Transferring patterns

[MilDoc]

Some of the patterns I have are obviously small size (regular paper, 8x11) and call for transferring the pattern to wood. I'm a lousy artist. How do you do this?

[atgcpaul]

I think they still sell carbon paper at the office store.

[liqdfire]

Another method would be to print a mirror image of the pattern, if the pattern is an image flip it horizontaly then print it out. Trace over the lines of an images with a fairly decent amount of graphite then lay thepattern face down and rub it with an edged surface like a square. This should rub the graphite off and onto the wood.

[guycox]

Try this -- alas it will involve buy yet another tool.

http://www.woodcarvers.com/pounce.htmhttp://www.woodcarvers.com/pounce.htm

[JR]

The carbon paper idea works well. Alternatively photocopy the original, glue the copy to your wood, and cut right through it.

[LCHIEN]

Print on a laser printer, or failing that, print on an ink jet, take to the office and copy on a xerographic copier. Make darker if you can.

Place the paper face down on the wood and trace the lines or image area witha warm iron. This will transfer some of the image toner to the wood making it possible to use for a cut line or fill in witha pencil if need be. Printing a reverse image to the paper and using it that way will make a correct image on the wood.

How it works:
In the laser and xerographic process, carbon dust or toner is attracted to the image by electrostatic charge, then melted to the paper by a fuser.

Once the image is on the paper you can transfer it by remelting; some will stick to the wood.

[Crash2510]

easy
use a pantograph can even make it bigger or smaller
rockler has one for $20
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...filter=tracing

[jziegler]

Paul,

Have you ever done the grid transfer method? I've done it a couple times and it works ok and I'm no artist either. It seems like most of the plans already have the grid on them. I recently saw a suggestion to use a french curve for drawing the curves on the wood, after placing dots everywhere that a grid line is intersected.

Of course, there are lots of great suggestions here already.

Jim

[sacherjj]

You obviously have to transfer patterns for fretwork on the scrollsaw. This can be used for almost anything else. I print out the pattern and use 3M 77 spray adhesive. I just spray the paper and let it dry slightly. If I'm doing some serious work, like my Mother's Day fret work, I put it on liberally. To get it off, sometimes it will just peel off. If not, heat up with a hair drier (this makes 77 lose its bond and get sticky). If there is any residue, I clean it off with the recommended solvent on the can.

[MilDoc]

Ooops ... guess I wasn't clear. The pattern in the plan will be smaller than the actual part, so it can't be directly transferred to wood (which I have done with carbon paper). In some cases the pattern may be 50% or less than the true size. Enlarging it is my problem. I guess a pantograph would work.

[JR]

I guess a pantograph would work.

Or enlarge it on a photocopier.

[bigsteel15]

Ooops ... guess I wasn't clear. The pattern in the plan will be smaller than the actual part, so it can't be directly transferred to wood (which I have done with carbon paper). In some cases the pattern may be 50% or less than the true size. Enlarging it is my problem. I guess a pantograph would work.

Have any access to a photocopier to enlarge it?

[Wood_workur]

Yeah, photocopy it all the way. you can often do that of a post office or a library.

[sacherjj]

I am transfering some now that are 17" x 18" patterns. I printed them on 8.5" x 11" with a grid that corresponds to 1" on the final piece. Then I draw a 1" grid on the final piece or the full size pattern. Then you draw the pattern with the grids as a reference. Or find a friend with a big plotter ot ink jet.