Hello everyone! I designed a few boards on Boardcad but am having difficulties printing the template. I thought I read somewhere that you had to use a laserjet not inkjet, is this true? I am using v2.1 and printing with a hp 1000 inkjet and the grid that is supposed to be 1" squares is coming out 1"x2" rectangle, distorting my outline big time. If anyone has an idea that might help I would really appreciate it. Thank you very much, Mitch
I don’t know how to help you to get your printer/boardcad to print correctly.
But, here’s what I’ve done…
Goto the menu at the top and select “show sliding measurment”
Then, take a width measurement every 6". Write 'em all down and divide them in half. You can round off to the nearest 16th of an inch.
Measure the length of your finished template onto some masonite.
Plot out the width measurements everly 6". It helps to use one of these:
Draw the curve by hand intersecting the dots. I find it’s easier to start light and slowly get darker as the curve that I like starts to emerge.
Jigsaw it out and fair your curve with a sanding block.
Have you got the “scaling” turned off in your printer menu?
Great idea chrisp, if all else fails that’s the way I’ll go. Thanks a lot I appreciate the reply
Bg surfer: i can’t find that option anywhere in my printer settings. Must be this pos $35 printer. Thanks for the advice. I think I’ll have to try it with another printer. Thanks again
If you can’t get it to work, check out www.blendingcurves.com as a starting point.
To add to chrisp you can use a fishing pole or any flexible object to help make a good curve.hope that helps
I’d really like to find a fishing pole blank… Do they have those? Fishing poles without the eylets?
@chrisp, yes, they sell fishing rod blanks. I used to build rods, but sort of lost the fishing bug (I handle thousands of fish a year for work anyway, so am less interested in spending time trying to catch them in my free time.) Here’s some cheap blanks that would probably suit your purposes:
Maybe if you try print in V1 it prints correct.
I strongly suggest to print it at a shop on the right sized paper. Sticking a4 size paper toghether will distort your outline bigtime even if you use a long straight edge and measure in MM. No biggie with outlines but rockerprofiles… u want to keep those a true as possible.
For rockerprofiles I put a measurement (dot) every 6" on masonite or something simulair. Then with te electric planer connect the dots - blocksand to finnish
Mook
Thanks for the great ideas. Love the fishing pole for the curve. I think I’ll run my laptop to kinkos and see if they can print the whole thing. I appreciate all the help!
Thanks Cyclo!
Sometimes I use a strip of masonite that’s about 3" x 8’…
I’m thinking the fishing pole would produce a smoother curve tho
Just make sure to get a blank with a slow or medium action…fast action rods do most of the bending in the last 20% of the length. Slow action spread the bend over most of the length…which is what you’d want if trying to get a smooth curve.
Mike
right on Mike