Switched from manual drafting to AutoCAD 6 years ago and still miss the feel of pencil on vellum sometimes

I used to hand draft everything for a small firm in Ohio, spending hours on one sheet with a 0.5mm lead and a lot of patience. Then we got bought out and the new boss made us switch to AutoCAD in two weeks, it was rough at first but now I can't imagine going back. Does anyone else ever feel like they lost a skill they were proud of even though the new way is faster?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbara_taylor831mo ago

Oh man, "0.5mm lead and a lot of patience" really hit me. I still have a scar on my finger from gripping my drafting pencil too hard for years, lol. But honestly, I miss the smell of ammonia from the blueprint machine more than the actual drafting. Now I just get headaches from staring at layers and hatches for 8 hours straight.

angelac631mo ago

Did you ever try drafting on that green Mylar film instead of vellum? My buddy Tom swears by it, says the pencil dragged way better. He was a die-hard hand drafter at a firm in Pennsylvania for 20 years. When they switched to CAD, he fought it hard. Wouldn't touch a mouse, called it a toy. Eventually the boss gave him an ultimatum. He quit instead. Last I heard he's working at a print shop. But he still talks about drafting like it was a lost art or something.