Martin Universal Design 16" x 21" Pro-Draft Deluxe Adjustable Parallel Straightedge Board, White Melamine, 1 Each (U-PEB1621K)

The Martin Universal Design Adjustable Angle Parallel Drawing Board was everything I needed, plus a whole lot more. I am incredibly pleased with the design, durability, and functionality. I have no complaints; this drawing board has far exceeded my expectations.I paint with both oils and acrylics, plus I use a multitude of unusual methods, mediums, and accessories. Things can get messy and destructive very quickly. I've chewed through more art surfaces than I can remember over the last 30 years, but this board has been able to withstand some of my heaviest and strangest creations. I am not gentle, but this drawing board likes it rough. We're a perfect match.The main surface:It is flat, smooth, and even. Perfect for all kinds of drawing, painting, and sculpting needs. It's great for smoothing clay and tacky glues, too. I've painted directly on it and then carefully peeled it off to create neat textures for some unique pieces. I have scraped the surface mercilessly with palette knives, pounded on it, accidentally rammed it with carving tools, and rubbed it vigorously with solvents and other paint-melting liquids, plus I ran some gnarly sandpaper over the surface (on accident) and it doesn't show a single sign of wear and tear.Construction:This board is incredibly strong and can hold significant weight without bending, warping, or buckling. I tend to lean in and press against my drawing boards while working on tiny details like hair or pores, and this board doesn't creak, move, slide, or complain. I suspect I could use a jackhammer on it and it would still be standing... alas, I am lacking a jackhammer to fully explore this assumption...Straightedge:The straightedge is surprisingly accurate, though I don't need it for its intended purpose as much as others might. It suits my needs perfectly, however. It's always been straight, strong, and easy to move when needed. The knobs are easy to turn and lock into place in seconds. Once set, nothing seems to move it out of place.Angle lock:The adjustable angle lock is stellar. It's very simple to use and it holds position through all kinds of abuse.I'm including an image of the board holding some of my tamer art to show the size--I always have a hard time visualizing the measurements given online. Hopefully, this will help others like me. This is the "small" board at 21" across. The tiny paintings are 2x2 and 3x3, the biggest is 5x7. As you can see, they all fit very well; I can have three or four paintings of these sizes going at once, leaving plenty of room for me to work. The board is roomy while still being compact enough to fit in a small space. It's positioned on a standard-height desk with a painter's tarp over the whole thing. While the tarp moves if I get too pushy while working, the drawing board never has. In fact, its grippy little feet hang onto any surface tightly.I highly recommend this drawing board to anyone having trouble finding something adjustable, durable, stable, and smooth. The attached straightedge was a nice bonus for me. I would not call the drawing board portable, but I'm not a very big woman. If you don't mind lugging it around, you could pretend it's portable. It does need to sit on a raised surface, however. It's not a full-height easel or stand-alone table. For me, it was just enough extra height with nice adjustable options to turn my regular flat desk into a perfect art surface.

Received my board today. I was a little nervous given the reviews about damages. Mine arrived fine. I ordered the medium board (18x24). The arm moves smooth and parallel. I have been messing around with drafting the past two hours and already turned out a complete simple drawing.One thing I was hoping I could do, but didnt see this in reviews so hopefully this helps someone else. I want to put a vyco mat on my board but wasn't sure how tight the bar set across the board. I read other reviews of it tearing paper because it was so tight against the board. This is not the case. The bar has about 3/8" vertical play in it. This movement doesn't affect the function or parallel in any way. However I see no issues with placing a mat on top of the surface. I plan on ordering one tonight. I like these mats because they are self healing and you are able to use a compass and draw much better.Anyway, back to the board. It's just the right size for my use: drafting up plans for my wood shop. I hope to get a lot of use from this little board. Adjustment angle is plenty enough for my needs. Item is light weight although I don't plan on moving it. I looked at other brand boards and bought this based on great reviews. The only negative reviews are about damages. If you want to take a chance and are looking for a great drafting board, don't pass this one up.Update: received the vyco may today and mounted it to my board. I couldn't be happier. Board still works perfectly as expected.

I must admit that I held a healthy skepticism as to what the quality and utility of this board would be. I was very pleasantly surprised as to all that this product offers. It is quite sturdy, well-designed and a joy for me to use as a drawing/drafting tool and as a drawing/painting easel. I am so pleased with this purchase and wholeheartedly recommend it to others who might benefit from it.