If you mention a drafting table to most people you will likely get a derisive snort or a small smile. While the drafting table was once used for every circumstance where a person needed draw accurate representations for technical, engineering or architectural reasons, they have been mostly replaced these days by computer aided design programs (CAD). That is not to say that the drafting table and those who use them have disappeared. Certainly there are those that still prefer the old ways to the new and the drafting table and all its accoutrements are likely to remain with us for some time yet.

The average drafting table is little more than just what the name implies – table. It is a smooth, flat surface with right-angled corners and straight edges that is often placed at an angle for comfortable use. Attached to the sides of the drafting table is a straight edge that is more commonly known as the t-square. The t-square could be used to easily draw parallel lines and can be moved across the surface of the paper with ease and without too much trouble. The other use for the t-square is to hold in place other objects and items that is used on the drafting table. These are items like setsquares and triangles that, when placed on the t-square and held in place, allow the draftsperson to draw lines at specific angles. The person sitting at the drafting table also used other bits and pieces to make their work easier. A common sight at the drafting table was the French curve that was simply a piece of plastic molded with different types of curves and shapes to easily draw them. The compass with which to draw circles and the spline – a piece of rubber-coated articulated metal – could be shaped into the desired curve by the draftsperson.

As has been said, however, the drafting table is starting to become phased out as computers take over the arduous task of drawing the lines. To complete even as simple design using a drafting table takes quite a few hours and so do any corrections that need to be made. This is where the advantages of CAD becomes obvious since the time it takes to make a design is reduced and corrections can be made on screen in a matter of moments. Some would say that you cannot get the same precision on screen that you can with a drafting table and, who knows they may right. The choice to use the traditional drafting table or the new CAD software and hardware is up to the user.

The drafting table may be starting to be phased out in the face of new advances, but it is not dead yet. There are still many who still use it and believe it is the only way. The drafting table has been with us for a long time and it is likely to hang around for a while.