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#1 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
 

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#2 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
I's looking forward to following this one.
 

Attachments

#3 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
I always enjoy your build blogs. This one will be no exception!
 

Attachments

#4 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
It's to cold to get in the shop so playing on the computer is my other way to feed the wood working addiction!!!
And thank John and sras, glad to hear I'm not typing to myself again.

No don't type that but it's the truth but still you don't need to let everyone know you type to your self, now just stop it!!!!!
 

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#5 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
I always check out your work, even if I do not comment every time.
I find your posts most interesting and informative as well.
In fact I talk to myself as lot, I guess its the same as typing to ones self as well,

Some of the mutterings lead to having a different approach to tasks so I am not really concerned about it.
Now where was I, ... Oh yes replying to you about my pending bus build, ...I received an email back from an address and they said,

"Thanks for your interest in AEC Regent III buses. Although I have now sold RT44 & 54 I have a number of books with suitable drawings. I have been busy recently but will send you copies of the drawings soon"

So I am looking forward to seeing what eventuates.

Thanks for the links !!
 

Attachments

#6 ·
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.
Like the "simple" approach #4. Your description and detail is #1.

Neat tip about fractional printing, however, do you have a methodology for more precise scaling?
What I am alluding to is that you mentioned 3" wheels… how do you tackle the task if the original picture/sample you are working from is say 12% +/- different to your requirement. I have forever fought the battle of printing to scale (after achieving the length).
I have never been able to relate a photo with print until I came across Matthias Wandel's big print program many years ago (though at a cost probably more than I paid for it).
 

Attachments

#7 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
Like the "simple" approach #4. Your description and detail is #1.

What I am alluding to is that you mentioned 3" wheels… how do you tackle the task if the original picture/sample you are working from is say 12% +/- different to your requirement. I have forever fought the battle of printing to scale (after achieving the length).
I have never been able to relate a photo with print until I came across Matthias Wandel s big print program many years ago (though at a cost probably more than I paid for it).

- LittleBlackDuck

"task if the original picture/sample you are working from is say 12% +/- different to your requirement. "

Ducky there's nothing stopping me from adjusting to odd %, instead of 300% or 200% ,, 214 is no problem just type it in the printer software program.
Print it out and if still not right add or subtract a %.
You could wast a lot a paper getting it just right but that the price for OCD. LOL

Matthias Wandel's big print program looks interesting
but just don't do enough where I'm paying for that.

"I have never been able to relate a photo with print "

That's one reason I try to stick with line drawings, they've all ready took out all the distractions, and in most cases the drawing is setup for a one page print so no need to bother with over sized pictures.
Hope that answers your question.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
Hope that answers your question.
- htl
Not quiet… he says loudly.

For this exercise, line drawings, JPGs and PDFs, I tar with the same brush. For arguments sake, you print off any one of those and get a wheel in an unorthodox fraction to the size you desire. Do you then reduce/increase it by trial and error till you get a close enough fit or do you persist to certain tolerances? Sorry #4, just being the devils advocate!

Totally agree with your take on the Big Print, however, when I had nothing better I found that parting with the shekels saved me enough time to justify the cost (I value my time highly… and don't say… then, why waste it crapping on…).
What program do you use to resize, print, process?
 

Attachments

#9 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
I'm going to have to add this one to my memory bank as it will for sure come in handy one day, thank you Bruce.
 

Attachments

#10 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
From the start of my thread I said I pick a wheel size then enlarge the picture to fit my wheels.
So there's no odd tire size the model is printed out to fit the size of the tires I want to make.

If I need to make the wheels a tad bigger or smaller I don't need a program for that my tire sizes are limited to what hole saw blades I have on hand.
I'm not that worried about exact sizes, I'm building a model not an exact replica for a museum or something.

I think your looking at this from a bought plan point of view where you have to do what the plans say.
I'm building a scratch build so all that goes out the window and I'm freed to choose any size I want and come at it from any direction I please.

But this also put more pressure on me because I now have to make all the decisions as to how it all works out.

I guess this way of building isn't a true scratch build because I am using a drawing as a plan [to help keep the scale right] just not a bought one with all the helpful hints.

Ducky It's all done with the printer scanner.
I put the drawing in the scanner and have to go deep in the menu to find the screen that lets me pick any % I want to make it from 25% to 400%.
With my Brother [brand name scanner] I do this.
Tap the copy screen
Then hit Options
Then hit the down arrow
hit the enlarge/reduce
then the down arrow
then the Custom [25-400%]
Then type in my size
It has serves my purpose so far but it is quite frustrating to need to drill down this deep every time I need to print out something.

When I first started building I tried to size things with the Windows Paint program and ran out of the room screaming, I'm sure it can be done but not worth the time to figure out.

That's when I found that printing two pictures to a page tip for shrinking things down..

Going off the deep end with this one aren't we..

O!!! and quit asking me questions if you don't what to read cause it's suppose to snow so stuck in the house. LOL

Quit typing but I need to answer this one last thought NO! QUIT!!! But there's this one point. AAAAaaaaaaaa!!!!

#4 Over and out!
 

Attachments

#11 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
I think your looking at this from a bought plan point of view....
Guilty as charged…

As I may have alluded to before #4, I have SU to do my resizing. I'm sure there may be one or two people out there that have not paid for the full SketchUp Pro version… you poor few tragics.

Forgive me, but as I mentioned I am playing devil's advocate as there may be many of your readers out there that could learn your intimate tricks, but are too afraid to ask… you do have scary looking fingers.

I did observe (sorta) you mentioning that you picked a wheel size, however, I didn't think it was governed by holesaw availability… would have though (not sure why) that you might have used a circle cutting jig as a backup… however, now on hindsight, I cant remember you using one… but then again I may have read over that picture.

You read a tad more than me… I have an Epson MFP printer (probably similar to yours), however, if I RTFM, I'm sure there'd be more features than the ON/OFF button.

I'm guessing than by using your big Brother method outlined above combined with a more advanced calculator than fingers and toes, you could measure the print, calculate the exact +/- ratio and key that in to get your exact size (rather than trial and effort).

I'm sure your tip will serve many readers well.

Keep it up and just persevere with my stupid questions.

PS. Any options for less than 25% change?

PPs.
... started… Windows Paint … not worth the time to figure out.
Know the feeling… That's why I always look for an easier alternative, if not necessarily cheaper.
 

Attachments

#12 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
PS. Any options for less than 25% change?
Don't need it so no worry's.

you might have used a circle cutting jig as a backup
I did get one at a yard sale but from what I have seen on some videos not really interested in using it. Scary!!!!!

I came across Matthias Wandel's big print program many years ago (though at a cost probably more than I paid for it).

I'm glad you mentioned this program because it sounds like a winner for most of what we are doing.

Ducky your way passed needing this blog but hope I made myself clear enough for others to find it useful.
 

Attachments

#13 ·
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.
Here's a tip for those that find something interesting on SketchUp and can't figure out how to get it off the page.
Use Windows own Snapping Tool to get it copied from the screen.
It is a simple screen capture tool.

This will also work on those sites that won't let you copy a picture you need.
 

Attachments

#14 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
When I said hole drilling jig I was thinking of these.
I've got one in a drawer but have never used it, come to think of it I may have tried it it but didn't do a very nice job and too me just plain scary. LOL
Human body Bracket Auto part Font Metal
 

Attachments

#15 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
I really like your VW Thing I have saved it all so I can try it soon.
 

Attachments

#16 ·
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.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


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.

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Computer keyboard Tire


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.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle Font Engineering


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.

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Car Vehicle


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.

Hood Automotive design Input device Peripheral Computer keyboard


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.
When I said hole drilling jig I was thinking of these.
I ve got one in a drawer but have never used it, come to think of it I may have tried it it but didn t do a very nice job and too me just plain scary. LOL
Human body Bracket Auto part Font Metal


- htl
Got one of those Bruce and for sure they are one very scary holes sawing too & that's in a slowed down drill press with the job securely clamped… mine is in the cupboard gathering dust!!
 

Attachments

#17 ·
Using the plans to figure out the frame.

Now to use the the plans we printed out.
First I print out the top pictures both front and back as again the printer is not wide enough to do it all at once.
Then we have to figure out what in the picture is not needed to find our base or frame.
The fenders and bumpers can all be cut away.
Rectangle Wood Font Hardwood Pattern


Now how thick are the sides going to be? 1/4-3/8
It would be nice to go thin but if you want a good glue joint and you want to do much shaping [rounding of the edges] it needs to be thicker.
I'm going with a fat 1/4" so I will be drawing a 1/4" line around our frame to cut out for where the sides will glue on.
Some projects they place the sides on top of the frame [trucks and old cars] but I don't want the frame showing under the sides.
In fact VW really don't have frames as we think of them so if one is showing it would be wrong. LOL

So 1/4" line drawn around the frame and cut out.

Rectangle Wood Table Hood Automotive exterior


I want some fat wheels [7/8" ? 1"] on this project so may need to cut out some on the frame for this as we don't want all the tire sticking out the wheel well.
So all we have to do is look at our over all top picture and we can draw in some wheels and see what's needed.

I had to go back and check and a 2 1/2' tire is what we need but probable go a tad bigger so need to add that into my calculation for the wheel well.

If we make the wheel well 7/8 deep it should be plenty for a 7/8 or 1" tire.

So looking down on the picture of the top, draw lines where the axles will be the out side edges where the treads will be can be drawn in.

Now a 7/8 deep wheel well can be drawn in.

I went back and printed out another picture so I'd be sure to get where the axle and wheels needed to be, then cut it out.

Rectangle Font Automotive design Input device Engineering


And cut out and there's our frame.
When I build the sides I will have to cut out a little for the wheels there also but a lot of that will be covered up by the fenders.
Rectangle Wood Table Flooring Hardwood


As with anything else there's always better ways to do it.
I really need to learn more about SketchUp as all this could have been done on it much faster and better but this is what works for now.

I went ahead and cut out the patterns for the sides, hood and backs.
Glue them on to some 1/4" and I'm all set.
There will be some interesting angle work but that just fine.
Computer keyboard Peripheral Input device Wood Space bar


I never did show the page I'm using to build this model.
I found it by searching for [Thing drawings] if I remember right.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior
 

Attachments

#18 ·
Using the plans to figure out the frame.

Now to use the the plans we printed out.
First I print out the top pictures both front and back as again the printer is not wide enough to do it all at once.
Then we have to figure out what in the picture is not needed to find our base or frame.
The fenders and bumpers can all be cut away.
Rectangle Wood Font Hardwood Pattern


Now how thick are the sides going to be? 1/4-3/8
It would be nice to go thin but if you want a good glue joint and you want to do much shaping [rounding of the edges] it needs to be thicker.
I'm going with a fat 1/4" so I will be drawing a 1/4" line around our frame to cut out for where the sides will glue on.
Some projects they place the sides on top of the frame [trucks and old cars] but I don't want the frame showing under the sides.
In fact VW really don't have frames as we think of them so if one is showing it would be wrong. LOL

So 1/4" line drawn around the frame and cut out.

Rectangle Wood Table Hood Automotive exterior


I want some fat wheels [7/8" ? 1"] on this project so may need to cut out some on the frame for this as we don't want all the tire sticking out the wheel well.
So all we have to do is look at our over all top picture and we can draw in some wheels and see what's needed.

I had to go back and check and a 2 1/2' tire is what we need but probable go a tad bigger so need to add that into my calculation for the wheel well.

If we make the wheel well 7/8 deep it should be plenty for a 7/8 or 1" tire.

So looking down on the picture of the top, draw lines where the axles will be the out side edges where the treads will be can be drawn in.

Now a 7/8 deep wheel well can be drawn in.

I went back and printed out another picture so I'd be sure to get where the axle and wheels needed to be, then cut it out.

Rectangle Font Automotive design Input device Engineering


And cut out and there's our frame.
When I build the sides I will have to cut out a little for the wheels there also but a lot of that will be covered up by the fenders.
Rectangle Wood Table Flooring Hardwood


As with anything else there's always better ways to do it.
I really need to learn more about SketchUp as all this could have been done on it much faster and better but this is what works for now.

I went ahead and cut out the patterns for the sides, hood and backs.
Glue them on to some 1/4" and I'm all set.
There will be some interesting angle work but that just fine.
Computer keyboard Peripheral Input device Wood Space bar


I never did show the page I'm using to build this model.
I found it by searching for [Thing drawings] if I remember right.

Car Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive exterior
Darn… Bring on the warm weather… Less you type… less I have to read. OK, I could ignore and not read, but it's too bloody interesting…

Thanks #4.
 

Attachments

#29 ·
Using the plans to make parts and preparing wood

The first part of this is for the benefit of newer wood workers, and as always you may have a better way but just a quick way to get some wood ready.
I myself would rather make two passes with the table saw than make thick cuts but this is how I do it
BUT do what is safe and comfortable for you your safety is at stake!!!

To prepare some wood for the sides I split some 3/4 poplar nearly in half using a 10" blade [one of the only time I use a 10" blade, this is the blade that came with the saw and cuts very smoothly]
The sides are less than 3" so no problem on the table saw. [Just using up scraps]
I split them by cutting half way throw 1 7/8" then flip it and cut the other part using a Zero clearance insert.

Publication Wood Rectangle Font Hardwood


Wood Rectangle Publication Office equipment Composite material


I now glue on the patterns I cut out the other day, with the same type stick glue.
Any straight cut I can make on the Table saw and Miter saw are now done.

Wood Hardwood Engineering Machine Machine tool


Then over to the scroll saw and some times the band saw on thicker parts.

Sewing machine feet Sewing machine needle Sewing machine Sewing Wood


Here's the blade I like to use for this, Ryobi has a mix set of blades that work for me.
I had a Harbor Freight scroll saw and it worked pretty good but died [I think I was tightening the blades to tight]
I don't use one that much to put the big $$$ in one so next I'm trying the WEN scroll saw which is just like the HF but has a better blade tightening system that's much faster. [It's also cheaper]
It has a lever at the back instead of having to unscrew the blade.
The Ryobi is the same saw with a few extras but way more $$$
Hood Wood Textile Automotive exterior Vehicle door


Now I need to figure out what the angle needs to be for the parts to fit .

Hood Vehicle Naval architecture Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The front needs 15 degree and the back 7 degrees.
This will be done on the disk sander with all the other parts being sanded straight and true.
Automotive tire Wood Tread Tire Bumper


Motor vehicle Hood Automotive design Bumper Automotive exterior


Just a couple a hours in the shop to get a start on this THING.
The only measuring I did was to cut the wood to width for the sides and base all other cuts came off the printed plans on the wood.

One of the reasons I'm doing this blog is before I always gave some tips but their all over the place and I wanted them in a logical order to really help some with their building project.
 

Attachments

#30 ·
Using the plans to make parts and preparing wood

The first part of this is for the benefit of newer wood workers, and as always you may have a better way but just a quick way to get some wood ready.
I myself would rather make two passes with the table saw than make thick cuts but this is how I do it
BUT do what is safe and comfortable for you your safety is at stake!!!

To prepare some wood for the sides I split some 3/4 poplar nearly in half using a 10" blade [one of the only time I use a 10" blade, this is the blade that came with the saw and cuts very smoothly]
The sides are less than 3" so no problem on the table saw. [Just using up scraps]
I split them by cutting half way throw 1 7/8" then flip it and cut the other part using a Zero clearance insert.

Publication Wood Rectangle Font Hardwood


Wood Rectangle Publication Office equipment Composite material


I now glue on the patterns I cut out the other day, with the same type stick glue.
Any straight cut I can make on the Table saw and Miter saw are now done.

Wood Hardwood Engineering Machine Machine tool


Then over to the scroll saw and some times the band saw on thicker parts.

Sewing machine feet Sewing machine needle Sewing machine Sewing Wood


Here's the blade I like to use for this, Ryobi has a mix set of blades that work for me.
I had a Harbor Freight scroll saw and it worked pretty good but died [I think I was tightening the blades to tight]
I don't use one that much to put the big $$$ in one so next I'm trying the WEN scroll saw which is just like the HF but has a better blade tightening system that's much faster. [It's also cheaper]
It has a lever at the back instead of having to unscrew the blade.
The Ryobi is the same saw with a few extras but way more $$$
Hood Wood Textile Automotive exterior Vehicle door


Now I need to figure out what the angle needs to be for the parts to fit .

Hood Vehicle Naval architecture Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The front needs 15 degree and the back 7 degrees.
This will be done on the disk sander with all the other parts being sanded straight and true.
Automotive tire Wood Tread Tire Bumper


Motor vehicle Hood Automotive design Bumper Automotive exterior


Just a couple a hours in the shop to get a start on this THING.
The only measuring I did was to cut the wood to width for the sides and base all other cuts came off the printed plans on the wood.

One of the reasons I'm doing this blog is before I always gave some tips but their all over the place and I wanted them in a logical order to really help some with their building project.
Bruce, Between Dutchy, Ducky and yourself who needs woodworking master classes for model making…

You three gents have made it so much easier for other with all your top tutorials, notes, drawings and photos..

WELL DONE on this part of the VW Thingo project…
 

Attachments

#34 ·
The Thing Gluing up the sides

It's now time for some fun after sanding all the parts especially the inside parts that I won't be able to get the sander at later on.
So thought the dash board partition should come next plus one for the fire wall in the back but after I got them glued in and go to looking at it, the back partition is to tall so off the the band saw to shorten it with out taking it out.
Then it hit me I still needed to cut out for the wheel wells.

[If I wasn't going for the larger tires I wouldn't have to do this.]

So After cutting out the wheel wells for more clearance I knocked the back partition all the way out as I would need the room to close in the inside of the wheel wells.

Building a model is like playing Chess where you have to be looking three steps ahead at all time or you get into trouble. LOL
But unlike Chess I can back up and regroup and that's part of the fun of building these models.

I wanted the partitions up to help make sure the door panels would be set right.
Notice that I used a block to help make sure the partitions were just right.

Wood Table Rectangle Hardwood Flooring


Then up with the door panels and clamped. [One at a time]

Wood Saw Vise Engineering Flooring


Then up with the wheel panels.
It's finally starting to look like some THING.
And as usual sand sand sand.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Wood Automotive tire Font

Naval architecture Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Automotive design Automotive exterior


Now to close in the wheel wells.
Wheel Motor vehicle Automotive tire Automotive design Automotive exterior


Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Automotive design Plywood


Hood Bumper Automotive design Automotive tire Wood


And that's all for today.
 

Attachments

#35 ·
The Thing Gluing up the sides

It's now time for some fun after sanding all the parts especially the inside parts that I won't be able to get the sander at later on.
So thought the dash board partition should come next plus one for the fire wall in the back but after I got them glued in and go to looking at it, the back partition is to tall so off the the band saw to shorten it with out taking it out.
Then it hit me I still needed to cut out for the wheel wells.

[If I wasn't going for the larger tires I wouldn't have to do this.]

So After cutting out the wheel wells for more clearance I knocked the back partition all the way out as I would need the room to close in the inside of the wheel wells.

Building a model is like playing Chess where you have to be looking three steps ahead at all time or you get into trouble. LOL
But unlike Chess I can back up and regroup and that's part of the fun of building these models.

I wanted the partitions up to help make sure the door panels would be set right.
Notice that I used a block to help make sure the partitions were just right.

Wood Table Rectangle Hardwood Flooring


Then up with the door panels and clamped. [One at a time]

Wood Saw Vise Engineering Flooring


Then up with the wheel panels.
It's finally starting to look like some THING.
And as usual sand sand sand.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Wood Automotive tire Font

Naval architecture Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Automotive design Automotive exterior


Now to close in the wheel wells.
Wheel Motor vehicle Automotive tire Automotive design Automotive exterior


Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Automotive design Plywood


Hood Bumper Automotive design Automotive tire Wood


And that's all for today.
Yep - that's going to be a Thing :)
 

Attachments

#41 ·
Thing front wheel well and back closed in.

Need to take advantage of these nice warm days 65 wow!
Got started on the front wheel wells and thought I took more pictures, but once you get in the grove it's hard to stop and take them.
Wood Automotive design Gas Engineering Automotive exterior


Then I needed to get the front all matched up so I can add the grill what little there is of it.
Shop Smith 12" disk sander to the rescue.
I did the same for the back so everything stays squared up.
Inca square to keep it strait and table saw fence to keep it from moving as I push the sanding disk into the part.
Wood Automotive exterior Bumper Table Composite material


May be hard to see but I'm sanding this at an angle, the table needed to be tilted.

Motor vehicle Automotive exterior Wood Gas Engineering


Then time to start gluing up parts.
I don't cut most parts to an exact fit but glue them on over size and let the disk sander bring it all together.

Wood Rectangle Table Composite material Hardwood

Motor vehicle Automotive design Wood Automotive tire Automotive exterior


Wood Automotive design Motor vehicle Automotive exterior Gas


Automotive design Wood Naval architecture Automotive exterior Bottle


Wood Rectangle Automotive design Hardwood Flooring

Musical instrument Plant Orange Font Circle
 

Attachments

#42 ·
Thing front wheel well and back closed in.

Need to take advantage of these nice warm days 65 wow!
Got started on the front wheel wells and thought I took more pictures, but once you get in the grove it's hard to stop and take them.
Wood Automotive design Gas Engineering Automotive exterior


Then I needed to get the front all matched up so I can add the grill what little there is of it.
Shop Smith 12" disk sander to the rescue.
I did the same for the back so everything stays squared up.
Inca square to keep it strait and table saw fence to keep it from moving as I push the sanding disk into the part.
Wood Automotive exterior Bumper Table Composite material


May be hard to see but I'm sanding this at an angle, the table needed to be tilted.

Motor vehicle Automotive exterior Wood Gas Engineering


Then time to start gluing up parts.
I don't cut most parts to an exact fit but glue them on over size and let the disk sander bring it all together.

Wood Rectangle Table Composite material Hardwood

Motor vehicle Automotive design Wood Automotive tire Automotive exterior


Wood Automotive design Motor vehicle Automotive exterior Gas


Automotive design Wood Naval architecture Automotive exterior Bottle


Wood Rectangle Automotive design Hardwood Flooring

Musical instrument Plant Orange Font Circle
Good progress there Bruce, must be warm.
Way too hot here for shed time 4th day of 110deg"F"
 

Attachments

#49 ·
Need some seats

Figuring out the fenders, and playing with some doors, was fun I think?
Bottle Wood Motor vehicle Automotive design Gas


Motor vehicle Automotive design Hood Wood Bumper


Wood Table Plant Flooring Automotive exterior


Then we need some seats.
Thought they would be easy but took 5 hours, well I guess I should add the steering wheel and dash to those hour's.

Wood Automotive design Automotive exterior Flooring Hardwood


Wood Hardwood Rectangle Building Composite material


Wood Urban design Art Composite material Font


And a dash board.
Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Hardwood


Automotive tire Wood Motor vehicle Vehicle Gas


Wood Naval architecture Watercraft Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Hardwood
 

Attachments

#50 ·
Need some seats

Figuring out the fenders, and playing with some doors, was fun I think?
Bottle Wood Motor vehicle Automotive design Gas


Motor vehicle Automotive design Hood Wood Bumper


Wood Table Plant Flooring Automotive exterior


Then we need some seats.
Thought they would be easy but took 5 hours, well I guess I should add the steering wheel and dash to those hour's.

Wood Automotive design Automotive exterior Flooring Hardwood


Wood Hardwood Rectangle Building Composite material


Wood Urban design Art Composite material Font


And a dash board.
Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Hardwood


Automotive tire Wood Motor vehicle Vehicle Gas


Wood Naval architecture Watercraft Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Hardwood
Your work is amazing. I love how you made the seats.
 

Attachments

#65 ·
Working on the roof

Got started on the roof.

Wood Automotive design Hardwood House Automotive exterior


I cut the parts a little big glue them up and then sand them to match, and

Sand,Sand,Sand,Sand,Sand,Sand,Sand,Sand, and sand some more. Sorry Ducky but it's true!!!

Wood Automotive tire Wheel Automotive wheel system Bottle


Here I'm getting ready to shape the roof and as you can see there's a pattern I cut off the side plan and glued up with some stick glue. [some use the spray on glue but I never liked it as it gets all over everything.

Plane Wood Bumper Automotive tire Automotive exterior


The roof is so big and thin I super glue or hot glue a squared up block to it so it stays parallel as I sand it.

Wood Saw Gas Machine tool Motor vehicle


Wood Automotive design Automotive exterior Hardwood Plywood


Motor vehicle Automotive tire Wood Automotive design Bumper


Wood Hardwood Composite material Plywood Automotive wheel system


The roof needs leveling so put the Shop Smith to work.
The saw fence keeps it parallel as I push the sanding disk up to the roof parts.

Wood Automotive tire Machine tool Gas Bumper


Wood Automotive exterior Gas Motor vehicle Bumper


Wood Rectangle Hardwood Flooring Font


Wood Rectangle Hardwood Font Wooden block


Now before I glue the roof on I'll put some Danish oil on the inside.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Recreation Plywood


Jeans Wood Font Wood stain Toy


Musical instrument Plant Orange Font Circle


I've tried three times to get this posted and wow have I had fits trying to get it done.
 

Attachments

#66 ·
Working on the roof

Got started on the roof.

Wood Automotive design Hardwood House Automotive exterior


I cut the parts a little big glue them up and then sand them to match, and

Sand,Sand,Sand,Sand,Sand,Sand,Sand,Sand, and sand some more. Sorry Ducky but it's true!!!

Wood Automotive tire Wheel Automotive wheel system Bottle


Here I'm getting ready to shape the roof and as you can see there's a pattern I cut off the side plan and glued up with some stick glue. [some use the spray on glue but I never liked it as it gets all over everything.

Plane Wood Bumper Automotive tire Automotive exterior


The roof is so big and thin I super glue or hot glue a squared up block to it so it stays parallel as I sand it.

Wood Saw Gas Machine tool Motor vehicle


Wood Automotive design Automotive exterior Hardwood Plywood


Motor vehicle Automotive tire Wood Automotive design Bumper


Wood Hardwood Composite material Plywood Automotive wheel system


The roof needs leveling so put the Shop Smith to work.
The saw fence keeps it parallel as I push the sanding disk up to the roof parts.

Wood Automotive tire Machine tool Gas Bumper


Wood Automotive exterior Gas Motor vehicle Bumper


Wood Rectangle Hardwood Flooring Font


Wood Rectangle Hardwood Font Wooden block


Now before I glue the roof on I'll put some Danish oil on the inside.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Recreation Plywood


Jeans Wood Font Wood stain Toy


Musical instrument Plant Orange Font Circle


I've tried three times to get this posted and wow have I had fits trying to get it done.
Very interesting how you shaped the roof.
 

Attachments

#93 ·
Got some wheels made

The treads I made on the last post were just to big so sanded down one set and retreaded them.
Automotive tire Wheel Tire Wood Rim


Now these are the right size.
Tire Wheel Automotive tire Tread Hubcap


Wheel Tire Vehicle Car Hood


Wheel Tire Vehicle Car Automotive tire


Wheel Tire Vehicle Car Automotive tire


Wheel Tire Vehicle Car Motor vehicle


And here's how I cut the wood down for my wheels.
I cut the board just a tad over size 2 3/4" then rip on the table saw using a rip blade that came with the saw and it does a pretty smooth job of it.
Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Motor vehicle Bumper


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain


The project page is here.
 

Attachments

#94 ·
Got some wheels made

The treads I made on the last post were just to big so sanded down one set and retreaded them.
Automotive tire Wheel Tire Wood Rim


Now these are the right size.
Tire Wheel Automotive tire Tread Hubcap


Wheel Tire Vehicle Car Hood


Wheel Tire Vehicle Car Automotive tire


Wheel Tire Vehicle Car Automotive tire


Wheel Tire Vehicle Car Motor vehicle


And here's how I cut the wood down for my wheels.
I cut the board just a tad over size 2 3/4" then rip on the table saw using a rip blade that came with the saw and it does a pretty smooth job of it.
Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Motor vehicle Bumper


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain


The project page is here.
You seemed to have mastered making very nice and realistic wheels Bruce!!
 

Attachments

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