As you know, I am a songwriter / musician but I thought you would enjoy learning a bit about my day job...
When I was a young boy, living in Bremerhaven, Germany, the United States was enjoying a Camelot like love for our president John and Jackie Kennedy. They were a fresh new couple that created a modern approach to the turbulent times the world was going through. All we saw in those days on television were images of the White House and Capitol building. Those two wonderful structures and their architecture sure lit a fire in me that still resonates today. I would see their wonderful staircases and the dome of the capitol building then draw them in detail. My mind would wonder about what other awesome things were inside. I was so enamored by the architecture and my drawings reflected an artistic talent so my mother would encourage me to draw. She would display my artwork on the refrigerator for all to see. I didn't realize then that I was beginning to develop a love for drafting.
Later, at Aldine High School in Houston, Texas, I began taking drafting classes. I learned how to use the slide rule and draw on the big board. I loved using the straight edge and the 30, 45, and 60 degree triangles then began learning about geometry...it came to me so easily. I also loved using the compass with extensions to draw big perfect circles. Back then we would use electric erasers and I had a brush to wipe off the lead shavings from the graphite pencils. Also, we would use a powdered pounce to clean up any smears on our drawings. Pentel pencils came in a variety of thicknesses and I used them all for my line weights. Before beginning, I would carefully study my projects thoroughly so my drawings were diametrically proportional (I still use that concept in every drawing that I create today). My drafting became an art form!
My professional drafting career started in 1979 when I was hired on at Specific Equipment Company as a drafting department helper. I would make copies of sepias and reproduce bluelines on ammonia printers as well as file away drawings in an exact numbered sequence. In my spare time I would use a drafting table and draw, learning the products that the company was creating. Eventually, I began improving my skills by revising and producing actual drawings. My penmanship was almost perfect. I produced skid mounted equipment such as watermakers, bilge pumps, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, helicopter refueling units, and other assorted skids. In my assembly drawings with pen and ink, I excelled in a mastery of Leroy Lettering in which I used 125, 250, and 300 templates. I became so precise that you could not tell the difference if it was typed.
In 1981, I accepted a position with Dril-Quip and became their first drafter. The new owners, Larry Reimert, Mike Walker, and Gary Smith gave me a chance to draw their designs and I began producing machine drawings. Larry gave me his layouts from which I created rough machines and final machines. I absorbed the science and specifications of forges and casings. In the first year, I created the first Quik-Stab and Quik-Release connectors then moved on to the first mudline casing hangers which ranged from 9-5/8” to 30” in size. I also helped create running tools and tie-back tools. As Dril-Quip grew and hired other designers, I helped in drafting their completion tools, templates, and subsea casing hangers. At that time, I was pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree and attending North Harris County College but Larry Reimert realized my potential as a natural drafter and encouraged me to leave school to work 10 hours a day with his new company. He advised me to accept his offer of on-the-job training – the equivalent of a degree. I worked with them for six straight years and learned so much about engineering concepts and machining practices.
Due to the downturn in the oilfield economy, I then worked contract for Rogers Design, a division of NASA where I created machine drawings for an exercise bike that was used on the Space Shuttles for many years.
My next assignment was with Ross Hill Controls. I drafted skid mounted housing units that supported the controls and instrumentations for power conversion units. On completing my projects there, I moved on to Specific Equipment Company again. This time I created all the fabrication drawings for their ambitious reverse osmosis watermakers. This included the electrical schematics, flow charts, skid with framing, and writing a technical manual.
Shortly after, I took up an assignment to lead a team of drafters to catalog and photograph a new prototype conveyor for Tex-Marc Conveyors. (The inventor built this original model without aide of professional working drawings.) The purpose of the conveyer was to score and fold cardboard boxes into durable pallets to carry extremely heavy loads. I took all the information and helped put together the drawings needed to make a duplicate for sale.
My next assignment was with Smith International. I created drawings in the Dyna Division for horizontal drilling tools and directional drilling. When my duties there ended, I moved on to Drilex and also created horizontal drilling tools and specifically their stators. At the time I was taking AutoCad certification classes at University of Houston and was applying my new skills.
I moved on to Anderson Greenwood and became a checker for a group of designers. We worked on butterfly valves, check valves, and gate valves in Stafford, Texas. I briefly, went back to Dril-Quip then moved on to Hydril where I applied my AutoCad 3D skills on their blow out preventors.
My next assignment was with Mentor Subsea. Using AutoCad I helped draft drawings for their umbilical connections, control systems, and enclosures. I would also monitor the GPS coordinates of topside vessels that serviced umbilicals to wellhead templates on the ocean floor. I would then translate that information in charts and technical information for their marine engineers in the field.
At Oceaneering Intervention, I was tasked to create drawings for their remote operated vehicles (ROV). One of my duties was to design the flood light assembly. At the time, the company provided ROVs to movie director, James Cameron who was set to shoot his blockbuster hit “The Titanic”. On completing that project, I moved on to Tyco International. Using SolidWorks, I would convert their Gimple valve drawings from AutoCad into 3D. They eventually moved their headquarters to Stafford, Texas and was bought by Dresser-Rand then a great new opportunity arose for me.
For the next six years I worked for SeaRiver Maritime (ExxonMobil) where I learned so much about the monitoring and daily operations of huge oil tankers. I was the sole steward of their drafting department and library. I also documented and set up betterment meetings for our technical and operations manager to delegate work required on the vessels. With a marine engineer, I created AutoCad and SolidWorks drawings or revised files to support the maintenance of these vessels. With my knowledge of PhotoShop, I took on the responsibility of creating signage and other materials for fundraisers and promotions. Due to the aging of the SeaRiver fleet, management did not want to invest any more time and money so they sold off the vessels to make room for future asbuilts (new tankers). Unfortunately, my contract ended at that time.
At Pollution Systems, I was given the opportunity to help design thermal oxidizers and scrubbers. These skid mounted systems entailed intricate piping layouts and came in a variety of sizes. Using AutoCad, I interpreted P&IDs into working fabrication drawings which were general arrangements, assemblies, and service drawings. I would also convert these designs into SolidWorks 3D models.
I also worked various short-term contracts drafting digitized palm reading devices, control system enclosures, and power conversion housing units. To keep my SolidWorks skills current, I have daily worked with online tutorials and am currently attending seminars (Houston SolidWorks Users Group – HOUSUG). I have also been researching new technologies such as Vault, EDPM, Excel, Inventor, Adobe Pro, Access, and AutoCad's newest features.
My love for drafting and design has grown throughout the years and is still fascinates me today. I hope to continue expressing visionary employers' dreams with my drafting and engineering experience. If you are in need of a seasoned professional, please contact me at calvinlunaballi@yahoo.com.