Built my own Drafting Table

As I was saying in a previous post, I built my own drafting table, and can still do traditional drafting on it or sketching.

I also advanced my skill sets by taking Intermediate and Advanced AutoCAD and Intergraph MicroStation. This was added to the Computer Aided Drafting (CAD)/Computer Aided Machining (CAM) and Graphics Interactive Programming Language (GRIP) that I already had under my belt. Later, Unigraphics and Visio-Technical was acquired and used in several positions.

I trained earlier to be a draftsman and did Packaging, Circuit Board Design, Electrical, Electronic, Structural, PLAT, Piping, Drainage, Storage Tanks, Ventilation, Safety Devices, Space Studies, Equipment Placements, as well as drafted Mathematical, Scientific, Technical and Experimental results obtained from physics labs.

The charts, graphs and diagrams done for the University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL) Physics Departments involved the Geology, Mathematics, Nuclear Physics, Astrophysics, Meteorology, and Chemistry Departments.  The results of these charts, graphs and diagrams are found in the following publications: Physical Review Letters, Journal of Chemical Physics, Applied Physics Letters, Astrophysics Journal, Geophysics, and Mathematical Review.

Other drawings that I did as the 'Physics Department Draftsperson' was the design, construction and maintenance of the physics 'black' test boxes, control panels for ionic and molecular collision chambers , and diagraming and fabricating wiring harness to liquid hydrogen and non-terrestrail atmospheres experiments. More on these drawings will appear in the Sketches Page.

The blueprint on the table is of a working steam turbine that I designed to power a student built hovercraft. I was a junior at Redmond High School (RHS) in the Industrial Arts Department (IAD) when I did this. It was during the 1969 - 1970 time frame.

The drafting arm was obtained from a McDonnell Douglas Auction for a mere pittance. The wood is from scrap lumber in my garage.  The front has a wood hinge that will enable the top to tilt from 0 to 90 degrees.  This is farther than most drafting tables which usually tilt up to 45 degrees.	The self sealing surface I purchased from Artmart.  Under the drafting surface is space to store paper, drawings or supplies that I would need. I also have a lamp that is clamped to the top edge so that I can get even lighting.
A closer look at one of the pages of the steam turbine blueprints.  This was done way back in 1969 - 1970 time frame.  Gosh, over fifty years ago!	This is a closeup of the table support that makes the tilting possible. I was going to purchase a pair of locking slides but found that no one sells them. I studied one at artmart and made a few sketches. From this, I purchased supplies from my local hardware store and constructed my own.
Mr Erickson was my teacher in Redmond High School (RHS) Industrial Arts Department (IAD).  Here he is checking the design of the steam engine that I drew when I was a junior there.