# What type of wood should I use for my drafting table?



## JoeD (Aug 1, 2014)

I've got an old drafting table that has a wood tabletop. I want to replace the tabletop because over the years I've gotten gorilla glue, paint and a bunch of other stuff that has hardened and I'm sick of drawing around all the bumps. I'd like to replace it with something that is soft enough to pin drawings down with thumb tacks but is sturdy. Any recommendations?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

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JoeD said:


> I've got an old drafting table that has a wood tabletop. I want to replace the tabletop because over the years I've gotten gorilla glue, paint and a bunch of other stuff that has hardened and I'm sick of drawing around all the bumps. I'd like to replace it with something that is soft enough to pin drawings down with thumb tacks but is sturdy. Any recommendations?


You could replace it with most any substrate, and cover it with a drawing board cover, called Vyco, or AKA Borco. It's a sheet that you can tape/glue down that you can write on, and pin to if need be. 
http://www.artsupply.com/alvin/vyco.htm


















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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

JoeD said:


> I've got an old drafting table that has a wood tabletop. I want to replace the tabletop because over the years I've gotten gorilla glue, paint and a bunch of other stuff that has hardened and I'm sick of drawing around all the bumps. I'd like to replace it with something that is soft enough to pin drawings down with thumb tacks but is sturdy. Any recommendations?


For probably less work and cost you could refinish the top you have. If you just want a new top I would use the same type of wood the rest of the table is made out of. What I like for the drawing surface is glass. With glass it can be back-lit so if you are making multiple copies with different versions you don't have to scale every drawing, you can just trace it.


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## JoeD (Aug 1, 2014)

Steve Neul said:


> For probably less work and cost you could refinish the top you have. If you just want a new top I would use the same type of wood the rest of the table is made out of. What I like for the drawing surface is glass. With glass it can be back-lit so if you are making multiple copies with different versions you don't have to scale every drawing, you can just trace it.


I started to refinish it. Trying to get some really stubborn glue off, I ended up gouging the wood top a bit so I stopped. The rest of the table is metal so I can't just match up the wood.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

JoeD said:


> I started to refinish it. Trying to get some really stubborn glue off, I ended up gouging the wood top a bit so I stopped. The rest of the table is metal so I can't just match up the wood.


A gouge of less than, lets call it 1/16 of an inch, isnt too hard to fix. Grab your favorite belt sander and go to town


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## woodchux (Jul 6, 2014)

Good advice Joe, from previous posts! Have done many drawing designs on a drafting table covered in Vyco, using both tape and tacks to hold drawings in place. Consider filling your table top gouges with wood filler, sand, and cover with a sheet of Vyco. I've edged my board with waxed aluminum U channel so the T square slides smoothly. Work safe.
woodchux


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*the old boards were a glue up*

Some of the older drafting boards I've seen were glued up narrow pieces of softwood, usually Pine to allow push tacks. They had breadboard ends for the T square to slide on.

You can either.... remove the board and take it to a cabinet shop with a wide belt sander for a very nice new surface OR cover it with the suggested vinly drafting surface, OR replace it with a new 3/4" Pine/Aruco plywood.

I would NOT take a belt sander to anything I wanted a nice surface on. :no: It takes real skill and a lot of practice to use one and get good results. DAMHIKT.
It is good for removing "bumps" but not for eliminating "gouges".


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I guess if the base of the table is metal you could use any kind of wood. If you have other furniture in the room it might be good to match them. Most of the drafting tables I've seen used birch or maple. The one I built for myself is made out of red oak.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

What you intend to use the top for may direct what to use. For drawing, a surface not too hard and not too soft would be ideal. You could just block sand the top flat and glue down a piece of ¼" Maple plywood. Or adding the Vyco board cover would make for a good writing surface. IMO, glass would be too hard, and it doesn't take push pins.

















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