Scroll Drawing Device

[HWHII]

Making scrolls for me has never come easy. Practice, a pile of scrolls and still frustration. To make a scrolling jig first you must develope the perfect form and the right size for your project. Some just grab a piece of metal,start banging on it and WALAH! a perfect scroll. I like to it draw first then form to my sketch. Her lies another problem, I sketch like a 3rd grader, even after numorous drafting classes.

In the latest AABA news letter our editor Dan Jennings with inspiration from Jerry Fuller posted this nifty apperatice. After seeing it I had a AHHA! moment and new I had to have one. So I dropped everthing and went off to make it.

First you need a aluminum pizza pan. I used a 14" one I got from a resturant supply company, It cost $7.00. Next you need a 3/8"x 2" elevator bolt which I got from Ace Hardware $2.80. Then found the center of the pan and JB welded it to it.

After it drys attach it to a variable speed drill,(If you have one with a adjustable trigger, it will work best.) at about 250rpm to 500rpm. Put it in a vise and masking tape some paper to the pan, start it going and put a pencil in the center and move it toward the edge. You will need to play with it to get the feel for it.

I feel now I have been able to conquer my scroll phobia and one less thing to discuss with my therapist. <_<

[monstermetal]

Crazy! I have the same issues ( sketching like a third grader and being intimidated by scrolls) One thing I did that has helped me was build a "golden" divider...


It allows you do lay out the quadrants by building the rectangle grid a scroll is based on..

I built mine out of 3/16 X 3/4 cold rolled flat bar and have wing nuts at the pivot points to lock it down..


Im gonna search for a pizza pan though... looks like a pretty spiffy trick!

[HWHII]

Crazy! I have the same issues ( sketching like a third grader and being intimidated by scrolls) One thing I did that has helped me was build a "golden" divider...


It allows you do lay out the quadrants by building the rectangle grid a scroll is based on..

I built mine out of 3/16 X 3/4 cold rolled flat bar and have wing nuts at the pivot points to lock it down..


Im gonna search for a pizza pan though... looks like a pretty spiffy trick!

Darn it Larry! Now you've gone and done it to me too. I have to have one of thoses dividers. So now I am going to have to make one of those. I am never going to get any paying work done now. ;)

[Bad Creek Blacksmith]

Thanks for sharing, hopefully I can stop beating my head against the wall already pulled all my hair out.

[shoer]

For those of us mathematically challenged, how about some simple plans for the dividers?

[double_edge2]

Making scrolls for me has never come easy. Practice, a pile of scrolls and still frustration. To make a scrolling jig first you must develope the perfect form and the right size for your project. Some just grab a piece of metal,start banging on it and WALAH! a perfect scroll. I like to it draw first then form to my sketch. Her lies another problem, I sketch like a 3rd grader, even after numorous drafting classes.

In the latest AABA news letter our editor Dan Jennings with inspiration from Jerry Fuller posted this nifty apperatice. After seeing it I had a AHHA! moment and new I had to have one. So I dropped everthing and went off to make it.

First you need a aluminum pizza pan. I used a 14" one I got from a resturant supply company, It cost $7.00. Next you need a 3/8"x 2" elevator bolt which I got from Ace Hardware $2.80. Then found the center of the pan and JB welded it to it.

After it drys attach it to a variable speed drill,(If you have one with a adjustable trigger, it will work best.) at about 250rpm to 500rpm. Put it in a vise and masking tape some paper to the pan, start it going and put a pencil in the center and move it toward the edge. You will need to play with it to get the feel for it.

I feel now I have been able to conquer my scroll phobia and one less thing to discuss with my therapist.

yeah look, that ugly non stylish platen clashes with the color of your drill gun, and just doesnt come near the shiny ally tray, ...just doesnt suit the shop,,,better send it to me.

[HWHII]

Is FED EX OK ? :lol:

[ianinsa]

He will possibly only be prepared to take it if you send it as "Priority Parcel Fragile" next day delivery - recipient pays postage
Ian

[pkrankow]

Nice Ian

I like the idea HWHII. If you have a turntable for your vinyl collection you can save a few steps and use a piece of foam core presentation board with a sharpie (although slower). You can still tape a mask to it (might even be recommended). If you are washed up before using it, you can even use the kit in the good stereo without offending the DG.

MM, Those dividers are cool, but I fail to grasp how to use them. Maybe a photo set showing how to pick dimensions up would help.

Phil

[maddog]

Crazy! I have the same issues ( sketching like a third grader and being intimidated by scrolls) One thing I did that has helped me was build a "golden" divider...


It allows you do lay out the quadrants by building the rectangle grid a scroll is based on..

I built mine out of 3/16 X 3/4 cold rolled flat bar and have wing nuts at the pivot points to lock it down..

I believe those dividers are used to generate a spiral in this way:



from: Wikipedia Golden Ratio

A golden rectangle is divided into a smaller Golden rectangle, the remainder is recursively inscribed with Golden Rectangles. Those dividers are used to mark them out.
Never seen that tool before. Must make one. Thanks Monster.

[Marksnagel]

Thinking about the dividers hurt my brain.

However, the pizza pan and the drill I can picture. I'll try that one. I too suffer from drawing dyslexia and need all the help I can get.

Thanks for posting the pics. I like pictures.

Mark<><

[cavala]

Have you guys tried winding a piece of string around a piece of tubing and tie a pencil to it unwrap and there you go perfect spiral. Not a golden spiral but it works. Also french curve sets are useful.

[bottles]

Hi,
Here are a couple of online links for making calipers for golden ratio's.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/22610/golden-mean-caliper
or a slightly more compicated version
http://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/golden-mean-calipers-115382/
Andrew

[mat]

i had a toy(a long long time ago) called a spiragraph from what i remember it would work well,then you could enlarge the image using a photocopier.i wonder if i could get one?

[dkunkler]

i had a toy(a long long time ago) called a spiragraph from what i remember it would work well,then you could enlarge the image using a photocopier.i wonder if i could get one?

You may find this interesting.
http://www.math.psu.edu/dlittle/java/parametricequations/spirograph/SpiroGraph1.0/index.html
Or this.
http://michelle.esfm.ipn.mx/~mrspock/spiro/

[mat]

too much maths

[maddog]

You shouldn't have to redraw the Golden Spiral every time you want to make a scroll. Take an image of the spiral, scale it up or down and print it out. Alternatively draw one on a large piece of plywood and keep it as a permanent template.

Unlike some other spirals, there is only one Golden Spiral for a given size and shrinking or expanding it still results in a Golden Spiral.

My motto is "Don't do math in the shop. It's a recipe for disaster".

[HWooldridge]

Practice drawing them freehand... ;)

[John B]

You shouldn't have to redraw the Golden Spiral every time you want to make a scroll. Take an image of the spiral, scale it up or down and print it out. Alternatively draw one on a large piece of plywood and keep it as a permanent template.

Unlike some other spirals, there is only one Golden Spiral for a given size and shrinking or expanding it still results in a Golden Spiral.

My motto is "Don't do math in the shop. It's a recipe for disaster".

It might be called the Golden Spiral, but as a scroll you need variation to suit the situation, (and its quite an open scroll)

You will find you have a natural curve to your scrolls when you start producing them, (in fact it can be quite difficult to vary them from this shape/flow) and if it looks right it usually is right

[fciron]

I'm in agreement with Mssrs. Woolridge and B, you need to be able to draw scrolls. Sometimes they need to fit in different spaces, sometimes you need to tighten them up to meet code. Different periods and countries have different approaches to scrolls. If you can't see what it looks like when your working with a pencil how are you going to be able to make one with hot iron?

Imma still gonna make me one of them nifty dividers. :P