Cutting part templates

I found a new use for the wifes kitchen table besides eating and building wings on. It works great for drawing templates for parts. Using an adjustable desk lamp I lay out the plans and the paper I am going to use as a template and backlight them from under the table with the desk lamp. This keeps me from having to buy multiple sets of plans to cut up for templates. I would provide a diagram of the layout but I can't draw that good, so I will just upload a picture.

Just a couple of things to keep in mind when you do this;

1. Don't, under any circumstance, do this right before dinner is supposed to be served. (trust me on this one.)

2. Make sure that the kids haven't left any sticky stuff on the table which will help attach the plans to the table.

3. Most important rule! Ensure the table and surounding area is clean before taking a picture of it and posting it on the internet.

Great idea! I recently posted a picture of our glass kitchen table with my airplane sitting on it. I got complemented on my "building table"!

You lucky sod Finch. I covet your table. I have to tape mine to the window where there's enough natural backlight to do the same job.

>You lucky sod Finch. I covet your table. I have to tape mine
>to the window where there's enough natural backlight to do
>the same job.

That's assuming that you have natural backlight available. With the exception here and there we haven't seen the sun in about 3 weeks. (Read great building weather!) When it does finally stop raining the ground will be so soft that you could probably sink a wingover to the TE.

I don't get to use the table to build on so don't be too envious of me. BTW you should see me get yelled at for even looking at the 54x28" coffee table in the living room.

Light tables are a good thing. Another old trick you can use- assuming you are into photography and have the equipment and space- is to shoot a 35mm slide of (or slides of various aspects of) your 3-view or plan and then project it on a sheet of paper tacked on the wall. Then you just draw away (once you get the size correct) all you like. You can also either enlarge or down-size to any degree using this, and the slides are compact and easily stored for future use.

J.

And, for the really lazy, there is Kinko's

>And, for the really lazy, there is Kinko's
>
>

Yep, I like your attitude, Larry.

>And, for the really lazy, there is Kinko's
>
>

Not the ones we have around here- you're lucky if you can find a machine in the place that works right, much less an employee. I use Thomas Reprographics when I want plans copied that I don't have time to fool with myself.

Gee, I like feel really dumb. I've always traced templates, but have never thought of using my really big glass dining room table, or big glass coffee table to help make it easier!! big glass everywhere, and I've always strained to see the lines...

Hey, another neat template trick is used x-ray film. Easy to see through, the templates will never wear out, easy to store. Got a lifetime supply when I was on a Navy ship. Don't know how easy it is to come by otherwise. Chriopractors (spelling?) commonly use old x-ray machines that have the big old style film.

About six months ago I went to a local hospital with my wife and while she was doing whatever she did there, I went to the xray lab and asked for exposed film. I asked for film that had been exposed but ruined. Seems they will not give out film that has an xray on it because of patient confidentiality (sp). I explained I used the film to make canopies for my toy airplanes after I soaked them in bleach to remove the silver. The lady tech snickered at the old man and gave me three. Leaves a nice blue tint.

Sort of getting off on a tangent, but, think this stuff will heat up and mold like actate? Is it acetate? Didn't know about the bleaching thing either, thanks.

Gents

In Oz--and I think it's a European thing actually--we have vinyl wrapped drawers in various sizes.

Richard--they come from Furnco or Hettich in Sydney--I don't know who your supplier is in SA.

My bride of over 30 years got into fabric painting several years ago and I made her a light box--real cheap.

A vinyl wrapped drawer kit, a piece of glass instead of the melamine covered 1/8" plywood that comes with the kit, you put a lamp fitting at each end of the box, add mini fluoros for back lighting--Bob's your uncle.

The sizes we have in Sydney that I like are 400mm x 550mm and 400mm x 850mm.

Sorry about the metrics guys but that's what we get downunder.

You can even trace your patterns with your lightbox on your knees in front of TV with a beer beside you. Just make sure there is a power point close enough.

Power point nearby?? Just what type of beer are you mates guzzling?? Eh, what? And who is Bob, I've always wanted to know who this uncle is.

... You can even trace your patterns with your lightbox on your knees in front of TV with a beer beside you. Just make sure there is a power point close enough. Cheers, Geoff

Careful or you end up in front of TV with the beer on your knee and the light box beside you

Back to the glass tables, I know why I never thought of using them for tracing, I always identified them with Mini-skirts, I remember some of the 60's.

I've allways just laid a peice of poster board on a table then put a peice or peices (depending on size of part) of carbon paper on the poster board then put the plans on top and simply draw over the part you want, easy and cheap.
Dwayne:7

Well, that's basically me. I just run down to Kinkos and have them shoot a couple of copies of the plans. Cost is $5 or $6. Then I sit in my living room and cut away, making templates. I put one set away, hang another set on the wall of the shop and used the cut up set for templates.

Hmmm..

The backlighting idea is certainly more elegant.

>
>
>Well, that's basically me. I just run down to Kinkos and
>have them shoot a couple of copies of the plans. Cost is $5
>or $6. Then I sit in my living room and cut away, making
>templates. I put one set away, hang another set on the wall
>of the shop and used the cut up set for templates.
>
>Hmmm..
>
>The backlighting idea is certainly more elegant.
>
>
>

Randy Powell

Hi Randy,
Now don't get jealous guys but I have two places for hanging my plans and one I can even cut nicely off of. The first is in the kit cutting part of the shop it’s a shadow box I built on the wall, now It does need another light in there but for now it gets the job done and I can actually see it better than the picture shows and I can see real clear what I am cutting and they don't move around, now the other is a 4 x 6 caulk board that hangs from the ceiling in the building room it's great for glancing at the plans while I am building

>Hi Randy,
>Now don't get jealous guys but I have two places for
>hanging my plans and one I can even cut nicely off of. The
>first is in the kit cutting part of the shop it’s a shadow
>box I built on the wall, now It does need another light in
>there but for now it gets the job done and I can actually
>see it better than the picture shows and I can see real
>clear what I am cutting and they don't move around, now the
>other is a 4 x 6 caulk board that hangs from the ceiling in
>the building room it's great for glancing at the plans while
>I am building
>
>

I LIKE it!.. HI-HO-HI-HO off to Home Depot I go. Walter, you don't happen to sell those as a kit do you . I have a nice wall that something like that would fit perfectly on.

Finch
Wife: "Your NOT going to fly THOSE toys on strings when you retire are you!? HEHEHEHE Little does she know..

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the template material Tom Morris sells. I think he calls it seetemp. I use a lot of this stuff. You simply lay it over your plans, score it with an Xacto, and break out your fairly rigid, very durable, templates. It is much faster than tracing and cutting out paper templates and results in strong durable templates for cutting accurate parts and storeable for that next project. After using one sheet of seetemp, you will agree that paper templates suck, and I should know, I have boxes of them.

I haven't used it, but I have heard it is great stuff. I started to mention this idea yesterday, but couldn't remember for the life of me what it was called or who handled it.