Question about a dimension callout that almost got me in trouble

I was working on a set of foundation plans for a new house in Phoenix, and I had a dimension string that was off by a quarter inch on the overall length. The boss caught it during his check before we sent it to the city. I had to go back and re-check every related dimension and detail on that sheet, which took about two hours. It turned out I had typed '23'-6"' instead of '23'-6 1/4"' from my handwritten notes. Has anyone else found a good double-check method for transferring numbers from sketches?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim.charlie23d ago

Do you sketch in pencil or pen? I found switching to pen forces me to be way more deliberate with my notes.

patel.alice23d ago

Honestly @kim.charlie I'm the opposite, I need the freedom to erase. Pencil lets me work out messy ideas first without stressing over every single line. For me that early stage is too stiff if I'm worried about making a permanent mark.

the_kai2d ago

My old art teacher Mr. Jenkins made us use pen for a month, and @kim.charlie is right about it changing how you see mistakes.