HAND DRAFTING TOOLS
The use of tools is an integral part of hand drafting, and it is important for designers, architects, and engineers to have a thorough understanding of the various tools used in the drafting process. These tools are used in combination to create detailed and accurate drawings. Understanding how to use each tool properly is essential for producing high-quality hand-drawn drafts.
T-Square
A T-square is a straightedge with a perpendicular handle that is used to draw horizontal lines. It is essential for creating accurate and straight lines.
Trianges
Triangles are used to draw vertical and angled lines. They come in different sizes and angles, and each triangle has a different purpose. The most common are the 45/45/90 and the 30/60/90.
Eraser
An eraser is used to remove mistakes or unwanted lines from the drawing.
Eraser Shield
An eraser shield covers the part of the design you want to keep while erasing and allows you to erase with sharp corners.
Drafting Pencils
Pencils are the most common tool used for hand drafting. They come in various grades, from hard to soft, and each grade produces a different line weight.
Compass
A compass is used to draw circles and arcs of various sizes.
Drafting Stencils
Stencils are used to draw common shapes and elements consistently that would be time consuming to draw with out the use of stencils.
Drafting Boards
Drafting Boards hold your paper in place to make it easier to draw lines consistently. They also straight smooth edges to run your T-square along to draw horizontal lines.
Scales
A scale is used to make measurements on a drawing. It allows the designer to accurately transfer measurements from the real world to the drawing.
THE TRIANGLE WHEEL
A triangle wheel or stack involves aligning and stacking drafting triangles of different angles on top of each other to create a combined angle. The purpose of using a triangle stack is to quickly and accurately draw lines at various angles that you would not be able to produce otherwise.
Here's how you can use a triangle stack to produce the angles for the triangle wheel in hand drafting:
Select the desired drafting triangles: Choose two or more drafting triangles of different angles that, when stacked together, will provide the desired angle for your drawing. For example, you might stack a 30-degree triangle on top of a 45-degree triangle to create an angle of 75 degrees.
Align the triangles: Place the first triangle (the larger one, if you're using more than two) on the drawing surface. Ensure that one of its edges aligns with the baseline or reference line from which you want to draw the angled line.
Stack the triangles: Place the second triangle on top of the first one, aligning their common edges. The angle between the two triangles' edges will determine the resulting angle of the line you'll draw.
Hold the stack securely: Ensure that the triangles are aligned and held firmly together to prevent any shifting or movement while you draw.
Draw the line: With the triangle stack in place, use a pencil or technical pen to draw the line along the aligned edges of the triangles. The line will follow the combined angle of the two triangles.
By using different combinations of triangles, you can produce a range of angles for your drawings quickly and accurately.
