Vent: Everyone says to use 0.5mm mechanical pencils for drafting but I tried 0.7mm for 3 months straight

I switched to 0.7mm after my 0.5mm lead kept snapping during a big set of floor plans for a school renovation. At first I thought the thicker lines would look messy but honestly my hand cramped way less and I stopped having to redo edges. The secret is keeping a good sharpener nearby so the tip stays clean. Has anyone else ditched the super fine lead and had better luck with something thicker?

2 comments

2 Comments

luna_craig581d ago

Okay but that's exactly the problem right there. You say you stopped having to redo edges but with a 0.7mm you're losing that crisp precision that makes a real set of plans look professional. The thicker lead just blunts out every corner and then you're relying on luck with a sharpener instead of just using the right tool from the start. A decent 0.5mm with the right lead hardness won't snap if you're not bearing down like you're chiseling stone. The whole point of drafting is fine detail work not just getting lines on paper any way possible. I tried 0.7mm for about two weeks and went back because the thicker lead made my details look fuzzy especially on scales under 1/4 inch.

nathan1931d ago

Yeah but fuzzy details beat broken leads every time...

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