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Sections
3
Hand Drafting
Model Making
Miscellaneous
Hand Drafting
You're bound to burn through pencils during long drafting sessions as you will want to continually re-sharpen your pencil to achieve thinner lines, so you want a pencil sharpener that's reliable, effective, and quick. I like this one because it's com...
Electric Pencil Sharpener
You might have thought you left these behind in middle school, but these are necessary for any circular/cylindrical structures you want to design. This particular one comes with extra lead and parts.
Compass & Lead
The brush will allow you to clear eraser dust off your paper and work area without smudging any of your work, and the shield will allow you to erase with more precision by protecting specific areas.
Desk Brush & Eraser Shield
It's convenient to have an eraser readily accessible at the other end of your pencil when drafting so that you don't have to dig through your drawer and interrupt your flow to find one.
Eraser Top
With the exception of organic elements, a lot of what you're drafting will likely be composed of several different geometric shapes, in which case these templates will help your drafting appear clear and consistent.
Geometric Stencils, French Curves
Standard size is 24"x36" so you can also purchase a roll and cut to this size instead of buying pre-cut sheets.
Clearprint 1000H Vellum Sheets
Forgo the mental math! Pro-tip: attach a binder clip to one tip to ensure that you always set down the ruler with the scale you are using facing the desk!
Architectural Scale Ruler
For right angles and vertical lines!
Coopay Large Triangle Ruler Set, 30/60 & 45/90
I initially used these when doing digital illustrations on my iPad but found them extremely helpful when hand drafting as they prevented smudging. The linked item is for right-handed individuals, so make sure to search for a left-handed version if yo...
Artists Glove
Easy fix for drafting storage and transportation. Make sure to find one that is at least 24" (the length of the smallest side of your paper).
Poster Tubes
Model Making
There's no specific size “requirement” for this, but keep in mind that it is going to be your primary work surface and that you will be cutting down materials larger than your usual 8.5"x11" printer paper.
Self-Healing Cutting Mat
This is for smaller cuts and more delicate materials. Blades get dull and need to be replaced, so make sure to purchase extra.
Hobby Knife
This is the knife you'll likely be using most often. OLFA is a trusted brand, but get what feels most comfortable in your grip.
Small Retractable Cutter, 30° Blades
This is for your rougher cuts and thicker materials (essentially a boxcutter).
Heavy-Duty Retractable Cutter, 30° Blades
The corked backing is essential for keeping the ruler in place as you cut against the metal edge. I recommend having one that is at least 12" (longer is good, too), and the smaller one is helpful for finer cuts.
Metal Ruler with Cork Back
for white models and first draft ideas
Bristol Paper Pad
scaled texture sheets
Plastruct
Miscellaneous
In the earlier stages of design, it's helpful to grab a measuring tape, walk up to existing comparable architecture/furniture, and note measurements for you to consider and adjust for the stage.
Tape Measure
familiarize yourself with it while you have the student discount!
AutoCAD