How to Draft Multiple Construction Plans

Tape a vellum sheet to a clean, flat surface, parallel to the edge. Ensure the T-square, abutting the edge of the surface, spans across the width of the vellum sheet.

Draft the plan of the structure to scale using an architectural or engineering scale. The architectural or engineering scale measures and determines the size of drawn objects using the scale represented at the end of the architectural or engineering scale. For example, a drawing that's 1/8 inch equals 1 foot, which means 1 inch drawn is equal to 8 feet in reality; it uses the side of the scale with the end labeled "1/8."

Draft all horizontal lines with the T-square, and all vertical lines with the right angle of the adjustable triangle. Use the adjustable edge of the triangle for all diagonal lines. Draw circles of any dimension with the compass. Draft all materials and surfaces with the correct dimensional thickness. For example, a wall should appear as two lines, and a door appears as a rectangle, correctly dimensioned.

Draft, next to the plan or on a vellum sheet overlaid on the plan, the elevations and sections to scale by pulling horizontal and vertical lines from the line intersections of the plan. The vellum is slightly transparent, so you can easily trace and draw over underlays. Draw all elevations and sections to the same scale used for the plan.

Draft detail drawings, such as section details and detail plans, at a scale larger than the initial drawings. If your general overall plans, sections and elevations from Steps 2, 3 and 4 are drawn at 1/8 inch equals 1 foot, then draw your details at 1/4 inch equals 1 foot or greater, such as 1/2 inch equals 1 foot, 1 inch equals 1 foot, or 3 inches equals 1 foot. Ensure all drafted elements are drawn to the correct dimensions and orientation.

Annotate all of the drawings with drawing labels, materials, dimensions and notes. Provide a title block in the lower right corner of the vellum, which provides the project name, address, date, draftsperson, scale and any drawing revisions. The text should be no smaller than 3/32 inch and no larger than 1/4 inch.

Reproduce the drawings by tracing the lines and text onto an overlaid vellum sheet. To create multiple copies, take the drawings to a printing company for diazo prints or photocopies. Diazo printing reproduces drawings by transmitting light through a drawing onto a special chemically coated paper. The light changes the color of the paper to white and the locations of the transmitted lines change to blue. Diazo prints, or blue line drawings, are the contemporary version of the classic blueprint. Drawing photocopying requires a large format copier, but the process is the same as standard photocopying.