Enlarging plans from 1/8 to 1/667 Gas scale

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Rich Jones

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
1,186
Hey Y’all:

I have an ML Boatworks Gas Scale
Frame kit for the 71 Miss Timex. I’ve had this for a couple years and am just getting around to building it. I also have an 1/8 scale full set of Newton plans for this boat. It’s one of several boats that can be built off of Newton plan no 101. I’d like to get the plans blown up to gas scale size in order to have better building guide and to assist in making the jig. Based on the math I’ve done, the plans need to be enlarged to 120%. This would take the boat length from roughly 45” in 1/8 scale to roughly 54” in gas scale or 1/667. My lady was running out today and was going to be by a Staples and offered to take the plans up and have them blown up to 120%. Then if I ever need to make a piece for repair, or make a cowl or something, I’ll have these to use. Anyway, I get a call and Staples said they were only able to go with 125%. I found out that was because this was a default value and not that they didn’t have the ability to do it. So the girl said she’d manually input 120%. So all good right? Wrong. The bulkhead sheet was actually REDUCED. The 3 view layout sheet had been enlarged by like 8% as far as I can tell, and I didn’t even look at the paint sheet because at this point, I need to go back up there anyway.

Are there other considerations other than inputting 120% and pushing go? I’m just wondering why this might have been so challenging. I’m pretty sure I’m right about the 120%. Does anyone have any additional input before I go back up there? Should I have gone somewhere else?

Thanks in advance .

Rich
 
Are you taking the plans and have them blow it up or is it in a digital file.I would think some one with a large plotter could do it I use to work at a electrical company they had some engineers that did digital cameras one of the guys blew me up some plans but not sure how he did it but turned out great
 
It’s not a digital file, it is the full size printed plans. We are going to try to have them correct it. I will be there with my bulkheads in hand and a ruler to make sure they are right. If that can’t happen, I will explore elsewhere.
 
Years ago I did the same thing with the same set of plans. I want to say we enlarged each sheet by 20% and there were no issues at all. The overall length was right there around 54” and I think the overall width was 26”.

What I’m not sure of is I think that Mike may have changed some things around when producing the gas scale kit. The outer lines may be correct but he may have changed the way the bulkheads are cut out on the inside as well as the size of the opening for the engine Bay Area. Before I would spend anymore money, I would check with Mike about that first.
 
Years ago I did the same thing with the same set of plans. I want to say we enlarged each sheet by 20% and there were no issues at all. The overall length was right there around 54” and I think the overall width was 26”.

What I’m not sure of is I think that Mike may have changed some things around when producing the gas scale kit. The outer lines may be correct but he may have changed the way the bulkheads are cut out on the inside as well as the size of the opening for the engine Bay Area. Before I would spend anymore money, I would check with Mike about that first.
Good thoughts Chris. I have the bulkheads so I can compare more easily once the plans are enlarged. If there are differences, I’ll just trace out the laser cut bulkheads and keep those on hand. This is more about using for a building guide and it’s easier to refer to plans that are closer to the size of your pieces. We shall see. I’m sure she probably doesn’t know 100% what’s she’s doing.
 
Good thoughts Chris. I have the bulkheads so I can compare more easily once the plans are enlarged. If there are differences, I’ll just trace out the laser cut bulkheads and keep those on hand. This is more about using for a building guide and it’s easier to refer to plans that are closer to the size of your pieces. We shall see. I’m sure she probably doesn’t know 100% what’s she’s doing.
That’s probably true also. The last time I enlarged a set of plans I was at Office Depot. I honestly don’t know how the working behind the desk manages to find their way from home to work and vice versa every day. Finally someone that knew what a copy machine actually does came over and helped!

I’m going to have to look around but I’m sure I still have an enlarged set of those plans here somewhere, but that was two houses ago (20+ years) when I did that. lol!
 
That’s probably true also. The last time I enlarged a set of plans I was at Office Depot. I honestly don’t know how the working behind the desk manages to find their way from home to work and vice versa every day. Finally someone that knew what a copy machine actually does came over and helped!

I’m going to have to look around but I’m sure I still have an enlarged set of those plans here somewhere, but that was two houses ago (20+ years) when I did that. lol!
Well, went back to Staples. I dealt with another person this time. They were all backed up for some reason today with multiple people waiting for something, so I had to leave the originals there. The guy seemed overwhelmed but seemed to understand the issue and what I actually needed eventually. It would seem to me that asking to have 3 sheets of paper enlarged to 120% would be just about the easiest thing they’d be asked to do all day. Guess we will see. I’m going to call there on Monday and if they don’t have anything yet, I’m going to pick up my plans and go elsewhere. Just…annoying.
 
lol, yes I remember going through all the same stuff. I finally told the guy in large this sheet 10% and let me measure it. I knew what length I wanted so that made it easy. It took two tries to get it right but I got it.
Ok, after a week and 3 trips up there, I finally got someone that understood that you type in 120% and hit Go. Low and behold the plans are correct. Even got a refund for all the trouble.
 
I've found that blueprinting shops do a much better job than places like Staples since that's the kind of thing they do all the time.
I have plans for gas scale hydroplanes that were enlarged from 1/8th as well as plans for aircraft that were blown up from digital ones downloaded from the internet to over six feet for the wings, all from the same shop.
Just something to think about for the next time
 
I've found that blueprinting shops do a much better job than places like Staples since that's the kind of thing they do all the time.
I have plans for gas scale hydroplanes that were enlarged from 1/8th as well as plans for aircraft that were blown up from digital ones downloaded from the internet to over six feet for the wings, all from the same shop.
Just something to think about for the next time
I would tend to agree with you. That’s exactly what I was going to do if they couldn’t get them right the last time I went up.
 
I scaled many blueprints and drawings up and down when I worked in the refrigeration biz..

We had a large format scanner that you could feed a blueprint page into it and scale it down to a 8x12 or 11x17 sheet … it was handy to give the guys in the field a single page they could fit in their pocket instead of dragging around a full set of prints.. the scanner was pretty expensive, had its own computer to save files to, and I also tied it to our main servers.. the design and engineering guys had large format printers that we could print all sizes of prints.. I did CAD drawings of electrical control systems I designed and installed, and when I was finished with the job I would print out schematics and put them inside the electrical cabinets on site.

When I had my own business, I bought a large format printer, which I still have, but have since retired from the rat race… if anyone here wants to consider buying it, drop me a PM.
I’d sell it cheap, and packing/shipping would have to be done by a pack and ship store.
It’s big.

I’m not totally sure if it scales up and down, or if you would have to use an external program and then import the file…. but I can get the model number and do some research if anyone is interested in it.

BTW, it’s a Hewlett Packard machine…
 
I scaled many blueprints and drawings up and down when I worked in the refrigeration biz..

We had a large format scanner that you could feed a blueprint page into it and scale it down to a 8x12 or 11x17 sheet … it was handy to give the guys in the field a single page they could fit in their pocket instead of dragging around a full set of prints.. the scanner was pretty expensive, had its own computer to save files to, and I also tied it to our main servers.. the design and engineering guys had large format printers that we could print all sizes of prints.. I did CAD drawings of electrical control systems I designed and installed, and when I was finished with the job I would print out schematics and put them inside the electrical cabinets on site.

When I had my own business, I bought a large format printer, which I still have, but have since retired from the rat race… if anyone here wants to consider buying it, drop me a PM.
I’d sell it cheap, and packing/shipping would have to be done by a pack and ship store.
It’s big.

I’m not totally sure if it scales up and down, or if you would have to use an external program and then import the file…. but I can get the model number and do some research if anyone is interested in it.

BTW, it’s a Hewlett Packard machine…
That would be nice to have Frank but I can’t see actually using it all that often, at least enough to justify the expense plus shipping, and the space it may take up. Sounds cool though!
 
I can research the printer, and see if it will scale up and down, if it does, maybe I can assist others here on IW….have them send me drawing files over the web, print them and throw them in the mail back to them..

Glad you got yours printed out finally!
 
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