So, just starting to get some shapes down and am curious what is the proper method in using and making a permanant template? All I am using right now is a huge piece of paper. So whats the pro method? I’m assuming there is a better way than tracing so I can make the same style board and be able to adjust for length and such.
Some advice, and specific help would be great. Pics welcome!
Thanks
Tyson
Plywood or medium for me. PVC foam works great too, but more fragile. Draw your template on a piece of 1/8" plywood, cut it out with a jigsaw, then smooth the curve with a small planer and/or sandpaper.
So templates are made in halves instead of the full on outline?
Yes. Just flip them to get a perfectly symetrical opposite side. Many people also use half templates where one side is the nose part and the other side is the tail part. (easier to store).
Templates can also be combined to create a new one. For instance, I just templated a “wombat” style 6’6" board using a longboard template for the nose and a shortboard template for the tail. The trick is matching two different curves into one natural new curve. It takes a bit of getting your eyes accustomed to it, but that’s part of the game…
I put this text in an older thread
…from time to time someone brings the question about templetes materials and how you do it…, and the answers always were referring to the wood, etc…
…I pointed in those occasions others materials and how do´s…so, a couple months ago I had been doing new ones.
…material: PVC
…made with a CNC router
…in the way that I design these templetes, I ve got 2 curves for each one. for ex.: exterior curve for a 7 4 and interior one for a 5 9…
I put this text in an older thread
…from time to time someone brings the question about templetes materials and how you do it…, and the answers always were referring to the wood, etc…
…I pointed in those occasions others materials and how do´s…so, a couple months ago I had been doing new ones.
…material: PVC
…made with a CNC router
…in the way that I design these templetes, I ve got 2 curves for each one. for ex.: exterior curve for a 7 4 and interior one for a 5 9…
My preferance for template material is 1/8’’ tempered Masonite, smooth both sides. Buy a 4’ x 8’ panel, have it ripped into four 1’ x 8’ pieces, and you are on your way to making some templates.
Im ready to glass my 3rd board. It was the first of my boards where i used a template. I made it out of a sheet of masonite, cut like bill suggested, so i’ll get 3 templates out of it. Cost about 10 bucks. The board looks so much better it’s not funny mate. I also got myself an 8’’ piece of 4mm x 6mm wood, almost like a stringer, and this is how i get a flowing curve. Hope this helps, its definately a good idea to use a template.
I’ve been using clear heavy duty mylar…got a big fat roll of it for free so I thought…why not templates ?
It’s clear so you can see thru it.
You just put your lines down on it,and score the line with a blade for a guide,then cut it out with a pair of good industrial sissors.If there’s any clean-ups you can sand it smooth or mildly heat up the frizzies.
Then go around the edges with colored waterproof marker(different colors for different sections of the template including the backside ,let us not to forget a spin template).
They can be rolled up and shipped,or carry out easier.and they will withstand just about anything except extreme heat/fire.If you need to flatten it back out, just put it in the sun,or heat it.
My take on it.
All the suggestions here are good ones.
hey herb that sounds like a verry efictive idea just one thing. when you put it out in the sun to flatten it back out dose the sun shrink/worp the template? just thought it would be interedting to know
No it’s a heavy industrial gauge mylar and willnot shrink or wrinkle.
I was alittle worried that it might at first when I started using it like 4 years ago,but my genius buddy Eddy explained how they used it in their factories and it get used over and over again w/o problems.I keep my original masonite temps around just to compare the two to check to see if I can stump the master ,but no dice,he’s correct,as usual.
It’s also chemical,acid and glue solvent resistive. Plus,you can’t get sh@t to bond to it !
Oh yeah,You don’t need carpenter’s pencils anymore with the mylar either,any pointy pencil will do.
…in the past I had used the Mylar instead PValcohol to make fins…
…to do templates…well I had been get some creases due to the storage
so I decided not to use…
but may be now or in the future it will be another chance
Yaya, you don’t want to crease it that’s definitely a bad feature,but what would take to crease the mylar I use ,would literally explode masonite.Try and find a heavier gauge than you were using…or heck drop me a pm and I’
ll send you enough to make some temps and have enough for examples/comparisons.
…well Herb,
yes I dont tried yet with the heavy grades…
now I m satisfied with those PVC sintra CNC cutted dual Templates…
thank you for the offer