Templates,
I've tried foil that is used for making stained glass but what a mess. At times the wire would actually pull up the foil and cause it to hang up during the cut ruining the core. Plus I did notice cooling near the ends. Perhaps I didn't try hard enough to perfect the process.
Here is how I make Formica template. They are quick and easy to do and they last forever.
From the video I produced called "A Beginner's Guide to Cutting and Bagging Foam Wings" I show how to make formica templates and it takes less than 30 minutes to make a set.
I print the template off of an airfoil program onto paper, I use Profili. Make two copies. I then trim the paper airfoil to size perfectly along the bottom and then just slightly outside the lines where the foam cutter will ride.
I glue this to the formica on the non-finished side with superglue by aligning the bottom edge of the template with the edge of the formica. The Superglue ensures the template doesn't move.
Then I rough cut this on the bandsaw.
I take this to the drill press and take a round dremel sanding disk and sand just right up to the lines.
http://www.amazon.com/Pack-Dremel-Sa.../dp/B003NFIXDK
While at the drill press I align the bottom and top template up with the bottoms flush and drill two holes, which I will use to hold the template up against the foam.
Then I'll take hand sanders, a cardboard fingerboard sander works great, and I sand till I think the airfoil is accurate.
Now I take the two templates and hold them together with nails inserted in the holes I drilled. I lay these down flush against a straight edge and take a .007" diameter pencil and draw the airfoil on paper. I carefully pull the one template off and draw the other side of the airfoil.
Lastly I take another printed version of the airfoil and hold the drawn airfoil and the printed airfoil up against the window so I can see through them to ensure the are accurate. If not I go back and do a little more sanding till I'm happy with the accuracy.
Once I'm happy with the template I'll take a white polishing wheel on the Dremel tool and run across the template once or twice and it's smooth as a babies behind!
That's it!
Of course it's easier to see this than type how it's done, thus why I produced a video; it's like having a building clinic right in your house that you can view over and over! :-)
Hope what I wrote helps.
Curtis
Montana
[link]http://www.TailwindGliders.com[/link]