| The title "general drafter" suggests that this type of | | | | drafting, then architectural, both residential and |
| draftsman or drafter draws most anything required | | | | commercial, then steel fabrication. That adds up to |
| of them to draw. And that is quite correct to a | | | | four different disciplines so far. |
| certain degree, as long as they are trained in various | | | | Finally I opened a drafting office with a clientele that |
| disciplines of drafting. | | | | included a large area dairy company, two plastic |
| I will give you a for instance and you will need to | | | | injection molding companies, several home builders, an |
| read carefully to keep up. My original training involved | | | | automotive parts manufacturer, a civil engineer, and |
| mechanical drafting which is the art of making | | | | two surveyors. |
| technical drawings for machine and fabrication shops. | | | | The injection molding companies had me create quite |
| This was through courses given while I was in the | | | | a few parts and then patent drawings over the |
| U.S. Navy and in its self is one discipline. | | | | years which added a fifth discipline of patent drafting. |
| When I left the navy, I found a job with a land | | | | The dairy company hired me many times to create |
| surveyor who was willing to train me in the field of | | | | loading dock fixtures from their designs which added |
| boundary and topographical survey drafting. This | | | | a sixth discipline in another form of mechanical |
| gave me my second drafting discipline. This surveyor | | | | drafting. The automotive company along with the |
| from time to time would hire me out to an architect | | | | dairy, and plastics manufacturers all had me to create |
| who worked closely with his surveying office. This | | | | plant layouts, which added a seventh discipline called |
| particular architect would have me to revise his | | | | industrial layout. |
| drawings according to his specifications. This exposed | | | | The plastics companies both had me to take the |
| me to architectural drafting in a major way. | | | | drawings I had created of their parts and turn them |
| Then, later on in my career I trained in architectural | | | | into sales brochures. Since many of these had to be |
| drafting to create residential and commercial building | | | | in a real life type drawing, I had to learn and master |
| plans from sketches and ideas of an architect. I | | | | 3D modeling. So that created the eighth discipline, |
| apprenticed under this professional for years and | | | | commercial illustration. |
| from time to time was asked to create drawings for | | | | And that is the definition of a general drafter. |
| structural steel to be built in a steel fabrication shop | | | | Actually, over the years I have had drafters under |
| for the buildings he designed by the steel fabricator | | | | me, giving the title of senior and then master drafter. |
| that the architect worked closely with. | | | | There is quite a bit that can be accomplished if you |
| So far then I received training and experience in | | | | just put your mind to it. And mind you, this took well |
| mechanical drafting, boundary and topographical | | | | over thirty years to complete. |