Old Patterns

[Site Man]

OLD FORUM POSTS

Posted by Mike Jackson on March 19, 2004

I was throwing away a couple of small computer generated pounce patterns a couple of days ago. We still use them for some occasional hand lettering, but often use them to help space complex vinyl jobs or to speed up multiple jobs. I should probably recycle the old paper...maybe someday.

Anyway, that reminded me of my old shop back in Moore, Oklahoma. I was a metal industrial building. We built a couple of offices and had storage above them. You see that in almost any similar building. I built a few shelves above the office to store hundreds or maybe even thousands of pounce patterns. Many were 4' tall and rolled up. After a while, it was almost easier to make a new pattern than to find the old one unless it was stored in the "commonly used" section. At one time, we had little tabs taped to each one, and they were all labeled in black magic marker, but it was still a pain.

When I couldn't find needed pattern, I'd eventually get frustrated and start throwing away patterns we didn't "need" anymore. It would never fail...you'd get a call from that customer the next week.

I know I was not alone, either. When I'd visit other shops in the '80s, I'd see their piles of rolled up patterns.

Now, I replace all that pattern space with a hard drive or even a few recorded CDs. Once the check is received, the pattern goes away. The issue now is finding the file on the computer, archived CD, or hope it didn't get deleted by accident or on purpose. At least hard drives and blank CDs are cheap now.

Mike Jackson

John Grenier

Okay everybody ready, get a pencil......
1. Wallpaper paste.
2. Unattractive wall.
3. All those patterns.
4. Beer.
5. Amber shellac
6. More beer.
7. Let it dry.

[curt stenz]

Years ago I labeled many patterns with pencil. Now some are so faded that I cannot read them anymore. True, I very seldom use them, but should I toss them? Can't save everything forever.

[George Perkins]

I've moved my patterns twice in the past 15 years. Once when I closed my shop and moved everything into a workshop in the backyard. Then, a couple of years ago, I moved them out of the workshop into the attic in the house. I culled a bunch of them on this move, mainly patterns to businesses no longer in business and those that were now done in vinyl. Every now and then I get a call and have to dig out a pattern. Last month I did a cube van and a really big bob truck using old patterns. The cube van had a simple pictorial on it. It hit me that neither one could have been done as quickly with vinyl, the little "adjustments" you can make with a brush to dodge those pesky rivits.