Lesson 1: Drafting Equipment – Tools And Materials
Pencils/ leads
Pencils are quite obviously a necessary tool for drafting, but it is important to realize that drafting pencils are not the same as regular pencils. There are 17 different grades of drafting pencils that range from very hard to very soft. (Figure – 11) Draftsmen typically want to use a pencil that leaves a very sharp and dense line because this facilitates printing. Pencils are available in different shapes like cylindrical, round and hexagonal but hexagonal is preferred for its good grip. (fig.12) Pencils of a superior quality only should be used. Chief among the characteristics of standard pencils are correct and uniform grading, resistance to wear, and the absence of grit in the graphite. For sketching, a soft pencil designated by the letter B is appropriate; a 2B pencil may also be used. If a softer grade is used, the drawing is liable to become soiled. Suitable pencils for preliminary work are B and HB; for finished drawings, H and 2H. A pencil harder than 2H will indent the paper and make erasures difficult. Figure – 13)
Fig. 13 Different thickness of graphite and plastic leaded pencils
Care
Never sharpen the pencil over the drawing or close to any of your equipment.
Always keep the lead sharp.
A fine pen is used to draw permanent, accurate lines. Fine pens are available with various thicknesses of 'tips'. They are especially useful for printing and placing notes alongside designs and sketches. They are also used for producing the final outline of a design. Fine pens are relatively cheap and come in a range of colours. Drafting powder is used to prepare the surface of the media to accept ink better. Another type of drafting powder is used to keep the drafting media clean while working with lead. This is available in a porous bag which is dusted on the media and which spreads when the tools being used are moved over the media.
HB 
Participants