Showing how I plan out a scratch built model
Planing a scratch build model car.
After building Dutchy's VW Bus [truck] I got it in my head to build the VW Thing which has all square side panels so should be a great first model build for those wanting to try wooden model building with limited tools..
Having already build a Toys and Joys project or other models will be a plus as you will already have an understanding of how plans printed in full size can be used to build a model.
I know there are artists that can draw their own plans but this is for us mortals, we just need a line drawing or two for our dimensions.
I found a great picture, using Google search [thing plans] of the Thing drawn out with a top, side, and front view and that's all we need for now to get started.
Here's the picture it's a based on.
I should have put something to show the scale but the main body picture is only 5 1/2" long.
By trimming the extra paper around the sides it makes it easier to put it where it needs to be for printing.
We need to figure how large to make it.
For me I all ways start by how big the wheels need to be.
Most of your T&J plans use something around 2 7/8" [for car tires] so I try for 3" and by the time I get them sanded down 2 7/8 will be close.
So using the 2 7/8 wheel as our starting point I now take the plan [picture] to the printer -copier and print out the picture.
In most cases the model we will be making will be larger than the copier can handle so we'll be only coping parts of the plans at any one time.
In this instance we'll need a front and back copy and then we will cut off the end of one picture and glue it to the other so the front and back match up.
But first we need to find the right % to enlarge the plans.
[I'm using the program in the printer menu to find the % needed]
[This will be labeled as custom enlarge/reduce]
In the first picture the wheels are 1" so I've got to enlarge till I get to 3".
It may take a couple a tries before you hit the right %.
My first try I enlarged to 200% using the printer settings and my wheel print out came out as 1 7/8" so we need to go on up.
My next try is 300% and the wheels come out at 2 7/8" which is just right for the tires but I look at the print out and the car is huge!!!
It would be just right for someone wanting to put in a ton a details as it would be 7" tall and around 16 " long.
I don't need giant models so I'm going a tad smaller lets see what 250% looks like.
That gives me a tire just under 2 1/2" and a length of 13 1/2 and 5 3/4 high, just right for my needs.
Just a note= The tires on the Real Thing must be quite small to work out like this but that's fine by printing out these exact drawings of the car we know every thing is in scale and should look the right size when finished.
Now glue the two parts together, and now we can see the size of our model and no measurements are needed all the parts are here to be printed, cut out, and glued to some wood for cutting and shaping.
I did the same for the top and printed out the front and back.
So now I have my plans, all at the right scale.
Now as I need a part, I'll print it out and many times I'll print out more that one just in case.
I can go through a lot a paper and ink but that's the price you pay for a one of a kind scratch built model.
As always there's a hundred way's to do this but this is what I use as I can't draw a straight line.
For me the copier printer is a tool I can't do without, now a days their dirt cheap, it's the ink that costs but there are Co. on line that sell ink very cheap.
And one other thing about printers if it tells you, you need to change ink keep using it you'll be surprised how much ink is left to be used.
I plan a HowTo about it if and when we get some warm weather in this neck of the woods, that is if I don't get side lined by some other project.
Hope this is helpful.
Here's one more tip
If you need to make a picture half the size it is, the quickest way for me is to go into the print program in Windows and set the printer to make two picture on one page.
This will print out a picture on only half the page and wala you got a half size picture or part.
This also works for 1/4 or there is even a setting for nine pictures on a page.
This was very helpful when I was making mags for my wheels.
I had a picture but it was way to big.
Play with this tip it works.
Planing a scratch build model car.
After building Dutchy's VW Bus [truck] I got it in my head to build the VW Thing which has all square side panels so should be a great first model build for those wanting to try wooden model building with limited tools..
Having already build a Toys and Joys project or other models will be a plus as you will already have an understanding of how plans printed in full size can be used to build a model.
I know there are artists that can draw their own plans but this is for us mortals, we just need a line drawing or two for our dimensions.
I found a great picture, using Google search [thing plans] of the Thing drawn out with a top, side, and front view and that's all we need for now to get started.
Here's the picture it's a based on.
I should have put something to show the scale but the main body picture is only 5 1/2" long.
By trimming the extra paper around the sides it makes it easier to put it where it needs to be for printing.
We need to figure how large to make it.
For me I all ways start by how big the wheels need to be.
Most of your T&J plans use something around 2 7/8" [for car tires] so I try for 3" and by the time I get them sanded down 2 7/8 will be close.
So using the 2 7/8 wheel as our starting point I now take the plan [picture] to the printer -copier and print out the picture.
In most cases the model we will be making will be larger than the copier can handle so we'll be only coping parts of the plans at any one time.
In this instance we'll need a front and back copy and then we will cut off the end of one picture and glue it to the other so the front and back match up.
But first we need to find the right % to enlarge the plans.
[I'm using the program in the printer menu to find the % needed]
[This will be labeled as custom enlarge/reduce]
In the first picture the wheels are 1" so I've got to enlarge till I get to 3".
It may take a couple a tries before you hit the right %.
My first try I enlarged to 200% using the printer settings and my wheel print out came out as 1 7/8" so we need to go on up.
My next try is 300% and the wheels come out at 2 7/8" which is just right for the tires but I look at the print out and the car is huge!!!
It would be just right for someone wanting to put in a ton a details as it would be 7" tall and around 16 " long.
I don't need giant models so I'm going a tad smaller lets see what 250% looks like.
That gives me a tire just under 2 1/2" and a length of 13 1/2 and 5 3/4 high, just right for my needs.
Just a note= The tires on the Real Thing must be quite small to work out like this but that's fine by printing out these exact drawings of the car we know every thing is in scale and should look the right size when finished.
Now glue the two parts together, and now we can see the size of our model and no measurements are needed all the parts are here to be printed, cut out, and glued to some wood for cutting and shaping.
I did the same for the top and printed out the front and back.
So now I have my plans, all at the right scale.
Now as I need a part, I'll print it out and many times I'll print out more that one just in case.
I can go through a lot a paper and ink but that's the price you pay for a one of a kind scratch built model.
As always there's a hundred way's to do this but this is what I use as I can't draw a straight line.
For me the copier printer is a tool I can't do without, now a days their dirt cheap, it's the ink that costs but there are Co. on line that sell ink very cheap.
And one other thing about printers if it tells you, you need to change ink keep using it you'll be surprised how much ink is left to be used.
I plan a HowTo about it if and when we get some warm weather in this neck of the woods, that is if I don't get side lined by some other project.
Hope this is helpful.
Here's one more tip
If you need to make a picture half the size it is, the quickest way for me is to go into the print program in Windows and set the printer to make two picture on one page.
This will print out a picture on only half the page and wala you got a half size picture or part.
This also works for 1/4 or there is even a setting for nine pictures on a page.
This was very helpful when I was making mags for my wheels.
I had a picture but it was way to big.
Play with this tip it works.