Origami mockup

Hotwheel's post about templates reminded me of one of my favorite planning tools -- simple paper models of bits and pieces to be fabricated.

It helps me visualize the part beforehand to determine if it's a good solution before committing to a full-size mockup leading to a pattern.

It also helps me develop patterns with an eye to ease of fabrication -- shear lines, breaks (bends), number of pieces, etc.

The beauty part of this is that it's so simple and costs virtually nothing to be able to see if an idea is doable before committing much time or money to something that just may not work.

The "origmi" bracket shown is for a mount to connect a Series 3 Jag rearend cage to an F-1/F-100 frame. Four brackets are needed, but only two patterns; the brackets on one side are a mirror image of each other.

This is not a biggy, but I find it to be a great time saver.

 

Another view . . .

 

Also a good way of explaining something to someone who can't understand the drawings.

 

Great idea. Cardboard works well also. Many pizza boxes have been repurposed in the shop (templates, catch pan, spray "booth" for small parts).

 

Great idea and a good use for old file folders,

 

Also, Complex constructios that are going to be made out of material that has a substantial thickness can be made out of foam-core or foamboard. http://www.****blick.com/zz132/02A/products.asp?param=0&ig_id=1009
http://www.****blick.com/categories/foamboard/
It's a foam sheet that's coated on both sides with a plastic-paper and is usually used for making architectural models it comes in different thicknesses and can be cut with n Xacto knife or matt knife or scored and folded and can be either taped or hot glued together. It wiuld be beneficial in making models of structures that need to represent inside and outside dimensions accurately, like on a pedal box that has to fit inside a tight framed area.

 

Right on Mike. I usually use tablet back cardboard...stays stiff longer...important to us old guys.

Charlie

 

All good second-level ideas, guys. I do the little ones on printer paper or whatever is close at hand because I can knock 'em out quicker than I could sketch them. The one shown is about 2 x 3 inches and was the fourth or fifth progression I did within a matter of minutes.

When I'm reasonbly satisfied with the origami piece I do a full-scale mockup in chipboard and masking tape. Then, when this mockup is sorted I use it to make patterns.

The little origami mockups are really just my way of thinking in 3D, and as Ian points out they are an excellent tool for explaining an idea to someone who can't envision it from a drawing -- or a pattern, for that matter.

 

DrJ -- Thanks for the architectural material idea! I've struggled with just the sort of situation you described -- a Deuce pedal box fitted into a reproduction Deuce K-member. I went from a full-scale chipboard-and-masking tape mockup/pattern to metal, and in spite of guesstimated bend deduction/bend radius calcs, had to make a corrected second prototype.

While that doesn't seem like it should be a particularly bad deal, the lack of confidence in the first pattern leaves me hanging and was reason enough for us to park the project until the need heated up.

I'm about to redo that entire project because there is now a for-sure need for Deuce pedal boxes, but this time I'm going to follow your lead and employ the dimensioned foamcore so I'll have a useable pattern from which we can make production parts.

Thanks much!

 

"I usually use tablet back cardboard..."


So do I, unless i'm at work, then I just make patterns with 24g Galv. and snips. Its almost like paper

 

Patterns are definitely the way to go.

I used to have some old offset printing plates that I used to make patterns.

It was thin, non-ferrous metal with a greenish coating on it that took pencil and marker well.

Because they were metal your pattern stayed bent when you bent it but I used to cut my hands a lot because of the sharp edges.

I'm back to cardboard once again.