# Choose Your Drawing Type

Part of the Drafting Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/drafting/guide/index.md)

*2. Manual Drafting Project*

> **2.** Using the formatted sheet of paper you prepared for your manual project, produce a pencil drawing as it would be used for manufacturing. Fill in all title block information. The manual drawing may be any one of the following drawing types:

This is the centerpiece of the merit badge — a hand-drawn technical drawing created with pencil, straightedge, and scale. You will choose **one** of three drawing types: architectural, mechanical, or electrical. Read through all three options below, then pick the one that interests you most and matches your available tools.

**Remember: you only need to complete ONE of these options.**

---

### Option A: Architectural Drawing

> **2a.** Architectural: Make a scale drawing of an architectural project. The architectural drawing may be a floor plan; electrical, plumbing, or mechanical service plan; elevation plan; or landscaping plan. Use an architect's scale and show dimensions to communicate the actual size of features. Include any important sectional drawings, notes, and considerations necessary for construction. Properly print a bill of materials for at least three of the raw materials or components in the project.

An architectural drawing communicates the design of a building or structure. The most common type for this badge is a **floor plan** — a top-down view showing walls, doors, windows, and room labels as if you sliced the building horizontally about four feet above the floor.

**What you will need:**
- Architect's scale (triangular ruler with multiple scales)
- T-square or parallel straightedge
- Triangles (30-60-90 and 45-45-90)
- Your formatted sheet from Requirement 1

**Key elements to include:**
- **Walls** drawn to scale (typically shown as parallel lines with hatching or solid fill)
- **Doors** shown as arcs indicating the swing direction
- **Windows** shown as breaks in the wall with parallel lines
- **Dimensions** showing actual room sizes, wall thicknesses, and overall building dimensions
- **Room labels** identifying each space
- **Notes** calling out materials, finishes, or construction methods
- **A bill of materials** listing at least three raw materials (e.g., 2x4 lumber, drywall, concrete)

> **Tip**
>
> A great beginner project is to draw a floor plan of your own bedroom or a single room in your house. Measure the room with a tape measure, note the positions of doors and windows, and draw it at 1/4" = 1'-0" scale. This scale works well for most rooms on B-size paper.

**Using an architect's scale:**

An architect's scale has multiple scales printed on its edges. The most common for residential drawings is 1/4" = 1'-0", which means every 1/4 inch on your drawing represents 1 foot in real life. To draw a 12-foot wall, you would measure 3 inches on your paper using the 1/4-inch scale edge.

![An architect's triangular scale ruler with a close-up view showing how to read the 1/4 inch scale markings](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-800/mbu-assets/merit-badges/drafting/guide/architects-scale-reading?v=f5ab5e4a)

---

### Option B: Mechanical Drawing

> **2b.** Mechanical: Make a scale drawing of some mechanical device or interesting object. The mechanical drawing may be of the orthographic (third-angle) or isometric style. Use an engineer's scale and show dimensions to communicate the actual size of features. Include any important sectional drawings, notes, and manufacturing considerations. Properly print a bill of materials for at least three of the raw materials or components in the assembly.

A mechanical drawing shows a physical object — a tool, a device, a bracket, a toy — with enough detail that someone could manufacture it. The two main styles are:

**Orthographic (Third-Angle) Projection** — Shows the object from three views: front, top, and right side. Each view shows the object as if you are looking straight at it from that direction. This is the standard for manufacturing drawings in the United States.

**Isometric Drawing** — Shows the object in a 3D-looking view where all three axes (width, height, depth) are drawn at equal angles (30 degrees from horizontal). Isometric drawings give a good visual sense of the object's shape but are not used for dimensioning in manufacturing.

![Third-angle orthographic projection diagram showing front, top, and right side views of an L-shaped bracket with projection lines connecting features](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-800/mbu-assets/merit-badges/drafting/guide/orthographic-projection-views?v=4fb31de8)

**Good project ideas:**
- A simple hand tool (hammer, wrench, screwdriver)
- A bookend, phone stand, or shelf bracket
- A game piece or puzzle
- A birdhouse or toolbox

> **Did You Know?**
>
> Orthographic projection has two main systems: third-angle (used in the United States, Canada, and Australia) and first-angle (used in Europe and most of Asia). They arrange the views differently on the page. A small symbol in the title block — either a truncated cone in a circle or a truncated cone beside a circle — tells the reader which system was used.

**Key elements to include:**
- At least two orthographic views (front and top, or front and side) OR one isometric view
- Dimensions with proper dimension lines, extension lines, and arrowheads
- Notes on materials and manufacturing methods
- A bill of materials for at least three components or raw materials
- A section view if the object has interior features that are not visible from the outside

---

### Option C: Electrical Schematic

> **2c.** Electrical: Draw a simple schematic of a radio or electronic circuit. Properly print a bill of materials including all of the major electrical components used in the circuit. Use standard drawing symbols to represent the electronic components.

An electrical schematic is a diagram that shows how electronic components connect to form a circuit. Unlike architectural and mechanical drawings, schematics are usually **not drawn to scale** — the layout is arranged for clarity, not to represent physical positions.

**Standard symbols you will use:**

| Component | Symbol Description |
|-----------|-------------------|
| Resistor | Zigzag line |
| Capacitor | Two parallel lines with a gap |
| Inductor | Series of loops |
| Diode | Triangle pointing at a line |
| Transistor | Circle with three leads (base, collector, emitter) |
| Battery | Alternating long and short parallel lines |
| Ground | Three horizontal lines decreasing in length |
| Switch | Break in the line with a hinged connector |

**Good project ideas:**
- A simple AM radio circuit
- An LED flashlight circuit with resistor and switch
- A basic amplifier circuit
- A 555 timer circuit (used in thousands of electronics projects)

> **Tip**
>
> If you choose the electrical option, start by finding a simple circuit schematic online or in an electronics book. Redraw it by hand using the proper standard symbols. Make sure your lines are clean and your connections are clearly shown with dots at junction points.

**Key elements to include:**
- All components drawn with standard IEEE/ANSI symbols
- Component labels (R1, R2, C1, etc.)
- Component values (10kΩ, 100μF, etc.)
- Connection dots at wire junctions
- Power supply connections (V+ and ground)
- A bill of materials listing all major components with their values and quantities

[Introduction to Engineering Drawing — MIT OpenCourseWare](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/2-007-design-and-manufacturing-i-spring-2009/pages/related-resources/): MIT's engineering design resources including dimensioning conventions and drawing standards.

---

### Which Option Should You Choose?

| Option | Best For | You Will Need |
|--------|----------|---------------|
| A — Architectural | Scouts interested in buildings, construction, interior design | Architect's scale, tape measure for measuring real rooms |
| B — Mechanical | Scouts interested in machines, manufacturing, 3D objects | Engineer's scale, an interesting object to draw |
| C — Electrical | Scouts interested in electronics, circuits, radio, robotics | Reference for standard symbols, a circuit to draw |

Talk with your counselor about which option fits your interests. Whichever you choose, your manual drawing for Requirement 2 should be on the formatted sheet you prepared in Requirement 1, with all title block information filled in.

> **Safety First!**
>
> If you measure a real room for an architectural drawing, be aware of your surroundings. Watch out for tripping hazards when stretching a tape measure across a floor, and never climb on furniture or ladders without an adult present.

In Requirement 3, you will create a similar drawing — but this time using CAD software instead of pencil and paper. Completing both gives you a direct comparison of manual and digital drafting.

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- Previous: [Title Block Lettering](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/drafting/guide/req1b/index.md)
- Next: [CAD Design](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/drafting/guide/req3/index.md)