If this is going to stay up, I guess I should help a little more than just sending you to the archives.
To make your fish shorter and narrower, you should have been able to use your first template w/o
modifying it. Just mark your endpoints and widepoint on the blank to be shaped, then use existing
template to connect those dots. Since you’re going narrower, you shouldn’t get a ‘‘bump’’ on the wp.
You can pinch the nose and tail a little by shifting the template past the centerline also, if you like.
After you’ve cut out and faired the new blank, that’s the time to take a template off it, while the rail is
square and it will sit flush against your template material. This makes it much easier to get a good line.
More tips: Taping your line can help, use 2’’ tape for anything but tight curves (use smaller tape if it
won’t bend the curve w/o wrinkling). Not only does this fair the line , but it gives you something you
can see easily when cutting. Cut outside the line, then fair to the line. Hit the high spots first with a
planing tool; the power planer is best but a sharp block plane set near zero will do. Don’t get near the
low spots at first (there really aren’t any ‘‘low’’ spots, just high spots on either side. you can’t put material
back. well, you can, I’ve seen some bondo and/or glass on a few, but that’s another subject…)
Compress the curve when you look at it by getting close and looking end-to-end, you’ll see the bumps
better. Use the plane as much as you can, then switch to a hard block with #40. Once the line is close,
bevel the edges of the masonite, both sides, to make the final sanding easier and more accurate. It thins
the edge so that #80 or #100 flexi block can fine-tune.
Watch out for the masonite dust, it can foul any shaped blank nearby. I do any roughing of masonite when
there’s nothing else in my room or do it outside. Don’t forget to get it off your racks and tools also.
All of this was shown to me by guys that are way better than me, I’m just passing it along…
As I said on another template thread, nowadays I do most of my templates on sheet PVC, it’s very easy
to work with, but you have to be careful it sands/planes so quickly. With that stuff, you cut with a razor
blade and the fairing is minimal once you get the hang of the cut. Practice, practice…