Drawing board

The drawing table used to be a frequent companion to a pedestal desk in a study or private library, during the pre-industrial and early industrial era.

During the Industrial Revolution, draftsmanship gradually became a specialized trade and drawing tables slowly moved out of the libraries and offices of most gentlemen.

More recent practice is to use self-adhesive drafting tape to secure paper to the board, including the sophisticated use of individualized adhesive dots from a dispensing roll.

Boards used for overlay drafting or animation may include registration pins or peg bars to ensure alignment of multiple layers of drawing media.

The steel frame allows mechanical linkages to be installed that control both the height and angle of the drafting board surface.

A heavy counterweight full of lead shot is installed in the steel linkage so that if the pedal is accidentally released, the drafting board will not spring into the upright position and injure the user.

A board cover must be frequently cleaned to prevent graphite buildup from making new drawings dirty.

At the bottom edge of the table, a single strip of aluminum or steel may serve as a place to rest drafting pencils.

Drafting machines use pre-calibrated scales and built in protractors to allow accurate drawing measurement.