Semi permanent patterns

[sheathmaker]

Occasionally I will have a need to use the same pattern multiple times. I found that the same pvc material that "For Sale", "No Hunting" signs makes for the perfect material to use for these patterns. If you have a sign making business in your town you can get the material from them. I bought a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet a couple of years ago and it lasts a long time. Transfers the original pattern easily, cuts easily, and speeds up the whole operation of making the same thing over and over. Just trace around.

I used the permanent pattern on the left to make the ten sheaths shown on the right.

Paul

 

[John Frankl]

Thank you!

 

[stitchawl]

Being 'tracing-challanged,' I need a thicker pattern material, so I use a sheet of foam-core board. Cheap enough, easy to cut (sometimes too easy...) and thick enough so my scribe runs along the edge easily rather than jumping over the edge.


Stitchawl

 

[Omega Leather Works]

I like the plastic cutting board stuff because it bends nicely and is fairly tough.

I cannot remember who gave me the advice when I started (very possibly more than one person) to make a durable pattern if there's even a slight chance that you'd ever want to repeat it. I didn't follow the advice on every single sheath, but more than once I've been happy that I did follow it.

Always keep a drawing at the very least. For those I use my printer to run off a couple of copies and file em away just in case. I write down the specific knife that it goes to as well. Easier than cutting a durable pattern, but they're there if I ever need them.

As far as pattern making in general goes, I cannot recommend a "flexible curve" highly enough. If you are one that can draft beautiful lines at will then maybe not, but outside of that, I find mine to be indispensable, especially when drawing symmetry curves, something I find myself doing often. I bought a really nice giant pad of half inch graph paper (something like 2'x3') but I always just reach for a good pencil, eraser and composition style book of graph paper.

Paul, your patterns are quite lovely in detail.