What Do You Use To Draw/design Projects?

I was told years ago some printers would reduce a drawing just enough to fit the paper better.
This was certainly true for earlier printers. All the printers (HP LaserJet, Epson, Brother) that I have used in the past fifteen or twenty years have been spot on for scale. To ceck the scaling, I print make a 7" x 10" rectangle and measure. With my machinist's rule, I can measure to 1/50th of an inch giving me .002"/" accuracy which is better than my layout skills.

While I go by the numbers for reading drawings, I use 1:1 drawings as templates for various projects. For example, cutting a gasket for an engine, I would print out the drawing and glue it to the gasket material with paper cement, cut the gasket, and peel the template. Better accuracy than trying to draw out the gasket on the gasket material. I also used a printer for making 1:1 transparencies for printed circuit masks. A third use was making a 1:1 template to check the fit of a design prior to cutting metal.
 
I've got a piece of birch.
and ... Draughtsmans T Square, triangles, protractor, pencil.
I have no intention of updating.

Daryl
 
-SNIP- I was told years ago some printers would reduce a drawing just enough to fit the paper better. -SNIP-
Depends on the Program used, Printer and the software drivers for the printer.
Postscript has always worked best for me, all others I've had to adjust.
I have binary .DXF files from years ago that are a graduated scale/ruler/tick marks drawing that run diagonally across the page, print/plot that
out and then measure for accuracy. Have usually had to adjust 'em even back to pen plotter, and electrostatic plotter days.
I made some transparent scales for my miter saw the other day on ol' matte finish Sticky-Back. It was off ~.040" over 11", not too bad.
I'm just going to be using them for rough cuts, and they'll probably wear off in a month or so...
 
I have used Cad Standard Lite (Free) on this laptop. It is the speed of drawing that is the challenge for me. I feel any good quality computer running any of the high quality programs and what is called a digitizer pad that will speed the process up. Walmart sells the pad, Wacom Intuos Pen and Touch, Medium Tablet It not the cheapest and you still need a drawing to trace from. Sorry I could be more helpful.
I miss my Kurta tablets. Had a 12x12, and a 12x18, and I'll be d*mmed if I know where they disappeared to. :(
 
So do ALL veteran's have access to this? and is it for just a given time period, or unlimited time frame?
You need a DD214, I had a bunch in my packet I got when discharged, and that will get you a copy for one year ($25 I think for shipping the disk). I had to go through the same paperwork this year to get a 2015 copy. I'm not sure how long you can keep getting a new copy.
 
I have been running 3D Cad since '86. Got onto Unigraphics in '93 and been using that ever since. I have an old copy of NX6 at home. And am running V10 at work (GM). Does everything I need it to do and I have modeled everything from model car parts, machining tools, chassis and suspensions to a wooden cabinet I built in '09, the deck railing I built last year and a wheel chair ramp I am working on for friend. I sort out a lot of design issues in CAD and can then detail everything up. NO mistakes is good.
I posted this build here. An Adjustable Angle Plate.
The Cad File.
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The finished plate.
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Mark

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Especially for new members here.
Please note that all the really cool digital stuff is good and appropriate.
But, as Bill Gruby has identified, paper and pencil works as well today as it did in a century ago.
It's cheap and reliable.
Nothing against the new tech.
It's all good at HM!!!!!!!!!!!

Daryl
MN
 
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