Spin/full-size template tips

General Discussion
1

Hey all — Nick from AkuShaper.

One of our users sent this over showing how he makes spin templates using the Aku printed outlines. Figured I’d share it here since most of us have our own way of doing this, and there’s usually a few lessons learned along the way.

There was a comment on the video that got me thinking about materials:

0.030” high-impact styrene instead of 1/8” pressboard.
Cuts with scissors, clean it up with a 40-grit block, supposedly less parallax.
More expensive (~$38 for a 4’×8’ sheet).
Source was ePlastics (San Diego).

Most people here already know what materials are common, so this is probably more useful for the newer guys:

  • What are you actually using for spin templates?

  • What mistakes should beginners avoid?

  • Any “wish I knew that earlier” stuff around thickness, flex, accuracy?

  • Storage issues — warping, longevity, etc?

Here’s the video if anyone wants to see it:
https://youtu.be/Us8Us4l9KMo?si=QnBwywNjahpXDSu9

Always good to pass down the stuff you only learn by doing. Cheers all

1 Like
2

Think wetout table made from sliding glass door panes over plywood supported on sawhorses — cover glass with releasing agent or thin polyethylene plastic sheet painters drop cloth taped tightly over glass.

I have a 2-layer/pane (picked up for free), sliding glass door table as well as 2 tables from glass shower doors and a used 2’ x 4’ glass coffee table to get nice flat work surfaces.