Pattern Making ???

This is fascinating! my grandfather was a boatbuilder – I now wish I had talked to him more about the process. Thank you!

-- Kay - Just a girl who loves wood.

Thanks Paul very interesting explanation of what pattern making is. The photos help a lot to demonstrate the process too.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

Pattern makers were the backbone of industries. Making a master out of wood so it could be case metal.

I had a paying hobby making puzzles out of peoples names. I was contacted by an advertising company working for GM that wanted two letters to be interlocked and made out of wood. They were then going to make plastic copies and give to every dealer to sit on their desk.

I never saw the final product.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Hi Paul,
Beautiful work, I especially love the shaft model, it could stand in my livingroom.
Best thoughts from Mr- Espresso,
Mads

-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.

Wow, you’re old.

Seriously, this is cool. I have spent my life in electronics design, and things have really changed here too. But I never got to have something cast out of bronze. Neat. Really neat.

Thanks for the post,
Steve

-- -- I'm no rocket surgeon

This is from my living room.
Just to explain.
Best thoughts,
Mads

-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.

Interesting post Paul. You have to know a thing or two to make those patterns. My casting experience is limited to some metal rings made from silver solder for the opening on some hollow forms I turned. It was fun, but not in the same league as your bronze patterns. I find it sad that so many small manufacturing firms, including foundries have disappeared.

-- Mike, American in Norway

Nice patterns. making them is fun and it is nice to see the cast product from them. Thanks, Paul!!

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!

Paul, systems were simpler back in “the olden days” but extremely effective, as Karson said the old pattern amkers were the lifeblood of so many industries, Thanks for the Revisit of plesant times where tradesmen took real pride in their work
Cheers
pete

-- Pete G: If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got

Boy, that back stay leaver goes back 40 plus years. remember them well.

-- Thor and Odin are the greatest of Gods.

That is really interesting! Thanks for sharing it.

-- Steve - Impatience is Expensive

All I can say is WOW. Oh, and yeah, you sure are old Paul. :D

-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--

I worked in a pattern shop for a little while when I was younger. The skill that it takes to make the pattern or mold for something never ceases to amaze me. Unfortunately I wasn’t in the trade long enough to be taught any of that skill.

-- Doug - Make an effort to live by the slogan "We try harder"

Missed this,cause it didn’t come up when you posted. Nice work as always. Interesting that we were once a nation of builders and craftsman. Now we are the business center? We speculate on the value of wigets????

Did the place close due to lack of business, or old age?

-- Cau Haus Designs, Thomas J. Tieffenbacher

From the sag in the roof that was there as long as I can remember, I might say old age but I know that it just became too tough to make a go with a small foundry.
It was a lot like the old shipyards I worked in as a young guy, run down buildings low light, at the mercy to some extent of the weather, and turning out amazing work.

-- Paul M ..............If God wanted us to have fiberglass boats he would have given us fiberglass trees. http://prmdesigns.com/