Making patterns using triangles, looking for an "economic" computer program.

[SwampDonkey]

Does anyone know of a simple program to generate patterns from triangles? Something you could enter an angle ° and have the computer generate some interesting patterns from them. I'm thinking of using it to produce some inlay with simple geometry. All this Dang scrap wood has to be good for such things. One pattern I was thinking of would mimic a carnation, all you'd have to do was alternate some walnut and cherry or birch. You could do star patterns as well. Take a lot of cutting and gluing up, but I think it would be neat on a table top or chest. I'm not clever enough for an elaborate carving and my hands would get cramped up too bad for that approach. The program would have printing capability, and maybe an option to color the triangles by selection with the mouse?


I keep dreaming.  ;D

[Gary_C]

Autocad............Oh that's right, you said economical. And easy.  :  Sorry about that.

Well then how about some large sized paper, a string, a pencil, and a straight edge. That's economical.  ;D

And probably faster and easier.  8)

[Don P]

Do they still make spirograph?
A chip carving pattern book would have alot of designs as well. I also like the Dover pattern books.

[SwampDonkey]

Your probably right Gary. I guess I get lazy thinking about all those triangles to draw freehand.  :D

Actually, if a fellow just took 3 different woods (walnut, cherry, birch) and cut a bunch of identical triangles and started fitting pieces to make patterns that way. It would make more sense maybe? ;D

Thanks for the ideas Don.

cheers

[Kcwoodbutcher]

If you want to get real crazy try a fractal program. There's several free ones available for download. You can enter some parameters and it will generate a figure. Some can get very elaborate. I use Fractal Explorer, just google it and download. You can spend hours messing around with it.

[SwampDonkey]

The trouble with fractal generators is they tend to overlap the triangles. Need something more like a Kaleidoscope, where triangles appear edge to edge.

Thanks.

[Sprucegum]

Have you looked at  Intarsia patterns? They put out some pretty fancy pics, inlaid wood in 3-d aspect.

[SwampDonkey]

I haven't yet, but I will tomorrow today. The clock rolled over to another day here, bed time.

[SwampDonkey]

Well here are a bunch of triangles I cut from walnut, birch and cherry. Now to come up with a pattern. I'm making a low table and a pattern will fit inside a square that is 15 in x 15 in square inlaid in three birch boards that will be biscuit jointed and they are 5 in wide each. All my triangles were cut from one 'pattern' piece and they are 3 in on the shorter sides. So let me see.

C² = A² + B²

C = Sqroot(A² + B²)

C = 4.2426 , rounded to 4 -1/4" on the side opposite the 90°.

Here are the pieces. You'll notice the pieces are not all the same thickness. They were cut from scrap and as soon as I have them glued up I will plane or sand them down. Might have to scale back to 12 x 12, might be a concern when planing, so that is just minus one row per side.

[SwampDonkey]

Here's one pattern I cogitated.



I like the pin wheel pattern on the left, but the one to the right would have to have the cherry substituted with birch. Too dark as is.

[SwampDonkey]

Here is another pattern off the pin wheel idea.

[Furby]

I like reply #9 and the one on the left.
The one on the right is indeed too dark to my eye.

I wouldn't plane it, probly not even if I had a spiral head unit.
I know it can be done, but more times than not you'll end up with too much tear out for the amount of work you have in it. If a piece comes loose, you have a real mess.
A belt sander working my way up through the grits would be what I would do.
It may not be as perfectly flat, but you can get pretty close.

[SwampDonkey]

Here's a couple more I did tonight.






Might swap a couple walnut for a couple cherry in the pin wheels. Kinda makes the fins look like two swing in and two swing out when you have two colors.

[SwampDonkey]

I agree Furby, that would be the sensible thing to do.  ;D

If a person halves a few triangles a whole lot more patterns can be put together. It would be painstakingly overwhelming.

[dail_h]

   Drum sander,Woodmaster, Grizzly ect

[SwampDonkey]

Right now all I can smell is walnut dust. I woke up in the night and I could still smell walnut.  :D :D

[SwampDonkey]

Some more patterns I put together this morning.

[Robert Long]

How about a glue up to make a bowl turning ???

Robert

[SwampDonkey]

It will be glued up Robert, but it won't be turned. It wouldn't sit inlayed too well.  ;)


If I was going to glue up for the lathe, I would cut strips and try to orient the grain one way. I never actually tried it, except three 2" x 6" planks for the pedestal table.  ;D