Gergely Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Dear Folks, Share your experience with us about how you draw your bigger projects! Thank you for your helpful generosity. Facing a new issue made me think what do people use as a drawing board when it comes to bigger drawings. In my thoughts the board has to hold up while hot stock touching it during the controlling of size/shape. My idea was two pieces of 1mm sheet metal fixed on my shop door. So I got 2x2 meters of drawing space. As chalk doesn't like this surface, and precision doesn't tend to like chalk I thought some paper taped to the metal could help. After drawing the shapes to the paper I want to cut out the drawing - making some kind of negative of the drawing. Then spraying some paint on the negative should get the original picture on the metal surface. When it's not needed anymore it can be removed by some solvent. (I sense there could be a simplier way. ) Here is the picture of version 1.0. The next day I had to change the paper and the fixing method because the tape failed to hold. Now it's lighter weight paper fixed with magnets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Country Forge Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Soap stone and concrete.... Final project of drawing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Well, ... you're not going to like this answer. But my advice would be to forego the life-size "paper dolls", ... and learn to work from properly scaled mechanical drawings. Even the most fundamental CAD drafting software, is an INCREDIBLY USEFUL TOOL. I use AutoCAD every day, for a wide variety of purposes. Finding unknown dimensions, angles, spacial relationships, etc., etc., etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 I've taken to using artist's pencils in grey for a lot of my drawing because it will take a sharp point for better precision. It's pretty soft stuff, but it's not as soft as soapstone or chalk, and holds up to heat pretty good. For a drawing board, I have one on the drawing board..... My idea was to take a page from the angled draftsman's table. Hinge a piece of sheet metal at the top so it can fasten to the wall, and put some legs on the bottom so you can pull it to whatever angle you find comfortable. When not in use, it lays flat against the wall. I even thought to include some angle iron across the bottom for stiffness and to create a lip. This catches anything that might fall and allows you to do basic assembly of the parts. With enough magnets, you could assemble the entire piece on the angled table, but I don't know that that would be advisable to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aessinus Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Sidewalk chalk from the dollar store, carpenter's pencil on painted steel siding, soapstone on black steel, Acad & a 36" wide plotter on paper or mylar, CatiaV5 for 3D stuff to help the end user visualize.... oh, and a stick on the dirt floor of the shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 For thinking with my hands I have a chalkboard, the local U I teach a smithing class at sometimes used chalkboard paint on the metal doors in the smithy area. (my wife got the College discard 4' tall by 12' wide chalkboard in her studio---she can set up pretty much an entire class on it and then just move from end to end...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Budd Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 the insides of my doors are all painted with blackboard paint, so I have several 8x4foot CAD boards (Chalk Aided Design) If I need to make more precise drawings an templates I draw onto a sheet of steel with a silver pen/white pencil or make a paper template on gridded paper. I don't have the need or desire to use computers for my work, so these methods work for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 I've seen a lot of things drawn on forge hoods; every thing from simple keeping a record of billet folds/welds to details of items being forged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 On 31 August 2016 at 10:41 PM, Gergely said: Dear Folks, Share your experience with us about how you draw your bigger projects! Thank you for your helpful generosity. Facing a new issue made me think what do people use as a drawing board when it comes to bigger drawings. In my thoughts the board has to hold up while hot stock touching it during the controlling of size/shape. It all depends on the project and my proposal. I use paper and a Ø7mm (5/16") 4B clutch pencil, in preference for presentation drawings. But often will do a photomontage on a site photograph in Photoshop. Or sometimes draw directly onto a site photo If it is small enough I draw full size on the bench and assemble the piece on the drawing I have a classic AO draughting table with a an X-Y drafting head which is rarely used now apart from as a sketching surface. In the early 1990s I taught myself to use CAD (MiniCad/Vectorworks) and 3D modelling (FormZ) which I used for the big architectural projects. With the later versions of the software you could make up quite convincing photorealist images by superimposing the rendered model on a site photo in Photoshop. The great advantage is that you can be micron accurate over tens of metres which you could never draw out full size. I managed to accurately model a railing scheme for a Victorian railway viaduct on a rising curve over a hundred odd metres long which would have been a pain any other way. The first images of the following pairs are virtual railings if you did not spot it! For full size drawings in the workshop I use the floor, the bench or some 3 x 1.5 metre (10' x 5") birch ply boards with pencil the surface I refresh by a roller and emulsion paint. They can be bolted together for the lay-out drawing and dismantle to use as component lay-on boards. Alan p.s The viaduct can now be called the 999 Arches viaduct... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Draftsight is a freeware version of AutoCad if you already know Autocad but don't want to spend $4k or so. VERY useful. A lot of designers and architects that I work with use Google Sketchup for beta level designs, it helps to be able to receive their files and know enough to roll around thru the drawing and pull some dimensions from it. Free hand drawing on any flat surface is as important as being able to swing a hammer in architectural ironwork. Many many techniques are applicable. For full size shop drawings on nonflammable media I use sheet steel and White Out type correction pens, Presto and Bic white out also work. Doesn't burn or fade, lay a red hot piece of steel on your drawing and the lines stay visible. Also works better than anything I've tried for free hand torch or plasma cutting, a white out line doesn't burn off till the steel is gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted September 2, 2016 Author Share Posted September 2, 2016 Ca n t write now but thank you all! and wow Alan ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 (edited) On 2016. 09. 01. at 1:24 AM, Pine Country Forge said: Soap stone and concrete.... Yeah, that's simply the best - I have a problem though: My concrete floor is too dusty and uneven to use as board. (And nowadays I'm out of horizontal shop space ) For smaller projects I use the upsetting plate which is 15"x20" plate, chalk marks it pretty good. On 2016. 09. 01. at 5:39 AM, SmoothBore said: Well, ... you're not going to like this answer. But my advice would be to forego the life-size "paper dolls", ... and learn to work from properly scaled mechanical drawings. Even the most fundamental CAD drafting software, is an INCREDIBLY USEFUL TOOL. I use AutoCAD every day, for a wide variety of purposes. Finding unknown dimensions, angles, spacial relationships, etc., etc., etc. Yes, You're right SmoothBore. I very painfully lack the skills for using CAD softwares. I've tried to learn one and I haven't gave it up yet, cause I really need it: my head can't do some levels of imagination. I think it will still be necessary to have something "life-size" where the tricky hot shapes can be compared quickly - not having time to have measured the actual angles and sizes. On 2016. 09. 01. at 7:05 PM, ThomasPowers said: I've seen a lot of things drawn on forge hoods; every thing from simple keeping a record of billet folds/welds to details of items being forged That can be a universal thing wherever blacksmiths have hoods... Having no hood I like to use the covering sheet of my springhammer, sturdy notepad On 2016. 09. 02. at 0:40 AM, Alan Evans said: It all depends on the project and my proposal. I use paper and a Ø7mm (5/16") 4B clutch pencil, in preference for presentation drawings. But often will do a photomontage on a site photograph in Photoshop. Or sometimes draw directly onto a site photo If it is small enough I draw full size on the bench and assemble the piece on the drawing I have a classic AO draughting table with a an X-Y drafting head which is rarely used now apart from as a sketching surface. For full size drawings in the workshop I use the floor, the bench or some 3 x 1.5 metre (10' x 5") birch ply boards with pencil the surface I refresh by a roller and emulsion paint. They can be bolted together for the lay-out drawing and dismantle to use as component lay-on boards. Alan Thank you, Alan for those good ideas! And those pictures shown some fantastic work, thank you for sharing us those, too! On 2016. 09. 02. at 2:26 AM, Judson Yaggy said: Draftsight is a freeware version of AutoCad if you already know Autocad but don't want to spend $4k or so. VERY useful. A lot of designers and architects that I work with use Google Sketchup for beta level designs, it helps to be able to receive their files and know enough to roll around thru the drawing and pull some dimensions from it. Free hand drawing on any flat surface is as important as being able to swing a hammer in architectural ironwork. Many many techniques are applicable. For full size shop drawings on nonflammable media I use sheet steel and White Out type correction pens, Presto and Bic white out also work. Doesn't burn or fade, lay a red hot piece of steel on your drawing and the lines stay visible. Also works better than anything I've tried for free hand torch or plasma cutting, a white out line doesn't burn off till the steel is gone. Thanks for the tips JY! I think we had Bic here - it's worth a shot to try. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experience! And please keep them coming - pictures too! Best wishes: Gergely Edited September 4, 2016 by Gergely spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 My main shop work table is 5'x9' and 1/4" steel plate. Usually only half of the surface is available, but I do my drawings on it. I solved the problem of full scale drawings by not making anything larger than the available surface. Works for me, YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwolfforgeca Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 I keep my welding table's painted with a cheap thin coat of red oxide primer paint that does a few things #1 it keeps rust down on the table #2 it keeps the wire feed welding from sticking all those little bits AND #3 it make a LG great drawing board !! & set up for copying Hot work designs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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