Tandem Tom

So I am starting to consider a frame project for this winter. The last frame I did ,for my wife, I pieced together smaller sheets of white drawing paper. But would like to use large sheets.
So does anyone know of a source for 36" wide paper? When I do a search it comes up "tracing paper" and I suspect this will be too thin.
Thanks!

RB1-luvr

remembering back to my drafting days on a drafting table, vellum (tracing paper) was available in different weights. 20lb vellum is fairly robust. I'd rather draw on vellum than bond paper.

bulgie 

When I was an IT consultant, a few of my clients were architecture firms. Their plotters were loaded with big rolls of paper in various widths, 24" was common but I remember seeing a lot of 36" too, even 42". Running off a length of paper out of the plotter and cutting it off would be a 15-second job, but not a money-maker for them so they might politely tell you to get lost. But maybe you have a friend who works in architecture?

If you have to buy a whole roll, those are generally 100 to 150 feet of paper and cost $30-$80. I've never bought a roll myself, that just what I'm seeing in a brief search. Example here

unterhausen

There is an art store in town with large rolls of vellum. I imagine that any place with an architecture school has similar. I think you can get cutoffs, so you don't have to spend $100+ on a roll

Cynikal 

My office has a 36" plotter for maps and graphics. I have used the back of draft maps that work pretty well and there were being tossed anyway. Maybe ask a Kinkos or something similar if they have mistakes you could have?

unterhausen

I haven't been in the kinkos here since they moved. I always wanted to have a bikecad pdf printed full size on their large format plotter. They never managed to impress me with their prowess with the equipment though.

ericoseveins

Construction companies! My in-law used to operate her company and on occasion printed images for me on blueprint paper.

Andrew R Stewart 

My first few frames were drafted out on what was called sign paper. 36" wide brown paper off a roll. The last couple that I used a full scale drafting for were on sheet that I got from a now long gone drafting supply store. Andy

zandoval 

CAD draw the image, save it to an .svg or .pdf and have it reproduced as a poster.

Steve B.

Check with Staples. They used to be able to print on 36" paper.

Also look at Sketchup, it's a free online CAD program.

dschad

A bit of an old thread here, but "butcher paper" (basically the same as a paper grocery bag) or protective paper during construction is a good option. You can get rolls at big box home improvement type stores. It is 3' wide and a mile long. Very durable, so you can keep erasing when you make changes.

TiHabanero

My wife is a teacher and like a good student I asked her where she gets the rolls of paper to cover the bulletin boards in her classroom. "Hobby Lobby, dear."

Go to hobbylobby.com and put into the search "rolls of paper" and it will come up. I just did it and I know it will take you to rolls of paper. If you are drawing out a smaller frame, say 56cm or less a 24" width paper should work as it will fit the page. I have a 30" width roll of paper and draw frames up to 62cm on it. Oh, the price is less than 10 bucks.

unterhausen

Now I want to have my frame design as a poster. So I don't lose it.

79pmooney

Vellum vs copier rolls - erasure! When it comes to erasing multiple times and redrawing, vellum has it all over just about any paper. Just be sure to use a good eraser, like the white Hi-Polymer Pentel or the likewise Statler Mars eraser I haven't seen in years. Both are excellent. Non-abrasive and non-smudging. They last forever. That 30year old one in some former engineer's drawing box will erase like new.

Ship hulls were drawn on "lines drawings", two dimensional drawings of the the dimensional shape of a ship or boat. 3 different views, side, section and looking up from below. Each view has a grid. The lines on all three views have to jibe with each other. Lots of erasing. And some of those lines are 4 to 8 feet long. All done on computer now but I was of the last generation to be taught the old way. Worked in shipyard where the drawings we pulled out when a fishing boat came in for modification were the old, pencil drawn vellums. I transferred more than a few to computer and really appreciated the drawings done accurately (and with lots of erasure!)

I haven't bought drafting supplies in many years so papers surely have changed but I doubt much work has happened on making paper that can match vellum for erasure simply because so few people do hand drafting now. That inked or tonered or laser jetted plot isn't going to see much hand anything beyond markups to send to the CAD man so he can update the drawing and re-plot.

unterhausen

I'm pretty sure you can still get vellum. I have a lifetime supply, but no access to a drafting table to use it on.

I fixed my mayline drafting board a couple of years ago, but I could only draw a scale drawing of a frame on it.

Tandem Tom

I did find a roll of 36" wide paper. I have my woodworking bench that will serve as a table.
But I have been working on a metal lathe that I bought about 6 weeks ago. A Logan 200 1943 vintage. Taken it completely apart and almost ready for reassembling!

spclark 

Pictures, PLEASE!!

unterhausen

this reminds me, my woodworking bench is mostly cleaned off for the moment. I should really take a picture before that changes.

TiHabanero

Note of interest: The original copy of the US Constitution was written on Vellum paper. Not sure of the significance of this, but maybe the person who physically wrote the copy earning him about 3500 dollars in today's money, was betting on being able to erase spelling errors?