Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Here is trick I used to move on down the road..
For those of you drawing up your build and looking for where start next, you may be asking yourself how your going to print your shape of your Teardrop
large enough to pattern it out on your building material, kinkos? the local print shop?, a friend of a friend who owns an architect firm?? you then get your large print home to transfer and find you need to tweek it... back to the drawing board.. well here is what works for me, as I can not free hand draw
a square, I printed my cad-esc, teardrop shape on my desk top computer on transparencies ( any office supply store) then I used an overhead projector and shot it directly onto my 4x8 template, works better at night, and then you can fit, rotate, move x,y,z and then trace away!
Overhead projectors may be borrowed from your childs or grandchilds school, maybe your work place has one. mine came from a trash pile, but E-bay has them from $18 to $99 and EVERY price in-between, craigs list has them from time to time. The use of this has been invaluable to the build, you can see your project in full size before you even start!, you can transfer ART to the side of your build, sometimes I just shine mine through the neighbors window late at night so they know I still live next door!
Keep on building, and dont look to the end, just look to put one foot in front of the other, before you know it you will be camping with the best of them!
Jimmie

Jimmie, you would like the system used in Japanese shipyards for just this purpose back in the 1960s before numerical control machines were developed.

The steel plate was painted with a photo-sensitive shop primer and placed in the bottom of a tall dark bay on the preparation line. A powerful projector was then shined through reduced-scale (1:100?) reversed transparencies (ie, mostly dark but with lines in 'white'). This burnt the markings into the shop primer and they were 'developed' (I can't remember how) so that the marked lines became permanent.

The clever trick was that the contrast between the marked lines and the rest of the primer was enough that not only could they be seen, but 'magic eye' (ie, photo-sensors) cutting equipment could follow the marked lines to cut out the shapes.

And then computers became available....

Hey, Jimmie!

That's a "trick" I've been using and telling folks about for over 30 years ... I'm glad to hear the someone else has discovered it and realized how easy & efficient it is ... ...! It also works for designs that you see nearly-perfect profile pictures of in magazines, books, or on-line ... just copy, print, make the transparency, and project!

As always ...

CHEERS!

Hi Jimmie,
I've heard about that technique but have never used it. I'm glad it worked for you. One technique I have used for smaller parts is to photocopy them, then use that copy as a pattern. I use a engraving pencil to transfer the pattern to the material. I have printed fine lettering off the net, then expand it on a photocopier, then transferred it then cut it out, for very nice steel signs. I have also made many mechanical parts this way. I got the idea from a friend who was a wooden sign maker. He would put his pattern on his wood and prick holes to define the lines. then he would dust with blue chalk. After removing the pattern he would connect the dots and go to town. I am challenged when it comes to connecting dots, so the engraver works better for me.
Enjoy, Chris

I've been thinking about a very similar idea for a while...

If you don't want to go down the transparency route, you could import your graphic into PowerPoint, and if you can borrow an LCD projector from work, use that to project the image.

The good thing with the LCD projector is, you've got things like zoomable lenses, keystone correction (if you aren't quite level) etc.

Boy I must have been bored last time I was running that seminar at work!!

Ps.... If could also be an idea to include in the design say a shape for reference, eg a 3' x 3' square, dead centre. You could draw that with a t square onto the plywood, then use it to reference the alignment of the projected image.

You mean something like this?
http://www.gifts.com/product/artograph-tracer-projector-and-enlarger?prodID=320411
Geez I wish I could put that in properly......

Oh... It did work..

Micro469 wrote:Oh... It did work..

here you go John, I have seen the style you have a photo of, but have not used one like that, i would think it would work...

That was my first head scratched but I took a different tact.

This was posted 7 years ago

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=13925&p=180832#p180832

Curves arn't too tough to cut with a good router on a stick.

I would have needed a 520 inch long stick to do the arch on TPCE roof! I cheated and had templates cut on a CNC router (tho not w/o some hurdles to jump thru).

Another tried and true method is to draw the profile on graph paper, a scaled grid, or detail it out using ordinal dimensions (i.e. all critical dimensions referenced to the same x,y baselines). That way you can scale up the grid and transfer the design by hand using key reference points. poke some finish nails in at the grid points, wrap a spline around them, and trace it out. I used this method to make my laminated wall edging for my galley walls, before the CNC templates were finished. Came out remarkably close to the template.

Just saying, even if you don't have access to a projector, there are a lot of ways to get the job done.

KCStudly wrote:I would have needed a 520 inch long stick to do the arch on TPCE roof! I cheated and had templates cut on a CNC router (tho not w/o some hurdles to jump thru).

there are a lot of ways to get the job done.

a 43 foot + arc what in the devil was that for ?

You can also use the same trick for projecting designs on the side of the camper for decoration. Trace with a pencil, fill in with paint.

bobhenry wrote:

KCStudly wrote:a 43 foot + arc what in the devil was that for ?

My modified Benroy/TD-come-canned-ham profile has a gentle crown to the roof, not flat.

mallymal wrote:...

If you don't want to go down the transparency route, you could import your graphic into PowerPoint, and if you can borrow an LCD projector from work, use that to project the image.

This is exactly what I did:



10x6 sheet of ply with a picture of WoodButchers 'Club Car' projected on it as a sketching template.

That's great to know that if I ever try out my idea, I know someone else has already proved it works.