the only way i know to transfer from monitor to paper is , get tracing paper, graph paper, masking tape, pencil , a ruler to measure the monitor and one for the paper and a hard flat surface. tape the graph paper down flat. cut the tracing paper a little larger and tape over the graph paper . you need a point on the image for a reference point to the paper. this point will be at the intersection of the two widest points on the image, one line from top to bottom the other left to right. from that point you can measure to other parts of the image and transfer to scale on the paper. measure enough points so you will feel confident in drawing the curves. when it's done you can cut the tracing paper and use it as a template. it's kind of like doing a dot to dot picture but you must first lay down the dots. if anyone knows of an easier way please send it to me.

I find the easiest way to draw fair curves is to use a thin piece of wood, metal, or plastic and bend it from the ends between the points you need to connect with a curve that looks nice to you, then mark the line (three hands is sometimes very helpful-- you can put a nail at one end in many cases to hold it in position). You can achieve any number of shapes by tweaking the angles at each end and the distance between. Much more satisfying than trying to slavishly follow a plan. The chance for distortion, especially if going from screen to paper is huge.

Wideband....that's a pretty good system. But I thought hogan Jr was trying to up scale the image. Or am I having another brain cart?

Sure, but he can easily draw the straight lines from the dimensions at whatever scale he'd like then fair the curves. For me, for curved work, anything other than a full size drawing usually creates a problem.

You're right, anytime you change the scale it leads to a whole new set of problems. Sometimes though I download specific. Images of parts for model planes and ships and you don't know it's wrong until its too late. That's why I get a.r. because there's no room for error. If hogan Jr doesn't need that level of detail, he should follow your advice.

Drawing full-scale on a large piece of paper (thin masonite or plywood is easier) is an excellent method. Other people mentioned flexible sticks which work fine. Another option is a set of french curves. Some people even make a 3' long french curve. It's time-consuming to create a good one but only needs to be made once.

For the digitally-inclined, I'd suggest the free version of Sketchup since it has options to print large drawings in tiles so they can be pieced together. After downloading Sketchup, search for the bezier spline plugin for it. That helps when doing natural curves that have no set radius.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Altars...I haven't thought of flex stick since the 80s. I can't remember why I put them down. They really inspired creative thought. I'm going to see if still have them. In the meantime, I thought hogan Jr was trying to transfer an onscreen image to paper. Or did I just have a 60s flashback?

I almost never use bow sticks anymore myself. Not since I stopped doing paper drawings. Nowadays I tend to use bezier splines in Sketchup to make curves then cut patterns (or the actual part) out on the CNC or laser as required.

He is trying to go from screen to paper but I thought I'd toss out ways to draw "close enough" drawings in case an actual transfer fails.

One thing I forgot to mention is that you can take a screenshot of the monitor then import the picture into Sketchup. From there it's just a matter of scaling the picture to the right size then drawing on top of it. Remember that Sketchup has the tiled printing feature so it's possible to print patterns of any size.

Altare! My man, now you're talking.

For those who want to do this by hand, nothing beats using a flexible curve to set a smooth curve. You can get them on Amazon for $9:
Staedtler flexible curve