How do you make blueprints?

[Straywolf]

I was wondering how to make a blue print for 1/14th scale? I was wondering if there was a scale modeling software? Also do you use a regular printer to print them or have to take them somewhere?

I hate to ask i am not all that good when it comes to breaking down measurements and such. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank You.........Mike

[doodlebug]

Hey Mike, try this link, hope it help's! http://jbwid.com/scalcalc.htm
Later, Neil#2 aka doodlebug.

[9W Monighan]

You can draw your part 1:1 and then it can be shrunk (scaled) down . This can be done on any CAD drawing program. Car5858 can give you some more in depth instruction. Or, if you have a drawing or photograph, it could be blown up or down by scanning. I've done this several times to build parts.

[Straywolf]

Thank You both for the info, when i build i just build by eye, but i wanted to try and learn how to plan something out and work from a blueprint,which would have all the measurements and such on it

Thanks again....Mike

[Espeefan]

I draw things the old fashioned way, using old school drafting techniques. Nothing special here. Just a pencil, ruler, some drafting triangles, a compass, protractor, ect. I'm working on drafting up some plans for a trailer I want to scratch build right now, in fact. I'm drawing the plan out full sized, in 1/15th scale, but I am scaling all my dimensions off of a print I found on the internet. If you know some really basic math, you can solve for any unknown dimension, measured on a print, as long as you have a couple known reference dimensions provided. I just figure out what I call a 'scale multipler' and then go from there. Anything I measure off the print, with a ruler, can then be calculated to solve for any unknow 1:1 dimension.

Here's a photo to give you an idea of how I do things. It's a CAD drawing, actually. That's cardboard aided design. The trailer is 42.375" long. I didn't have any paper long enough, so I found some cardboard instead!



I know it's not the greatest photo ever, but my drawing of the trailer in 1/15th scale was hard for the camera to pick up. You can see my tools and the print I was working off of in this photo.

[Straywolf]

Thanks i do believe i have some of the same tools you have, but the CAD not sure if i could afford one J/K i think i have plenty of cardboard here somewhere

[Car5858]

That is great info, using a cad program is the fastest way of scaling.

With autocad you can make the drawing 1:1 then scale it to the size that you want. Plot to a pdf, email it to whomever you wish. They can then take the file to your local printer and have it plotted.

Here is one that I have been working on. 1/16 scale Bridge master ext.

You can also search the web for free cad software there are many different cad programs available. Learning the software you get has a large learning curve.

Sketching things out first always helps.

Here is just one of many, http://www.cadstd.com/

good luck, and if you have questions just ask.

Carl

[Grainfarmer]

For my windrower I took some good pics from the web. A good photo of the side wiew for example worked well to take some dimensions (length of the hood, wheelbase, cab, longitudinal beams of the chassis...), when I compared it with the dimensions of the brochure and the specs.
But: depending on the size and angle the photo was taken some dimensions may be skewed on the photo...
I let the best pics enlarge in a copyshop, that they were close to my scale 1/16. The differences that stayed I scaled down (example -10%). Comparing now the result I think that I proportioned it with a relative small deviation.
This may work fo a short model, but I have my doubts that you can do it this way for a 50 ft trailer...

[Straywolf]

Thank You everyone for the help i think i am gonna try that cad program.

[kerst]

I like the "cardboard aided design", but I use an old-fashioned drawing board.


Kerst

[Espeefan]

One of these days I'd like to invest in a drafting table and arm, but the nice arms are a good chunk of money. Its a good investment though. Nothing wrong with the cheaper T- squares either.

On scaling a model plan from prints or drawings, the larger the print you have to work from, the more accurate your measurements will be. Sometimes though you have to make some compromises, in order to have a fully functional model. Things can't always be 100% to scale. Form follows function, in my opinion. If you can't find or make parts 100% to scale, then in those cases you just have to accept that fact and fudge the dimensions slightly, without getting to far off the proportions.

[Izzy]

Make your own 1/14.5 scale graph paper.

Try using a sheet of packing paper or something as large as your final project - piece it together if you have to.
Then - if you like to think in feet - (12 inches) along each edge layout marks at .83" increments - to make this easier get a set of dividers or cheap electric calipers. This .83 is the 1/14.5 scale of 12". You will need to make sure that the tic marks are square to each other. Next would be to take a ruler and draw in lines connecting corresponding tic marks.

Sounds like a pain but this was the first thing we learned how to do in drafting class.

CAD systems tend to be pricey. Actual blueprints are nearly extinct with the advent of laser printers upwards of 60" wide paper rolls ( or whatever they're up to now)

Izzy

[Ken Orme]

Question????

Whre and how did they come up with the scale of 14.5????????

Ken

[Espeefan]

Tamiya's trucks aren't exactly 1/14 scale, and the same can be said for Wedico. They aren't exactly 1/16 scale. When you start to measure things up on these trucks, like tires and wheels, you notice the difference. That's pretty much why Izzy said 1/14.5 for Tamiyas, and I said 1/15 for the Wedico.

[fhhhstix]

Originally Posted by Car5858

That is great info, using a cad program is the fastest way of scaling.

With autocad you can make the drawing 1:1 then scale it to the size that you want. Plot to a pdf, email it to whomever you wish. They can then take the file to your local printer and have it plotted.

Here is one that I have been working on. 1/16 scale Bridge master ext.

You can also search the web for free cad software there are many different cad programs available. Learning the software you get has a large learning curve.

Sketching things out first always helps.

Here is just one of many, http://www.cadstd.com/

good luck, and if you have questions just ask.

Carl

Thanks for the link Carl I downloaded cadstd and have been messing around with it since last night. It will take some getting use to since I have not used a cad program since high school which was a version of auto cad released in 1991.

Travis

[Straywolf]

Thank You everyone for all the great help, i downloaded the cad program man do i have alot to learn.....Hopefully this old dog can learn new tricks

[Car5858]

Your welcome guy's

Travis, that was AutoCad 11, released in 1991. You will see some similarities
as this program was based on AutoCad. AutoCad has come a long way since then. Their programs run about 4-5k $, and are filled with problems in the code. The most stable one that I use is release 2009.

Have fun guy's

[Izzy]

Autocad had a version LT - it didn't have some if the fancier tools in it - but was good for what we do - worked with it for several years before they upgraded me lately at work.

Nice thing about autocad is that you can draft with the same techniques as you did on the board (paper and pencil) with the early versions. For some this means a lot.

[mack kid]

I use punch ViaCAD 2d/3d and just set settings to inch/feet it measures it automatically

[Ken Orme]

I have used autocad lt for over 10 years on a computer with windows 98 and I have had no problems. I do not know if my cad lt program will run on windiws 7. One of these day I will call them and find out.

A new lt program is around $800. I am a little short on green stamps.

Ken