Type H lead normally comes with the pencils.
Go with a 0.3mm pencil for the 4H, a 0.5mm for the 2H, a 0.7mm for the H and a 0.9mm pencil for the 6H. Is 6H really the one wanted? That's about as hard of a lead as you can get. Yea your lines will be light - get out the magnifying glass to see them thus the advice of using it in a larger dia. Thus you can press harder on it with breaking it less such as for sketching. 6H lead is very unusual to be using in drafting. You might find better for the 0.9mm lead to get a type F or 2B lead in it for bold lettering work or other very bold lines. I would also go with type HB for the 0.7mm lead type - type H is jsut too not soft enough but not hard enough either blah plastic like for my own preferred usage.
As above look for a very light weight pencil for your harder lead lines and smaller dia. pencials and ones even of steel or silver and gold plate available
thru say the Office Max for your larger
line sizes or heavier weight lines. Those extra ounces in weight of pencil will become to some extent an advantage in drafting for
line weight.
The Architects scale is above, get a handle for it. This is a clip on 1" long thing that clips onto the scale as a place to hole it but more important makes a definate one side up to the three pointed scale rule. This way when working in say ½" = 1'-0" scale, you won’t have to constantly search for which is the right side up.
Drafting paper is normally for pencil Vellum in type. This will transfer in a blue
line machine in making blue prints and erase fairly well. Make sure you get the right size of paper as it’s available in various sizes and
roll sizes. There is other types of drafting film but they at this
point will be less useful.
Drafting tape is much like
masking tape but a little less sticky than it. Should you get into a pinch just use
masking tape and pre-stick it to your blue jeans so as to
pick up the lint from them and make it a little less sticky. Better than drafting tape is drafting dots. Same tape just 1" circles of it so you don’t have to keep cutting it. Your fingers and drafting table need to be clean while working with drafting tape. Nothing’s worse than when your drafting tape peels off while working on a drawing.
Eraser shields are fairly standard in design though there is one
shield on the market that is a
stage fixture symbol eraser
shield useful later to watch for.
Triangles will vary in size but the
stock sizes are one of 45/45/90 and another of 30/60/90 degree. An adjustable triangle is also very useful as long as a large size of it. After the two types above this would be my third choice to
purchase. Large triangles with at least one
edge 12" long will be very useful. The larger the triangle as long as not over say 12" initially, the more accurate and less you need to move your T-Square or horizontal bar. Very large and small triangles will eventually be useful in dependant upon how long your
line is the difference between drawing a
line and having to constantly move your square to
advance onto the next section of the
line.
After this in add on’s, I would get some Scum X which is basically a can of eraser crumbs that removes smears to some extent and allows a sort of ball bearing between square and triangle or
template and the paper so you don’t further smear your work as stuff moves atop what’s drawn on paper. Otherwise the eraser crumbs are available in
pounce bag form that you shake or sort of blot your work with. THe crumbs in it are a little smaller and less useful but the bag itself can also be useful in removing smears.
You need a rat tail or in other words hair brush to brush off your drawing from the above or erased
line crumbs and pencil dust in keeping it clean. Once clean you also need “Workable Fixative” that will coat the drawing and prevent those lines from smearing all over the place as stuff or even while in a
roll the paper touches it. Very important this fight against smears. Much better to press harder with a harder lead in it not smearing off at times and always do lettering last so as to leave the softest lead on the paper for last. You will constantly have to replace the eraser crumbs in keeping it clean. Workable fixative as opposed to permanent fixative will to some extent allow you to erase your work afterwards.
Eraser, just as pencil leads have various grades, there is various harnesses to pencil erasers from stuff that’s almost like clay and will remove smears very easily to stuff that is like a rubber
block which will remove about anything while it digs
thru your paper. The Pink Pearl brand and type of eraser is the normal eraser and type you will have used in grade school both as what was available to you and on the end of your #2 pencil - which is more like a type H than #2. For drafting the White eraser is a
bit more refined and softer in not only erasing the softer pencil leads better, it’s crumbs will also be more benevolent to your drawing. I might buy two erasers, one pink pearl for work with harder lead and one white stick that is in a pencil like holder for it in use on smears and the soft lead. Always brush completely away what you erase or you will forever be fighting the smears of lead dust on your drawing. After you erase, sprinkle on more eraser crumbs so your triangles glide over the drawing instead of smear the work below it as it moves across it.
Remember to keep them squares,
templates and triangles really clean - in a every day cleaning type of thing. Once the oil from your skin combines with lead dust on them, they will start to stick to your drawing to some degree much less smear easily your work. A multi-surface cleaner for plastic should be provided by the school otherwise protect yourself. Also once dirty your triangles will scratch as the plastic they are very easily.
Compass and dividers. The better the quality, the easier your drafting. Go with what you can afford but never skimp where it comes to a
compass. Nothing worse than a
compass that takes all day to adjust or starts to self adjust as you use it. “Quick
Release” is the king of all compasses in ability to adjust. Also the option of extension bars in making larger circles and changing the tip type so you can use a mechanical pencil for it or inking tools in it is very useful. A $100.00 set is in no way un-reasonable if not on the lower end. Alvin, and Staedler is what I use for my many forms of divider and
compass. The
drop bow
compass is really cool but the circle
template in providing the same circles
in one template is more useful so you don’t need this initially. On dividers, there is some types that have a spring tip and adjustment screw in making a A’ frame to it, and others that have gears atop it. The spring frame A-frames are harder to adjust but on the other
hand also given hardness to adjust also stay at the adjustment you set much better than those with gears above it. Buy one that has the A-shape to it first and the one with the gears and no center screw adjustment for quick measurements later.
After this, two sizes of
compass is normal. The smaller
compass can be a little less expensive but the larger one should be quick
release, extension bar able and have the ability to hold different tips including the ring for mechanical pencils. These mechanical pencil adaptors - while special in type are very useful. Otherwise another thing for your
compass set is both a lead sharpener and sanding stick = sort of like a slapstick in style only it’s a board with a bunch of sheets of sandpaper stapled to it used to sharpen your
compass lead. Short of getting a
flat tip to the
compass your sharp
point tip will last only say an inch before it is sharp at the beginning of your arc and dull at the end of your arc. Type H lead is normal also for your
compass. That’s not bad though I like a nice type B and 2H available when I don’t have the 0.5mm mechanical pencil holder installed. Very nice to have a pre-sized lead in the
compass that will never dull. Can’t recommend enough a
compass that will take a mechanical pencil
adaptor ring and the mechanical pencils designed for compasses for use in drafing.
After these tools,
templates up the wazoo of every and all types for as much as you can afford in all scales but especially in ½" = 1" Scale. Circle
templates, Architect
templates, square
templates, furnature
templates, I-Beam
templates, Landscape
Templates, People
Templates, Lighting and
stock scenery construction
templates, lettering guides that are either just some 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4" bars of space to use your pencil within to
templates more for ink that just let you
trace the letters as you go in having automatic
block letters. Literally hundreds of
templates out there this plus burnishing stickers and other stuff. The drafting stuff available while these days has probably shrunk is still no doubt huge in what’s available. 1/4" scale is normal and useful but ½" scale is the main scale you will work in. Watch for this. In general, all
templates have a use, have one that is the wrong size in scale, it just might be in
template the right scale in drawing something smaller. A
template of just zigzags can be useful for drawing
drapes alone. Stairway zig-zag
templates on a general architect’s
template is also useful for drawing in drape. My I-Beam
template also has a few feet of 2x4's on
line templated 16" on center but of a 1/4" = 1'-0" scale. Fine, guess what in ½" scale it’s now that I use it every other stud in still working for quick
spacing. Drawing a kitchen for a set in ½" scale and need to draw a 14" wide cabinet door that needs to operate, hmm, grab the 1/4" scale architects scale and look for the 2'-4" doorway
template and it’s as easy at that. The more
templates the faster your work.
Hope it helps, lots more to experiment with.