Can you do Drafting at home?

[Kendall]

Is there a way to teach/learn drafting at home? It was suggested in another thread that drafting was a good course to have for a future engineer. How are you getting drafting for your children?

Thanks!

[clwcain]

Everything I have is for hand drafting in the theater. I know most "real" architectural drafting today is done by CAD, but all my buddies have told me they are grateful someone compelled them to learn by hand early in their education (either in college or their first "real" job).

Sorry I don't have a recommendation for you, though.

[Michelle in AL]

There is a class taught at Potter's School Computer Assisted Drafting and Design using the computer program that most drafting professionals use. My dd is taking this class now and really enjoys it. No prior drafting skills are necessary.

[Laurel-in-CA]

Timberdoodle.com sells a series of perspective drawing workbooks (3, I think) followed by a CD of more drawings. I would consider these foundational to drafting. I have my ds (14) doing some of it this year, assuming he will take a drafting class at CC next year, and possibly the CAD class after that. Also, your library may have a number of books on drafting. If you combined these with some woodworking projects - requiring drawing out the project & estimating costs before/instead of finishing the project, you'd have a lot of practical learning.

[Gwen in VA]

My future engineer is going to take drafting through the local CC. Most of the drafting classes at the CC are CAD classes, but there is a set of two classes that teach drafting the old-fashioned way -- with pencil and paper -- and those two are the ones we are interested in.

[clwcain]

Hand drafting will give you a real appreciation of what CAD offers, and what its drawbacks are. Thus sayeth all the old timers I know in both engineering and theater. :)

[Nan in Mass]

My father is teaching/has taught my children some. You would need a drafting board (sold at art supply places or perhaps Staples) and a drawing set (Staples has them) that includes a compass. You could find an old textbook that teaches drafting on alibris.com or at the library. Or I've heard that the Keys to series geometry teaches lots of construction (geometry construction involves drawing things with just a compass and a straightedge). Just some ideas...

[Melissa in CA]

My son used this in high school http://www.academicsuperstore.com/products/Insight+Technical+Education/Technical+Books/750091

He loved it! You can also find free downloadable CAD programs online. The book will give you a list of items needed such as squares, templates, etc. It was probably his favorite subject in high school. When he graduated in 11th grade the first class he took at our community college was an engineer applied drafting class...he got A's all the way through.

[Kendall]

Thanks for all of the great information everyone! Melissa-did your son work through that in a semester or did it take a year? Had he done the Complete-a-sketch program before this?

[Melissa in CA]

Thanks for all of the great information everyone! Melissa-did your son work through that in a semester or did it take a year? Had he done the Complete-a-sketch program before this?

I think he completed it in a semester, and no, he had not done any of the Complete-a-Sketch books. I have them, and honestly they would have been far to easy for him at that age.

[Judy]

Our son also used the Practical Drafting - Applied Engineering Graphics Workbook by Melvin Peterman (the same book that Melissa in CA's son used) in high school. He did well with it. I was amazed at the finished drawings. It really helps and improves attention to detail. Here is the website of the author: http://www.sixbranches.com/PD.htm I e-mailed the author with questions about the program and he was most helpful. He also confirmed that even though most architectural drawing is now done via CAD it is helpful to have had the experience of hand drawing first. I hope this helps!!
Blessings,
Judy