For Mechanical drawings, where inches are used as the unit of measurement,
the standard sheet sizes begin with an A size sheet which is 11 X 8.5 inches. A
B size sheet’s dimensions are 17 X 11 which is the equivalent of two A sheets
laid side by side. A C size sheet is 22 X 17 which is the equivalent of two B
sheets laid side by side. A D size sheet is 34 X 22 which is the equivalent of
two C sheets laid side by side. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
standard for Decimal Inch Drawing Sheet Size and Format is ASME
Y14.1 – 2005. Figure 2.45 illustrates the sheet sizes used in mechanical
drawings employing the decimal inch sheet format.
For Mechanical drawings where millimeters are used as the unit of
measurement, an A4 sheet measures 297 X 210, an A3 sheet measures 420 X
297, an A2 sheet measures 594 X 420, and an A1 sheet measures 841 X 594.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers standard for Metric Drawing Figure 2.48
Sheet Size and Format is ASME Y14.1M - 2005. Sheet sizes for a mechanical drawing.
For Architectural drawings where inches are used as the unit of measurement,
an A sheet measures 12 X 9 inches, a B sheet is 18 X 12, a C sheet is 24 X 18,
and a D sheet is 36 X 24.
A high-quality paper known as vellum, or tracing paper, is used to plot
drawings that are intended to be reproduced using the blueprinting process
(more accurately known as blueline prints). Vellum is a strong, thin paper that
allows light to pass through it relatively easily. In order to reproduce a drawing
using the blueline process, light must be able to pass through the paper the
original is drawn on.
Vellum can be purchased in rolls 24” to 36” in width, or in standard sheet
sizes. Vellum can also be purchased with pre-printed title blocks.
It is very important that any hand printed text on a drawing be neat, uniform, and legible. In fact, lettering that does
not have these qualities would be considered unprofessional in most engineering or architectural offices because
illegible handwriting on a design sketch could cause dimensions or notes to be incorrectly translated to a technical
drawing which could lead to a costly mistake on a construction site or manufacturing center – it could even cost a
designer his or her job.
Therefore developing good lettering skills is very important to the training of a drafter/designer. But good
Over time, most drafters and designers develop their own unique lettering style.
Some drafters, especially in the architectural field, develop a lettering style that could be considered an art- form.
While you may never develop a style that qualifies as “art”, with practice you can develop a style that is neat, legible and
consistent.
In the guidelines provided in Figure 3.45, practice lettering the alphabet and numerals. Try to match the lettering style shown in
the example. Lettering should be dark, so press down hard with the pencil when making the strokes that form a letter or numeral.
Figure 3.45 An Example of a Good Technical Lettering Style
Vertical
Lettering
Practice
Inclined
Lettering
Practice
The “THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG” is a pangram – a phase containing all the letters of the alphabet. Practice
lettering the phrase and numerals in the guide lines below.
© Technical Drawing 101 with AutoCAD Smith & Ramirez – All rights
Practice Sheet for Single Stroke Gothic Lettering
Vertical Letters Inclined Letters
© Technical Drawing 101 with AutoCAD Smith & Ramirez – All rights
Practice Sheet for Single Stroke Gothic Lettering
© Technical Drawing 101 with AutoCAD Smith & Ramirez – All rights
Practice Sheet for Single Stroke Gothic Lettering
© Technical Drawing 101 with AutoCAD Smith & Ramirez – All rights
Summary
Although traditional drafting tools are rarely used in modern engineering and architectural offices, many of the same
techniques developed by traditional drafters are still used in the creation of drawings with CAD.
For example, the location of points and planes is still projected between multiviews, only instead of using a drafting
triangle, an AutoCAD drafter uses a drafting setting called Ortho to draw perfectly straight horizontal and vertical lines.
An understanding of how angles are measured with a protractor facilitates drawing angles with CAD.
Drafters and designers often use scales to take measurements off of plotted drawings (which is not always a good idea by
the way) and an understanding of how to interpret an Engineer’s, Architect’s or Metric scale facilitates thinking about
scaling in AutoCAD drawings.
The creation of free-hand sketches with legible lettering remains an important skill in today’s design office.
Every professional drafter/designer, whether traditional or CAD, should develop a free-hand lettering style that is
neat, uniform, and legible to facilitate communication between designers, or between designers and their clients.
Figure 3.46(a) Architectural Lettering Exercise Figure 3.46(b) Mechanical Lettering Exercise
Figure 3.41 Boxing in the Width, Height, and Depth of the Views (Using Dimensions Shown in Figure 3.47)
It is very important that any hand printed text on a drawing be neat, uniform, and legible. In fact, lettering that does
not have these qualities would be considered unprofessional in most engineering or architectural offices because
illegible handwriting on a design sketch could cause dimensions or notes to be incorrectly translated to a technical
drawing which could lead to a costly mistake on a construction site or manufacturing center – it could even cost a
designer his or her job.
Therefore developing good lettering skills is very important to the training of a drafter/designer. But good
Over time, most drafters and designers develop their own unique lettering style.
Some drafters, especially in the architectural field, develop a lettering style that could be considered an art- form.
While you may never develop a style that qualifies as “art”, with practice you can develop a style that is neat, legible and
consistent.
In the guidelines provided in Figure 3.45, practice lettering the alphabet and numerals. Try to match the lettering style shown in
the example. Lettering should be dark, so press down hard with the pencil when making the strokes that form a letter or numeral.
Figure 3.45 An Example of a Good Technical Lettering Style
Vertical
Lettering
Practice
Inclined
Lettering
Practice
The “THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG” is a pangram – a phase containing all the letters of the alphabet. Practice
lettering the phrase and numerals in the guide lines below.
© Technical Drawing 101 with AutoCAD Smith & Ramirez – All rights
Practice Sheet for Single Stroke Gothic Lettering
Vertical Letters Inclined Letters
© Technical Drawing 101 with AutoCAD Smith & Ramirez – All rights
Practice Sheet for Single Stroke Gothic Lettering
© Technical Drawing 101 with AutoCAD Smith & Ramirez – All rights
Practice Sheet for Single Stroke Gothic Lettering
© Technical Drawing 101 with AutoCAD Smith & Ramirez – All rights
Summary
Although traditional drafting tools are rarely used in modern engineering and architectural offices, many of the same
techniques developed by traditional drafters are still used in the creation of drawings with CAD.
For example, the location of points and planes is still projected between multiviews, only instead of using a drafting
triangle, an AutoCAD drafter uses a drafting setting called Ortho to draw perfectly straight horizontal and vertical lines.
An understanding of how angles are measured with a protractor facilitates drawing angles with CAD.
Drafters and designers often use scales to take measurements off of plotted drawings (which is not always a good idea by
the way) and an understanding of how to interpret an Engineer’s, Architect’s or Metric scale facilitates thinking about
scaling in AutoCAD drawings.
The creation of free-hand sketches with legible lettering remains an important skill in today’s design office.
Every professional drafter/designer, whether traditional or CAD, should develop a free-hand lettering style that is
neat, uniform, and legible to facilitate communication between designers, or between designers and their clients.
Figure 3.46(a) Architectural Lettering Exercise Figure 3.46(b) Mechanical Lettering Exercise
Directions
Carefully remove the sheet for Traditional Drafting MATERIAL: MOLYBDENUM
Project 1 (see Figure 3.48) located at the back of this
book and draw the front, top, and right views of the
object in Figure 3.47. Refer to the steps shown in
Figures 3.41 through 3.44 to construct the views.
This drawing employs international units (SI), so use
the Metric scale marked 1:100 (refer to Figure 3.18)
to draw the object full size (1 = 1).
Add dimensions to the views as instructed by your
teacher. Letter your name, the material of the part,
today’s date, and the drawing scale in the
guidelines provided (refer to Figure 3.48).
Figure 3.41 Laying out the Width, Height, and Depth of the Object using dimensions shown in Figure 3.47.
Step 3. Add holes and radii to top view using a circle template. Step 4. Project hidden and center lines between views using orthographic projection techniques.
© Technical Drawing 101 with AutoCAD Smith & Ramirez – All rights reserved.
Step 5. Add dimensions to views – draw guidelines for text..
Directions
Carefully remove the sheet for Traditional
Drafting Project 2 located at the back of this
book. Using the Engineer’s 10 scale (refer to
Figure 3.16), draw the front, top, and right views
of the object in Figure 3.49.
The views will be drawn full scale (1=1). Add
dimensions to the views as instructed by your
teacher. Letter your name, the material of the part,
today’s date, and the drawing scale in the
guidelines provided (refer to Figure 3.49).
Figure 3.41 Laying out the Width, Height, and Depth of the Object using dimensions shown in Figure 3.47.
Green lines represent features projected between views using orthographic projection techniques.
Step 3. Project visible, hidden and center lines between views. Step 4. Add dimensions to views – draw guidelines before lettering text.
© Technical Drawing 101 with AutoCAD Smith & Ramirez – All rights reserved.
Alternative Architectural Traditional Drafting Project
GUEST COTTAGE
• Directions: Print the Cottage Project Sheet.pdf file
located inside the Sketching and Lettering Plates folder of
this book’s file downloads. These downloads are available by
redeeming the access code that comes with this book. Please
see the inside front cover of this book for further details.
Print the pdf “to fit” on a 17 X 11 size sheet.
Then draw the floor plan of the Guest Cottage. Using the
Architects scale (refer to Figure 3.19), draw the plan at a
scale of ¼” =1’-0”. Draw the walls 4-1/2” wide.
Your instructor will provide an architectural template for adding
the plumbing fixtures and doors.
Apply dimensions as shown at right.
Fill in the window schedule as shown below.
Letter your name and scale in the guidelines provided.
Bathroom Fixtures
Use an Architectural Template to
add the tub, toilet, and lavatory. See
dimensions in sketches below. Do
not include dimensions on drawing.
Center the toilet on the window
labeled B.
The Cottage Project Sheet.pdf file used for the optional traditional drafting projects is located inside the Sketching and Lettering Plates folder of this book’s file downloads. These downloads are available
Figure 3.48
Finished
Project 3-4
Figure 3.52
Traditional Drafting Project 4
Project 3-5
Figure 3.53
Traditional Drafting Project 5