drawing a pattern

M

mholl27

Joined
Aug 1, 2007
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5
I am in the design stages for my first knife and what I have had a hard time with thus far is drawing my pattern so I can trace it on to a piece of micarta that will be my master grind pattern. (hopefully) Do any of you more experienced makers have any tips to help me get proportions right, correct curves on the blade and handles etc. Most tutorials seem to be silent on this step. Thanks.
 
I like using adobe illustrator because it can draw perfect curves, aswell as complex flowing curves. As for the gird patter I like to use printer paper and spray on adhesive to cut out patterns.
 
I use autocad and do the same as "65535". If you are freehanding your drawings i would suggest making copies before you cut them up. Its always nice "just in case",its also nice to have a record of all your patterns
 
Get yourself a set (3) of french curves at an art/drawing supplies shop. The large one is the one you will use the most. You can use them to to create the curve you want or refine a curve you have already drawn freehand.

Once you are happy with your design photocopy it several times. If it is going to be a one off design, cut out one of the copies and using spray glue stick it to your steel. Band saw the pattern out and grind to the line, you now have one perfectly profiled blank.

If you wish to make several of the same design, stick you paper pattern to some thin aluminium, band saw and grind to line. You now have a permanent template you can scribe around. It is best to clamp template to steel.

In both cases you should always keep the master drawng or copy to refer back to.

peter
 
i too do it on paper but then i scan it into the comp to clean up adn play with.

jsut cant seem to get what im looking for just in the computer and i was a photoshop logo monster at my last job
 
Jos said:
Glad to see that somebody still remembers these in the age of the computer!:thumbup:
Click to expand...

Yeah! I've been making my living with computers for over 35 years now but I still find it easier and more fun to draw knife designs by hand with french curves. :D
 
I use french curves and a ruler too. I draw it out on paper. Then I lay a peice of plexiglass over the drawing and trace it with a sharpie marker. I cut it out on the band saw and clean it up with a file. In my opinion Micarta or brass is too expensive to use for template.
-John
 
I draw my picture by hand, and then scan into my computer. From there I use the the paint program to shrink or enlarge it to whatever size of that model i am doing. then i print it out and glue it to the steel and cut out with my bandsaw.
 
Another option is flexicurves... somewhere between the age of french curves and the age of computers. I also do my concepts with pencil and paper cos I seem to have more feel for where the curves should be. I then scan and import into CAD and then trace over the sketch for a neat final design. Point to note is that I am not rigid to the design.. while filing the blank I will modify as I feel it would look better.

Lang
 
I worked as a graphics designer for a long time and still I find that for knivfe design I prefer the good old paper and pencil. Get a french curve and lots of tracing paper!! Trace the parts you like and rework the parts you dont :)
 
I sketch out the design in pencil on a piece of stiff cardboard. Then I refine it, erasing and redrawing. Once the knife LOOKS good, I cut it out. I "cut" with it. Swing it around. Chop, slash, stab, etc. If it feels good in the hand, I use it for a template to draw the shape on steel. If not I trace it on cardboard and make new modifications. This way the knife changes and grows as I design it. Sometimes I end up with a totally new design than I started with. If it is a hidden tang, I draw in the tang and cut it away from the handle.
Stacy
 
After you get a paper pattern, trace it on some wood and grind away ever thing that doesn't look like a knife.

Sounds flippant don't it.

Doing the pattern this way always gives me a different feel than what I drew on paper.

Using the grinder gives me the advantage of knowing what moves I'm going to make anyway and it gives me something to feel in my hand.

Some of my best knifes on paper didn't feel as good in the hand as I thought they should. :D
 
I'll second Barker, Butch, 65535 and Del Raso and the rest.

I'm a design professional in my day job (www.tecrep.com) and my process is to sketch it out by hand and get close. Use the French curves to spiff up the good stuff, and bring it into something like Adobe Illustrator to generate smooth spline curves (I use Pro/ENGINEER ISDX).

The human eye is an odd thing. Once you've looked at a shape for more than a few moments, you can no longer really see it objectively. A GREAT WORK AROUND IS IT TO FLIP THE THING OVER and look at it from the back or in a mirror. Helps you see it fresh. Seriously.
 
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