Tricks for CAD (Cardboard Aided Design)

[TinkerTailor]

I know quite a few people rely on digital means to make their patterns, I am not one of them. Lets have a discussion about tips and trick for good old fashioned pencil and ruler layout and design:

Having worked with AutoCAD for years at work, I am fully capable and set up to do digital patterning. Thing is, I don't like it. It does not work with my creative flow. I use old school CAD, "Cardboard Aided Design". Need it narrower? cut it. Need it wider? Tape a hunk on. No power? No problem. What I have found is that it is actually faster in alot of ways to do it this way. In order to be faster you need to know how to use the tools properly like the old guys did. Here is a picture of my drafting table with the design of a bag I am working on sitting on it. Notice that there are no fancy tools, just rulers, a small square and a couple compasses (The big ones are Starrett 92-9's from around 1890. They are beauties, still have both the legs, fit a pencil and fit the osborne scratch compass grooving tips). The tilting table is nice on the back but not necessary. The blue flexible curve I usually use to keep pencils from rolling off the table..... Notice there are pattern pieces sitting in the top right corner, Those only took 5 minutes to redraw from the original full size front view with a compass and a ruler. If you look close you can see my compass points and layout lines:

 

I have many tricks, some of which are kinda difficult to explain. This video on blacksmithing does a great job of explaining some great tips for old school layout:

 

 

What tips, tricks and pointers do you have?

 

[RockyAussie]

Whatever thickness you want the leather to be in making a book cover or a purse a wallet or a handbag, you cut a strip of the same leather normally about 20mm or 3/4" wide and longer than needed a fair bit. Use this to surround the object as you would want it to sit and mark it then measure.The object is, that by using the same leather it will be the right thickness on the curves and what is near impossible to get in Auto Cad, it will stretch to length close to the right amount.
 In time if you use the same type and thickness of material a lot you can just put on more permanent ruler measurements.

[JLSleather]

AutoCad at the house would be awesome (or something like it).  But I haven't even bothered to check the sticker price since kid #2

Any more, any layout I do "on paper" is generally done with graph paper .. so I can just sketch with a visual "guide".  But when I'm done, I want it in the computer anyway, so if there's a way to do it in the computer to begin, I'm for that!

Never have time, though, for "that guy" who goes on about having some program at work.. AutoCad, Illustrator, PS, whatever ... and spends his / her time "at work" doing their own 'thing'.  Having been an employer, I have some idea what employees can convince themselves is "okay" to do at work on the basis of "everybody does it".  That kid who was always on the phone when he should be working - gone.  That girl who reported her internet out, and called the tech boys so she could spend the morning shopping for new bras - gone.  I could go on.

When I see posts from those people, I automatically 'record' them as lacking personal integrity, and glad I'm not paying them.  And I don't pay them -- either for designs or finished projects. Hard to make speeches about personal integrity when taking money for one thing and doing another.  Like, 'hey, I'm cheating my boss at work, but I would nevereverever do that to you ..."  Yeah.. Okay.

But, OFF the soapbox....

Whether on teh paper or in the file, the one thing you can't seem to get people to grasp is the importance of the material thickness.  One obvious example is the multitude of "correct" ways to measure a belt   By compass or CAD, you can't mark a belt waist size on the 'grain side' and thnk that a 1/4" thick belt is going to fit ...

 

[ A bit further off the topic, I also have no time for those who sat (or "lurked".. I guess is the "acceptable" term) and got info for FREE, who now want to CHARGE the next guy for that same info.  Pathetic. ]

 

Edited September 23, 2016 by JLSleather

[brmax]

good morning!

Great ideas guys with all the drawing options!

In some ancient times when a 386dx was a bad az computer I used autosketch, the 90's it was and a beginning to the pro version Auto cad that Pro designers at my work used. Lots of time spent at the desk and using the mouse pad whew, my eyes hurt!

Best thing was my smarter dear wife picked up as donation, a messed up "end" roll of paper ( for book making ) a local company. She was a leader for girl scouts and I can say the roll at like 36"x 9dia is gone now  after 30 years hehe, a lot of kid craft get togethers believe me. These rolls aren't lite either, they really work great for table covers, archery arrow tuning, shot patterning and many other, other than intended task maybe a couple hundred yards, and not even a measure of the beginning amount seriously. I'm not sure the diameter of these rolls when starting a book project but I suspect very large and this was a great gift for a business to offer and it worked great for the local and visiting summer time scouts. ( and you know who carried it around  

A tip I found you guys might use, is in my canvas work the 2" diameter tubes from the rolls seem to work well for storage of some of the paper or any flexible type patterns.

later

Floyd

Edited September 23, 2016 by brmax

[billybopp]

Despite being the computer/networking consultant for a number of engineering firms for awhile, I never really learned to use CAD.  Having had some drafting classes in school doing things the old fashioned way with a board, T-square, triangles and compasses, tho, I had a pretty good idea what they were trying to accomplish.   The drafting board still comes in handy for laying out leather patterns that are larger and need a little more visualization.  For smaller and simpler projects, I use an antiquated version of Adobe Illustrator.  Illustrator works great for some things, the drafting board for others.  It all depends on what you're trying to do!

Also, GREAT video Tinker.  I had forgotten some of those techniques..

Bill

[TinkerTailor]

Agree with you there, JLS, I was brought up with a very good work ethic, I am seriously worried about the future with this "Ill take what I want, eff you" attitude that is becoming commonplace. Even on my last day on the job I feel like a mooch if I don't put in the whole 8 hours. It is a point of pride that everything I have, I earned. Including my reputation. Offer me a free ride and I will offer to wash your car......

I have an old copy of autocad from one of the businesses I worked for that upgraded. They gave me one of the old copies. I have worked both as tech support for an autocad school as well as 3d modeling timberframe house designs. Im pretty good at it, however it does not excite me. I also have a copy of illustrator. I do use illustrator a lot, just not for patterning. I vectorize a lot of graphics with it. I have used it to digitize fonts from 100 year old books. I think what it is is that i do not like the way you draw curves on the computer. It does not have the same flow as by hand. When you sketch you can work up to the right curve and erase the extra lines. Doing this on the screen can get messy.

As to the belt size question,assuming the circumference of the object is represented as "A", The thickness of material as "B"

((A/π)+2B)π=final outside circumfrence.

What that says is "Take waist measurement, divide by Pi to get diameter. Add 2 times the thickness of material because we are working in diameter. Times by Pi to find new circumference. Works 100% of the time every time because the math says so, provided the material didn't stretch or the gut shrink....

Here is a video on how to multiply numbers without a calculator by drawing lines:

 

[JLSleather]

Well, at the risk of sounding "geek", I admit that was interesting

As for the belts, quickly-- if the waist size given is W, then the thickness of the leather adds to the size by twice the thickness times pi, or (2T)(π).

• the diameter of that 1/4" thick belt is (W+.5), and the "size" on teh grain side is {π)(W+.5)--  
• the 1/4" thickness adds .5π to the length measurement (1 1/2").

 

• the diameter of that 3/16" (12 oz) thick belt is (W+..375), and the "size" on teh grain side is {π)(W+.375)--  
• the 3/16" thickness adds approximately .375π to the length measurement (1 3/16").

Some will find this too "technical", but it's fast and it works.  

[NVLeatherWorx]

Oh, the Engineering math! Make it stop!

I remember those equations from days as an Army Engineer (and later my Masters program) and I always use them when working out design issues on the table.  I too do all of my design work on paper with the basic "hand tools" of the trade.  Once I have a finished design it then gets transferred to cardboard (using the same hand-drawn methods) which is used to create a mock-up of the intended finished item.  If all looks as it should then the next step is to actually cut the leather and make the real deal happen.  I often get told that my process takes way too much time and energy that I could save a large amount of if I just went with a computer design program and I always have a reply: "there is no computer design program alive that can replace the results obtained by putting my design style and flow into a functional finished product; custom designs are an extension of our personality and each one portrays a different piece of that personality; a computer only gives you lines without a soul."  That pretty much shuts them up and has them scratching their heads.

It is true that in today's society the "personal values" (couldn't find anything better) of the common employee are not just lacking, they are non-existent as they have been told their entire life that they are special and/or unique and that they are entitled to whatever they want or can dream of.  I have been around for a few years and yet to have any of my dreams (literally) come true but I have achieved several things that I have desired over this time and it was all from hard work; nobody gave me a thing that wasn't worked for and earned.

It would be nice if some of the younger generation would wake up and actually want to learn from some of us Old School thinkers and doers but I don't think that they are capable of doing anything other than walk around with their heads in their 5th point of contact thinking that they are entitled to the world that we, and those before us, have created for them.

Soap box dusted off now.

 

[TonyRV2]

For anyone interested in doing designs on their computer, there's a company that offers a watered down version of their CAD program for free.  And I have to tell you its a great program although I don't use it for leather work, I use it when designing knives.  Much easier to me to layout knife sheaths on paper, which is my major reason for being into leather.  Anyhoo....if you're interested in a great piece of free downloadable software, the company is Draft Sight, same as the name of program.  Here's a link: http://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight-cad-software/free-download/    I am, incidentally, in no way affiliated with this company,  but I have enjoyed using this product.  Be forewarned though, this isn't the sort of software you're just going to start of running with, there's a learning curve to it that's going to be dependant on your previous experience.  Fortunately there are some youtube videos and online tutorials to help get you going.

...Tony

Edited September 24, 2016 by TonyRV2

[CaptQuirk]

I like apple pi, warm, with cheddar cheese on it

I never used CAD, when I was doing any architectural or mechanical drawings, it was with rulers and pencils. I learned graphic arts back when cut and paste was very literal. Move ahead a few decades, and I took a computer graphics course. Photoshop was an awesome tool, but I also got to use a 3D modeling and animation program. As close to CAD as I've been, and it is still a lot of fun to play with.

[TinkerTailor]

2 hours ago, NVLeatherWorx said:

It would be nice if some of the younger generation would wake up and actually want to learn from some of us Old School thinkers and doers but I don't think that they are capable of doing anything other than walk around with their heads in their 5th point of contact thinking that they are entitled to the world that we, and those before us, have created for them.

Soap box dusted off now.

 

Just so you know, I have never told my age on here, and I could be older than you think, or much younger....Number of times around the sun does not reflect wisdom or experience. Wisdom and experience come from doing things, not watching them done on a screen.

[TonyRV2]

3 hours ago, TinkerTailor said:

Just so you know, I have never told my age on here, and I could be older than you think, or much younger....Number of times around the sun does not reflect wisdom or experience. Wisdom and experience come from doing things, not watching them done on a screen.

As a college prof, I'd have to argue the point.  I've had plenty of electronics students that very intelligent and able to do and comprehend things that took others a much longer time to accomplish.  I've yet however met a young student possessed what I would define as wisdom.  Experience alone comes from doing things.  From learning to avoid the mistakes (usually from having made them) that others less experienced are inclined to make.  Wisdom on the other hand, in my humble opinion, develops as a mix of one personal experiences and the observations of the experience of others coupled with an insight as to why people make the decisions that they make.  To be wise means not necessarily to be a student of a craft, but to be a student of life as well.  Now I'll get off of my soapbox too, and perhaps wisely so.