Anamorphic Plan Copies

Gang --

In Leonard's "Hints and Tips" thread, he proposed the ingenious idea of making copies of plans, and transferring the image to balsa with just a clothes iron.

Only problem is most copiers distort the image, shrinking it in one dimension, but not the other.

There are various ways around the problem, but the simplest I have found is to scan the original and generate a file (PDF is probably the most transportable). Printing to a laser printer is not anamorphic with the three printers I have tried. Uhh -- ink jet doesn't work, no surprise. Also I think transparencies (overheads) give a much sharper image than paper with lesser humidity effects.

Engineering copiers and plotters don't distort (at least the engineers will tell you that). I bring plans into my engineering department and copy 'em up front, before I destroy 'em building. I've gone as big as a 1/4 Scale P-40 (no, I never built it - I'm poverty-stricken) and they looked fine. With access to an engineering department that doesn't look askance at you as you play with their expensive copiers and plotters, you can do anything you want.

We make precision-ground carbide cutting tools, and one of our techniques is to plot the outline of the tool, blown up a jillion times on transparencies - this is used on a Shadowgraph to compare the outline of the finished tool against the layout - works like a charm - if that ain't precise, I don't know what is.

I had some copies of a plane ran off at Kinko's and the copy was off in the linear direction that the master was rolled through the copier. (about 3/4ths inch longer) but was right on in the transverse direction. I took the master over to a blueprint business and they ran the same master. I noted that the machine used by both companies was the same brand and model. I told the blueprint company guy what I had run into at Kinko's so he checked the master against his copy and they were identical. When I asked him why the Kinko copy was off, he said that there was an individual adjustment for vertical and horizontal sizing as well as an overall size adjustment. Later, I was at Kinko's and mentioned the two adjustments, and they said NO WAY. But since then, I have had copies made at that same buisness ( Kinko's) and the same machine and they are now right on accurate. NO WAY ????
Bigiron

Rob and BigIron --

I agree with both of you. If you can get accurate copies at reasonable cost and inconvenience, by all means do so!

If the scanner "poor man's solution" is more readily available, choose it. If you have access to an accurate copier, choose that option. I don't think the scanner method is superior in any way, just easier for some folks, depending on what they have access to.

I wasn't clear on one point. The transparency is not a sharper image -- the image transfer to balsa using the iron is sharper ON THE BALSA than when using paper.

Well, there is one advantage to the scanner method -- you always have your plans as a computer file if the dog does a thing with the originals.

The transparency reference was only about accuracy - our tools are typically 1" to 2" only, and they're blown up to probably a size of 12"-18" or so on the shadowgraph - after printing 'em double or triple size on teh plotter - and the ink on the transparency is from a pen plotter - it won't iron on. But as I ponder this, I COULD use the transparency as a template - the plastic's pretty stiff.

Our copiers will take anything up to about (guessing) 36" or so wide - and unlimited length - they use roll paper, so 1/4 scale plans aren't a problem. Now if I could just get 'em to buy a scanner that size.................. *sigh of lust*. I can print up to 8" x 14" on their laser, and that image is transferable, as is the copy they make me...just the stuff that comes off the pen plotters ain't transferable. I HAVE used the iron-on-balsa technique, and it works fine.....you just have to convince 'em to have a new toner cartridge in there (*grin*).

Those adjustments CAN be made - usually through software from the copier manufacturer. The software on a pen-plotter has you print various length lines in various directions, then measure 'em and enter the corrections.....