Thread: Making Scale Designs On The Computer

Here is the printout of the scale form. All I have to do now is cut it out and stick it onto my scale material.

If you have any concerns that your printout does not match the size of your scanned object, then the best thing to do is run a size test. What you see below is a printout of a measuring tape which I scanned. The printout definitely matches the dimensions of the real-world object.

Should you decide to use a digital camera instead of a flatbed scanner, you could include an object of known size (like a ruler) in the same shot as your razor blade. It will assist you in sizing the image correctly.

Last of all, we are going to stick our printout onto the scale material.

My adhesive of choice has always been good, old rubber cement. It is inexpensive, does not stain, goes on easily and (more importantly) comes off easily when you no longer want it.

Rubber cement can be used on only a single surface, but in doing so, you end up with a weak bond. We want something stronger. To this end, we will use the rubber cement in exactly the same way that one uses contact cement. We will brush it onto both surfaces to be joined. Let it dry for about five or ten minutes. Then bring the two rubber cement coated surfaces together. Press firmly or even tap lightly with a soft, rubber hammer. When done correctly, that bond will hold up to sanding operations and even when cutting the Micarta with a scroll saw. You will find that you can still pry the surfaces apart with relative ease when you are finished. And any leftovers of rubber cement can just be rubbed away with the fingers.

And here is the final result. The Micarta sheets have been rubber cemented to each other and the scale printout has been rubber cemented on top of them.

I’m ready to head off into the shop. But that is for another time…

- Ignatz

Well done.
This can also do done by hand (which is what I do) but if you want to get REALLY exact, then I suppose the computer is the way to go. I just find that using a french curve gives me good results faster than playing with splines in a drawing program. Once you establish your limits and style, it's a game of connect the dots.

I agree absolutely. It is perfectly possible to do everything I've indicated on a piece of paper and get excellent results. The computer is just another tool with - in this case - some tiny advantages: namely being able to spit out a printout over and over again and being able to reuse and alter one's artwork if need be.

Sterling stuff, Ignatz. Not quite sure why you did not put these into the Wiki directly (where they belong, and are easier to write and read), but that's fine. Need any help, just let us know.

Thanks!
Robin

Now you should make those scales in 3D and send me the files so I can print them out.

That would be fun to try, but the only 3D program that I currently have access to (Blender) does not support export in either of the formats you listed in your thread.

WOW that's really cool. I tried to download the vector program however it will only work with Mac Leopard not OSX. I will try doing this on Illustrator.
I would love to be able to create scales and have repeatable format for them as well as saving them in the computer.