Convert real world curves to Cad, help.

Box

Baz I think you are on a hiding to nothing trying to get the shelves machined to fit flush. It doesn't matter how many points you measure you'll always miss a high point or low point somewhere along the way and the curve can throw one way or the other causing gaping or binding between the shelves. Not to mention, if you manage to follow the curve perfectly if it isn't a perfect curve it will look awful. I've been involved in many installations of professional constructed curved walls, they are never to plan and never even.

To options spring to mind for me that would make like easier for you.
Use uprights at the back to shift the shelves forward. This way you can use your template to calculate a suitable radius that will fit within tolerance and look like a smooth curve. This gives another benefit of having a place to drop the odd electrical cable down the back.

Or if the flush look is critical, use a false back on the shelves to look like it is the wall. This way you can construct the full unit to fit in the workshop and it's only important to get an edge or two spot on so it appears built in.

Anyway, just random thoughts because when god made curves it was so he could laugh at as when we tried to build with them.

baz

Hey thanks for the replies.
You have given me two great ideas;

Use a handheld laser to plot the points along the template board, this is essentially the same as the hand method but takes out several opportunities for error. ( And I've been looking for an excuse to buy one:)

Box's idea of the false wall wont play but the idea of a gap between the wall and the unit is a ripper. The shelves are 32mm thick, so I could run a rebate top and bottom on the back edges to give a nice shadow line. This would hide the lumps and bumps.
This also allows me to hopefully use pure arcs as Pilou was mentioning, if the wall isn't too far out from the design.

Thanks.
Baz

shelf rebate.jpg

Box

And if you only have meat at the fixing points therefore reducing the points of contact, you get away with a multitude of sins in the wall finish.

baz

@box said:

And if you only have meat at the fixing points therefore reducing the points of contact, you get away with a multitude of sins in the wall finish.

Even better!

baz

Thought I would show you the installation, (crap phone photo), all went well, ended up using a 'false' wall of 4mm mdf behind. With the dark colour it's almost invisible.
The curves matched the existing wall very well.
Cheers
Baz

Krisidious

Looks great Baz...

Box

Excellent solution there Baz, wish I'd thought of it.

baz

@box said:

Excellent solution there Baz, wish I'd thought of it.

You did think of it!

@box said:

Or if the flush look is critical, use a false back on the shelves to look like it is the wall.

baz

@krisidious said:

Looks great Baz...

Thanks Kris.

Box

Well roll me in beer batter and call me a Battered Sav, so I did.

baz

@box said:

Well roll me in beer batter and call me a Battered Sav, so I did.

That might need translating for the the non-aussies here
I await your reply in anticipation...

Box

I'm afraid Baz even a translation would be over their heads. We do have a certain uniqueness to some of our local delicacies.

baz

So true, and that's before you bring Roy and HG into it.

pbacot

favorite Aussie expression (from a "truckee"): "Spunky sheila"

Box

No doubt from an americanised tv program, complete with subtitles.

pbacot

Hitchhiking. Riding a road train into Darwin....

Box

Ok, I'll give you that one.
But most people don't realise that "sheila" was already an overused cliche to us back as far as the early 70's when Paul Hogan used it in his TV show. It was probably the book "They're a weird mob" written in the late 50s that popularised it's overuse around the world making it an australian cliche. A great deal of "Aussie Slang" is only used for expectant foreign tourists and hasn't been part of our day to day lexicon for a long time.

baz

@box said:

Ok, I'll give you that one.
But most people don't realise that "sheila" was already an overused cliche to us back as far as the early 70's when Paul Hogan used it in his TV show. It was probably the book "They're a weird mob" written in the late 50s that popularised it's overuse around the world making it an australian cliche. A great deal of "Aussie Slang" is only used for expectant foreign tourists and hasn't been part of our day to day lexicon for a long time.

My oath cobber, that's fair dinkum!

Box

Toobloodyrightbazza.

pbacot

It wasn't that long ago but nearly. Cracked me up.