I was starting on a new project, a Wendell Hostetler Taylorcraft and was tracing the drawings to make patters for all the cut parts when I had an epiphany. All this tracing through velum paper is tedious so I took the lid off my scanner and flipped it on top of my drawings and hit the copy button. Poof! 0ut from my printer came a perfect copy ready to be glued the parts to be cut out. This will make life a whole lot easier so I thought I would share.

Steiny

Why do the simplest solutions evade us for so long?
Thanks for sharing.
KW_Counter

I would draw a square of known size on a sheet, scan, and print it, then measure the printed copy. Not ALL scanners are 1:1 in both axes. I know that once upon a time, they diliberately off sized to prevent counterfeiting of bills.

Les

I took some samples and laid them over the plans on my light table and they were a perfect match. Great tip!
Thanks!
Steiny

Years ago, before my hiatis from RC I would take my kit plans to the local building department and have them copied. I think it was about 10 buck.
I would think that any architectural firm could do the same.

One set to store, and one to build on/with

I use an old sliding glass door for a tracing table. Mounted on hinges, so it folds down against the wall when not in use.

Your welcome, Steiny. I know things have changed a bit over my working life time, but I do hate to see people make the same mistakes I have made if it can be avoided. Now if I could only convice my kids and grandkids of that:-))))))))))

Les

p.s. Luft Gangster. I was posting just as you were. Excellent Idea.

Two of the things I miss about my former job are that first, just outside the entrance to my fabric covered box (AKA Cubicle) I had a network scanner/copier/color printer set-up with almost infinitely variable copy ratios with LAN connection to my desk-top. Second, I had access to a 36" network scanner and a 42" roll feed plotter. Our system not only allowed our designers to get prints from their multi-thousand dollar CAD systems, but I could also get prints from my desk top from .jpg, .bmp, .gif, .dxf, .dwg, and others. Having access to several hundred thousand dollars in fancy test equipment didn't hurt, either. And I'd just started training on some new Stereo Lithography equipment.

But, in 2009, the company decided that they needed to reduce their stock of over 55 "valued assets".

Ditto 50+, I'm from the same tree. Retired now(GM), much earlier than planned for the same reasons (now 60). We are the get it done guy's, creative thought, think outside the box, carriers of the work load. Transfer that to what you enjoy. For extra income, as we all have to look at, I coach HS baseball and umpire in the summer for 18U down to 9U travel only, Cooperstown hall of fame 3x, and of course Fly Fly Fly in summer and Build in winter. I haveembarced a philosophy, pain means you are on the green side of the grass. 60 is the new 40. It's up to us to lead the way. Damn the rocking chairs, full speed ahead!

Yah, it was amazing how much the engineers and techs coming out of colleges nowadays don't know about basics. Like one engineer with a master's degree not being able to sketch a circuit with pencil and paper, or understanding Ohm's Law. That from a person writes code in 4 languages, knows two different circuit analysis programs, learned circuit design by plugging off the shelf circuits together, then getting a job with us and having to start calculating currents and other circuit parameters from component data sheets, trace widths, parallel inductances on PC boards, designing with individual passive and active components, things some of our techs with assoicate degrees were doing every day. Some of these new guys seem helpless without a fully loaded computer at their fingetips.

Heck, I once got a job offer over a Purdue engineer because I could draw a schematic that put an ammeter and Voltmeter into their proper places.

Taking a break from trying to figure out the 1040 today, I was looking through the help wanteds, found one ffrom a Temp agency for an electronics test technician for a company that does aircraft electonics. I was so tempted. Sort of the thing I did for heavy truck electroncs. In fact, I had a couple Dilbert afficianados at work ask me if I was related to one of the Dilbert TV series characters, Bob Bas*ard. I had to say no, but I did try to emulate him. I used to test to an American spec common in the truck world. When a German company bought us and started replacing our designed stuff with theirs (Yah, German equipment is superior!) I'd submit their stuff to the same test American stuff passes without even getting hot, and let out a lot of smoke. Took them several years to upgrade their products to our specs.

This spring, I ran into one of the Engineers I worked for at a local Sam's. After a few words of greeting, he started asking me about some problems they are having with one of the legacy product I was supporting. Helped him out a little, then said I'd be happy to come back occasionally as a consultant, at roughly twice my previous salary.

At least I was close enough to 66 to qualify for my full SSI.

Our local Kinko's can copy, enlarge or reduce most standard size plans for 75 cents a square foot. Check it out where you live.

I also make copies for templates. But I don't glue them to the wood. Gets messy trying to get them off. Now I use double stick Scotch tape. Easy on, easy off. Just make sure to put pieces where it'll still hold as you cut the parts out.

Dave

Off of the basic topic, but since it was brought up.

"Yah, it was amazing how much the engineers and techs coming out of colleges nowadays don't know about basics."

I once worked for an outfit owned by an Italian. They sent all of their aspiring engineers over here (the USA), to work with us engineers, to learn the real world. They had all the teachings, but zero experience.

Les

I've worked with some overseas engineers who were in our department as co-ops while studying at American schools to either finish their Bachelor's or going on to a Master's. They liked American schools, especially since in many overseas schools, if the student has trouble with something, he either needs to dig and work it out by himself, or he has to hope one of the other students has solved the situation, because the profs come in, give a lecture, and aren't seen again till the next lecture or maybe lab. In this country, not only are the profs more available, but often will schedule appointments after classes to help students. Our labs apparently are often much better equipped and more up to date.One youngster told me that in the German and Brasilian schools he went to, they didn't even have soldering irons, because that was grunt work, and beneath their level. He was happy to learn from us techs. Working in our lab with us, he more than doubled his knowledge and capabilities.

after cutting out part I need to make, from copied prints, I glue it to a cereal box, or some other thin cardboard. I label what part it is for whatever plane it is for, trace around the outside of it and save it for future use, like crashes,[:@]or other slight mishaps! Ihave a shoe box full of thse reusable templates.

I simply taped the plans to an outside window, and traced out the parts on copy paper. ( in daylight of course.)

You might try just turning the copy over and placing the part image in direct contact with the wood. Heat it with an iron and transfer the image from the paper to the wood. After all, the toner sticks to the paper due to an electrostatic attraction and heat bonds it to the paper. Reheating will transfer a portion of the image.

I use 3M-77 contact adhesive spray on the template and stick it to the wood. I also use the spray to stack multiple sheets of balsa for cutting the same part (wing ribs). Just make sure to only spray one side otherwise it becomes almost permanent and impossible to get the template off or seperate the parts.

I used many of those tricks,, now I've been printing the scan or CAD file onto "Card Stock" paper, you know paper the thickness of greating or business cards. It goes through the printer just fine, you can cut the shape out with scissors or xacto knife and it's plenty stiff enough for a template.

Use freezer paper to print out the copy, print on the paper side and then iron the part onto the wood using the plastisized side. Paper will stick when you cut it but peels off easily after the part has been cut out.

I don't know if it works with ink jet printers, but back in the days of toner, you could place the copy ink side down on the wood and then rub the back of the paper with acetone. It would print on the wood perfectly.

"I don't know if it works with ink jet printers, but back in the days of toner,"

Unfortunately, No. Toners were a graphite stuff, that was deposited with heat, and so would come off with heat. Ink jet printers are exactly that; printed ink.

Les

I went to get my plans for the TF GE P-51 copied, but they were too big for the standard copier, they are over 40", the cost would have been nearly $100 for 2 sets.  1 set was $70.  Eh I didnt get them copied.