What do you use to trace panels?

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 24 Nov 2007 10:54

Just curious.
I use the small end of a double ended sharpie, but I eat up markers like a fiend, and I'm wondering if there is something more efficient, like a fabric marker or something? Something that is made with severe absorption in mind.

Benzilla · Post by **Benzilla** » 24 Nov 2007 11:58

ball point pens

brinard · Post by **brinard** » 24 Nov 2007 15:24

i use ultra fine tipped sharpies. its like a felt tip pen thats permanent.

it makes your trace as close to your actual template as you can draw it

its super black/blue/red (many color choices)

it smears if you dont let it dry, but dosent bleed thru the fabric much.

it lasts awhile... more than broad tipped sharpies, and i think theyre cheaper to. like a dollar each.

we get them from an art store. i bet theyre cheap at wally world

i dont like moshers way of panel obtainment. even though that saves you time/effort, it can be wasteful if youre not careful, and it dulls your scissors if youre not a pro at it. plus, you have to recount panels alot to keep track of how many you have. (not so when tracing them out)

and for black fabric, we use silver/gold gel pens.. no glitter. it rubs off the fabric, but if you handle it cautiously , youll be fine.

Guydro · Post by **Guydro** » 24 Nov 2007 16:13

Hey, I glad some body brought this up. I was wondering if this would be a good idea.... Screen-printing the panels? Because my best friend has his own screen printing equipment. He will let me use it when ever I want. Iâ€™m trying to get a good size bag with the right size panels. Then I was going to lay out a bunch of hexagons and pentagons then screen print them right on the fabric. I could put the dot guide lines on them also. My cost would almost be nothing at all to do this. But, if I had the perfect pattern would it be worth it?.

calemccoy · Post by **calemccoy** » 24 Nov 2007 16:18

that would be awesome!!!

Pengu · Post by **Pengu** » 24 Nov 2007 17:16

Cutting panels is my most hated part of making footbags. Maybe it's because when I cut panels, I cut enough for 10 bags usually.

I use Tom's method. It doesn't actually waste that much material. I cut 4 at a time and I think it is too much work! I couldn't imagine spending the time to trace, or even screen panels onto fabric and then cutting them out individually.

I want a die cutter.

Magedark · Post by **Magedark** » 25 Nov 2007 01:00

That would be a revolutionary idea Pengu. Sell it in stores at different sizes. 2 panel, 4 panel, 32 panels.

brinard · Post by **brinard** » 25 Nov 2007 07:16

hollys dad made us a die cutter for one of hollys old templates.

its nice, but you need a hammer and its pretty loud. it is fast though.

screen printing might be worth it, if you do like 30 bags at one time.

there is a lot of cleanup involoved with screenprinting, not to mention if you do it wrong, the fabric is probably ruined (unless you wash it immediately)

without sharp scissors, this part of the job sucks.

monkeybilla · Post by **monkeybilla** » 25 Nov 2007 16:32

i just a pen it doesnt bleed through the fabric and it visible

Wasabi · Post by **Wasabi** » 26 Nov 2007 12:43

Fine-tipped pens, and silver glitter pens for the darker faciles.

What with my hand problems lately, I might -eep- transition into Mosher's method of cutting panels.

Sigh.

Jdigges · Post by **Jdigges** » 03 Dec 2007 10:25

tom's method is the best

mc · Post by mc » 03 Dec 2007 11:04

magnet method all the way! fuck tracing!

Benzilla · Post by **Benzilla** » 03 Dec 2007 12:53

i'll be doing magnet method as soon as the magnets get here. i'll jsut need to find some really sharp scissors...

Jdigges · Post by **Jdigges** » 04 Dec 2007 10:19

you can buy a nice pair of fiscars from fields fabrics for like $12 or something

Eskimo Joe · Post by **Eskimo Joe** » 04 Dec 2007 10:32

I am wondering what Tom's method is, and also wondering what this magnet method is. Sounds interesting.

But I am content in using a ball point pen for light colours, you know the kind with a liquid ink resevoir. I have had the same pen in use for about 6-10 months. I use a silver gel pen for dark colours.

Takes about 10-20 mins to trace, and about the same to cut.

Benzilla · Post by **Benzilla** » 04 Dec 2007 12:28

the magnet method is tom's method.

you fold fabric so you have several layers. trace out the top layer with your template. fasten the layers with a magnet and a metal object so the layers won't move and cut. This method is much faster than the traditional way.

frozenwalkway · Post by **frozenwalkway** » 05 Dec 2007 14:47

very interesting. maybe if there was a way to get custom sized magnets you could some day just cut around the magnet or somethings?

i just use a ball point pen or ultra fine sharpie. but i dont do 32 bags yet so it doesnt take that long

Guest_1 · Post by **Guest_1** » 05 Dec 2007 14:59

I just cut out a paper panel from Mike's design thing

Then fold over the facile and draw all over the bad side

Then I cut them and make sure not to screw it up, I don't need magnets!

Roy · Post by **Roy** » 05 Dec 2007 15:16

frozenwalkway wrote:very interesting. maybe if there was a way to get custom sized magnets you could some day just cut around the magnet or somethings?

If you make the magnets too big, or they are too strong, then your scissors get pulled toward them (assuming your scissors are made of some magnetic metal, my fiskars are.) I had that problem when I cut, but i have it figured out so it doesn't effect me now.

You can use the fold/cut method without magnets, but the magnets seem to make it more accurate because the facile and template can't move unlike just holding it.

Magedark · Post by **Magedark** » 05 Dec 2007 20:30

Would you make the layers bigger than the magnet? I assume the magnets need to be small.