Template Material
11-29-2005, 07:08 PM
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Template Material
Anyone found a clever solution for making templates from plans?
Desireable characteristics: hard and thick enough to guide a knife blade, but soft enough to be cut to an accurate shape easily (maybe on a sanding disk), maybe translucent (to transfer outlines from plans without copy/cut/paste).
I've used thin ply, manila file folders, and I'm about to try illlustration board (like picture frame matting). But I'm stil not satisfied.
Any discoveries?
Desireable characteristics: hard and thick enough to guide a knife blade, but soft enough to be cut to an accurate shape easily (maybe on a sanding disk), maybe translucent (to transfer outlines from plans without copy/cut/paste).
I've used thin ply, manila file folders, and I'm about to try illlustration board (like picture frame matting). But I'm stil not satisfied.
Any discoveries?
11-29-2005, 08:28 PM
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11-29-2005, 10:31 PM
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RE: Template Material
Go to a heating & cooling contractor and try a hunk of sheet metal duct material. I myself have used .032 aluminum sheet from a sign shop and really like it, and it cuts well on a bandsaw. I've also used sheet micarta for wing templates for cutting foam wings...
11-29-2005, 10:40 PM
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RE: Template Material
If micarta is counter laminate I've use it for hot wire templates. As to cutting balsa and ply; I usually just contact glue the paper copy to the material. Lightly contact glued so it can be removed. From single sheets to 3" stacks of 1/16" balsa. Use a band saw with a 15 tpi blade. I've also used those random sheets of rock hard balsa that seem to sneek into a bulk order as templates. However I use them along with a fine point pen to mark the outline on the balsa/ply. Again band saw.
