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Thread: Cool tool: Draftette

  1. #1

    Default Cool tool: Draftette

    My grandfather had this device - it's called a Draftette, and it consists of a drafting machine mounted inside a legal-size folio. I think it could make for a useful portable precision cartography tool! I just need to grab a legal-size bristol pad. I don't know if they ever made these in other sizes.

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    For those not familiar with drafting machines, also called drafting arms: it's a tool use in engineering and architecture in pre-computer days. The arm linkage keeps the straightedges parallel as you move them over the surface of the paper. Unscrewing the knob a quarter turn lets you adjust the angle of the straightedges. So it's nearly trivial to put down parallel lines at various angles on the paper.

    I put an extremely rough five-minute sketch map in there for you - nothing special, except that it measures 3x5", has 1/4" borders, and the windrose has rhumb lines at 15 degrees, all just because I could do that easily with the tool.

  2. #2
    Professional Artist Tiana's Avatar
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    That's a lovely tool.

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  3. #3

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    that looks super cool/useful! I'm still in the dabbling stage of drawing maps for invented worlds but I might have to see about getting something like that. at least the drafting machine itself - drawing nice, parallel lines like that is NOT in my innate skill set by any means, haha. :-)

  4. #4
    Guild Journeyer
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    seems to be a very useful tool, thank you!

  5. #5
    Community Leader Jaxilon's Avatar
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    That is pretty cool. I wish I had one.
    “When it’s over and you look in the mirror, did you do the best that you were capable of? If so, the score does not matter. But if you find that you did your best you were capable of, you will find it to your liking.” -John Wooden

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