Page 288 - Making things move_ DIY mechanisms for inventors, hobbyists, and artists

Chapter 9 Making Things and Getting Things Made 265

Translation
In order to make anything, you need to translate your idea, sketch, or computer
model it into something makeable. If you are doing this by hand, translation may be
as easy as making a pencil marking on some wood before cutting. If you are using a
digital fabrication technique, you might need to save the file in a different format
than the default, or use software to translate a model or drawing into code that a
fabrication machine can understand.
No matter which method you are using to make your part, you need to choose the
material for it. This is an important step in translating the design from your paper or
computer into something real. For example, you can’t make a 3D printed part out of
wood (yet), but you could laser-cut layers of wood and glue them together to create a
3D model. Refer to Chapter 2 for an extensive list of materials and their uses. In the
fabrication discussion later in this chapter, we’ll cover more ways to cut and work with
different materials.

Analog Translation

If you have a design drawn on a piece of paper and you want to cut it out of a flat
piece of material, you have at least three ways to do this:

• Trace the design on tracing paper with a pencil. Turn over the traced drawing
and tape it to the material. Use the back of a spoon to press on the drawing
lines and transfer the pencil to the material.
• Use the previous technique to transfer the drawing onto card stock, so you
can cut it out and use it as a template.
• Take the original sketch (or a photocopy), spray the back lightly with spray
mount adhesive, and then stick it to the wood, aluminum, cardboard, or other
material you’re working with. Now you have a template you can use to make
your cuts.

CAUTION If you use spray mount adhesive, make sure your workspace
has plenty of ventilation, and you may want to wear a mask. Spray mount
doesn’t taste good, and it has a tendency to get everywhere.