designing questions

[miyanc]

1. I know I am asking a lot for this but is there an app for google that you can do a minimal auto cad kind of thing for designing diy gear. Before you ask, yes my hand writing is that bad and I can't draw, but will figure something out if I need to. I have a note10.1.
2. How do you do it? Wing it, use other plans, sketch?
3. We should all use the metric system.
4. Floor, table, desk? Where do you work and how do you avoid your spose killing you for making a mess with all that "tent stuff "her words not mine.

Now all I need to find to get my projects started is time. Everytime I pull out my stuff and go to start learning, something falls apart or a dora puzzle calls my name or I need to make horsie sounds,, or dinner needs to be made. I need to get started before school starts.

[kayak karl]

this site is good http://thru-hiker.com/projects/

[Redoleary]

I use google sketchup to make scale drawings of a lot of gear. It's fairly easy to use and there are plenty of youtube videos to help you figure it out.
I try to use metric as much as possible at home, but I still don't "think" in metric.
I lay out big projects on the floor and try to do it while the wife is gone.

[miyanc]

this site is good http://thru-hiker.com/projects/

Good site. I have heard them mentioned when buying down, but not for tutorial. Thanks

[XTrekker]

I use creo parametric 2.0 for some of my stove projects and other drawings but for hammocks, quilts, and tarps I use graph paper.

[miyanc]

I use google sketchup to make scale drawings of a lot of gear. It's fairly easy to use and there are plenty of youtube videos to help you figure it out.
I try to use metric as much as possible at home, but I still don't "think" in metric.
I lay out big projects on the floor and try to do it while the wife is gone.

Found google sketchup. Very limited use on my note and I hope my really old laptops can run it. I will give it a try. I just need help laying it out before I cut and make and such because I dont think like a seamstresses. For example a tarp thats 12x 10 just measure 12 feet and ten feet and make your cuts... well noyou have seams and cat cuts and such. I just want to be able to put it down on paper to TRY and navigate past some upcoming mistakes.

[sargevining]

1. I know I am asking a lot for this but is there an app for google that you can do a minimal auto cad kind of thing for designing diy gear. Before you ask, yes my hand writing is that bad and I can't draw, but will figure something out if I need to. I have a note10.1.

I have an advantage being a Draftsman for the past 37 years and have AutoCad at work. Older versions of another drafting program called AutoSketch can be had for around $100.00:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...sl_5pgz0y9d2_b

Its fairly easy to learn, and the drawings can be saved in .dwg format so they can be read by AutoCad.

2. How do you do it? Wing it, use other plans, sketch?

I started out using plans and patterns available on this forum and elsewhere. Now that I think I know what I'm doing (which is not always the case), I sketch things out on a piece of foolscap while I'm putting together the first version of a project--usually with materials that are a whole lot cheaper than the ones I plan on using on the final version. Once the first version is done, I take what I learned from making that and do a full blown AutoCad drawing and piece the final version together in paper before cutting any material. The project I'm working on now has multiple pages of cutting diagrams to maximize material usage and let me known what I'm doing next, or what I might have forgotten to do.

3. We should all use the metric system.

Communist.

4. Floor, table, desk? Where do you work and how do you avoid your spose killing you for making a mess with all that "tent stuff "her words not mine.

My wife passed on 4 1/2 years ago, the whole place is mine. I've got (4) 30" x 60" tables, a 30" x 48" table, a Singer 401 in a cabinet, a Singer 15-91 on an old desk, and a Kenmore in the shop. I can arrange the 30" tables in a number of configurations depending on what I might be doping ay any one time.

Now all I need to find to get my projects started is time. Everytime I pull out my stuff and go to start learning, something falls apart or a dora puzzle calls my name or I need to make horsie sounds,, or dinner needs to be made. I need to get started before school starts.

Enjoy that while you can. I have a son that turns 35 in August and a daugher near 40. You can do DIY projects when you're an old man.

[mudsocks]

I just received a vest pattern in the mail Friday from Green Pepper. I plan on using it as a guide to make a down vest.

[miyanc]

Hey sarge I have admired many of your handyworks. Communist? Its just easier. One system divisible by 10. More logic and math then communism. It also stinks to do work on anything that requires tools. Cars have both and its annoying to have to buy both sets or seperate tools just because of the origin of design. We lost s satellite because of the confusion.
Sorry to hear about your wife. My wife tells me to stop trying to be funny because if I havent proven to myself yet, that I am not funny I should just take her word for it. I was trying to be amusing by saying I need to make time because of all my kid stuff. I truly enjoy my kids and will taks as much of that while they still like me.
In my garage I have a low table I build with felt on it for a train/christmas display. I plan on using that, but I need to clean my garags and then lock it so it can't be the dumping ground for whatever my wife doesn't want in the house.

[gophin]

+1 on octo's note, the patterns from green pepper are solid.

some time working with pre-made patterns will help out a lot. you will gain a feel for how big seam allowances are, and therefore how much more to count on beyond the 10x12 tarp size, for example. It will also show you how to make curves & such. Way to go, though, keep on keeping on and don't be afraid to mess up