Overheard a young apprentice say 'drafting is just copying lines' and it really got under my skin

3 comments

3 Comments

What does that kid think is holding up the roof over his head right now? Those lines are a set of instructions that turn into real things that have to work. It's not copying, it's translating an idea into something a person with tools can actually build. Get one angle wrong and the whole thing is just a fancy, expensive mistake.

ruby5612mo ago

Ever wonder why old buildings are still standing after a hundred years? I used to think blueprints were just boring copies too, but my dad's a plumber and he showed me what happens when a pipe drawing is off by an inch. It's not just lines on paper, it's the whole plan to keep water from flooding someone's kitchen. That mistake costs real time and money to fix, and you can't just hit undo. Betty's totally right, it's a translation, and the translator has to be perfect.

the_lisa2mo ago

Exactly. My uncle's a carpenter, says the same thing.