You know your an old draughtsman when...

[WilliamSeward]

I guess I belong in the museum. I started on the board basically in 1968. Self taught in Acad11 in '86. I feel like I've lived most of what was discussed here. Thanks for the memories.

[Cunha]

I guess I belong in the museum. I started on the board basically in 1968. Self taught in Acad11 in '86. I feel like I've lived most of what was discussed here. Thanks for the memories.

 

I started AutoCad on 1.4 version, at that time there was no mouse (only Apple had, I think for games) AutoCad was considered a joke but soon lost the funny when it began to interpret the AutoLisp, I believe in version 2.6. At that time a 100 km road project could take years, now (if you know what you are doing) a few weeks. The problem is that old-time road project gave jobs to many dozens of people for a long time and now less than the fingers of one hand for a few days.

[ammobake]

You know you're an old draftsman...

 

If you've been using a Rosin bag longer than the all-star pitchers on TV.

 

If your original blueprint room was not ventilated in any way.

 

If your drafting instructor from H.S. thought Autocad was a new type of drafting pencil.

 

If your first set of blueprints came out solid blue.

 

If you've ever considered buying vintage drafting furniture for your house.

 

If you've ever used drafting scale to measure a line on your computer screen.

 

-ChriS

[Dana W]

You know you're an old draftsman...

 

 

If you've ever used drafting scale to measure a line on your computer screen.

 

-ChriS

That one actually works, if you generate a PDF of the drawing and select "Actual Size" in the Adobe Reader display options, and if you have your monitor set to native resolution.

Done all the rest too, except my high school drafting teacher (class of '67) had never heard of a computer, so...

 

For a while, I had a drafting table and stool I bought at a surplus auction from the Washington Navy Yard in 1970. It was manufactured in the early 1940's.

[Dadgad]

I was in junior high in drafting class, when the announcement came over the intercom that JFK had been shot, 1963.

[ammobake]

ya if you select 100% scale in adobe you can measure the screen.

 

I will say that some of that vintage drafting gear is freakin sweet. Of course that was back when craftsmanship was more important than aesthetics.

 

There are companies that have magazines where you can go through and they sell like old trunks and stuff. There's a section in there for vintage drafting gear with old handmade tables and adjustable lamps with the handle. All kinds of cool stuff.

 

Can't remember the name of the company off-hand .

 

-ChriS

[FJLForward]

You spell the word "draughtsman" using the old English version

 

You learnt your craft and skills on a real drawing board with real hands on stencils, hand lettering, set sqares, French curves etc.

 

You were in demand for your skill, speed and presentation abilities in more than one country at the same time, at opposite ends of the world ( ie. Melbourne Australia, and London UK)

 

You used your lamp to dry the ink

 

You changed the drawing standards slightly and was prized for the ability to get away with it, by being head hunted for work on multiple fronts because your drawings were more easily read

 

You understood draughting was about knowing your symbols for each discipline and could move from one disciplined drawing to another without blinking

 

You have used 3 different types of draughting nibs/pens, used linen, cellulose, and plastic film, understood you various erasers and scalpel blades (used for scraping without making holes in drawing surfaces, not suiscide attempts)

 

Could work as a team member to get a drawing completed from design to contract ready within 2 to 2 1/2 weeks not 4 to 4 1/2 months drawn on the drawing board

 

Had to learn how to use more than one CAD program

 

Had to revise CAD operators drawings continuously because the end concept wasn't totally comprehended

 

Was able to draw bidwork presentation drawings for the collaborating of companies to work together

 

You have a briefcase crammed with draughting apparatus stuck away in the back of a cupboard

 

When lecturers tell you could not have made your own teachers resources as the diagrams are too professional looking

[WilliamSeward]

I was in a slightly different industry. Structural/miscelleneous steel detailing. But I can definitely identify with most of that!

[AdamW]

You went home rather pungent from spending a good part of the day at the dyeline printer.

You have a scale rule in feet and inches in your desk (UK).

A scale rule was not for drawing straight lines!

Theres an old school architect down my way that still sends me dyeline prints in the post. Up until a few years back he still drew in feet and inches. If you tell him you need the drawings urgently then he puts a first class stamp on them!!

[CyberAngel]

There was a period when my father would run a set of blueprints for a deadline. To get them to the architect on time, he would take them downtown and put them on a Trailways bus.

[Dana W]

It's 1970, one year out of the U. S. Army, three years out of high school. After weeks of drawing on paper vellum, 3 to 4 Hours in front of a Diazo blueline printer, fold 12 sets of 24" x 36" plans just so, with the title block showing in the outside lower right hand corner, jump in the car, and haul hiney to the surveyor, or architect, or the city permit office, or the job site, or the contractor's office, or combine any of the above in one trip. No mileage or gas reimbursement, just get it done.

 

It's forty-seven years later. After one week of AutoCad work, its Output Tab, Batch Plot tile, publish button, zip it, email it in under 5 minutes, and I get asked why they couldn't have it sooner.

[Eurodude]

Mine too - I remember it was big money for someone on an apprentice wage.

[brasscastle]

"Did you hear about the draftsman who died? He couldn't draw his breath." (bequeathed to me by one Frank Hancock, civil engineer and surveyor who drafted old-style, pre-CAD)

 

"Never draft more in a day than you can erase in the last half hour of the day." (advice from one Alan Farmer of Lexington, KY, back in the late 1980s)