Buying MDF templates from my design

[Kenneth Walton]

So I'm in the prep stages for building a bed. There will be a lot of cloud lifts and other details for the head and footboard, and I'll admit that my "hands" aren't that great for ensuring mirror images from one side to the other.

I'm going to make templates, bandsaw the waste, and then flush trim to the templates. Do you guys know of anyone that I can send a sketchup file to, who will cut me a custom template out of MDF or similar? My google searches have been relatively fruitless. Maybe I'm using the wrong search terms? Or should I just learn to love my spindle sander?

Thanks so much!

Ken

[Jerry Miner]

If you have a bandsaw and a spindle sander, you ought to be able to do this yourself. But if you really want to contract it out, search the cabinet shops in your area for somebody with a CNC router. Should be a piece of cake!

[Mike Heidrick]

How big are they Ken?

You should search vectors and dxf too - sketchup is not traditional CAD and most sketchup files need to be converted to be imported in a cad/cam software package.

Guessing best bet will be to find a local-ish cnc or laser machine to cut them. You should update your profile with your location.

[Peter Keen]

I had the same problem....right up until I started using 1/4" templates. When I was working with 3/4 or 1/2 in stock, I had all kinds of problems getting accurate templates, iand accurate curved parts, in part becuase when I was trimming the template I would mess it up - cut too much, or too little...then too much, or my cuts woudn't be 90 degrees - plus I had to take a lot of wood off. Once i switched to 1/4 inch stock, it was much easier to accurately trim up the template.

Your template doesn't actually have to be mirror image to look mirror image - just close....

Having said that - any shop doing custom CNC work should be able to fabricate something for you.

[Myk Rian]

Half the fun of WWing is making the jigs and templates yourself.

[Dave Richards]

If needed you can get G-code or other file types out of your SketchUp file. First find someone locally who has the equipment and find out what kind of file they want.

[Kenneth Walton]

They'd be about 60 inches long. I'm located in Boston.

I think you guys have adequately shamed me - I should just buckle down and get to work myself! I'll give it a go with some 1/4 ply I had left over from a previous project.

[Mike Weaver]

They'd be about 60 inches long. I'm located in Boston.

I think you guys have adequately shamed me - I should just buckle down and get to work myself! I'll give it a go with some 1/4 ply I had left over from a previous project.
Should the ply give you fits (it might depending on the shape....ends of 'points' in particular?), 1/4 hardboard should do the trick. Best of luck with your project!
-Mike

[Prashun Patel]

Dont use ply. Use mdf. It stayes flatter and sands better. A spindle sander is good for tighter work, but for long sweeping runs like i suspect you will have on the bed parts, i would use a curved sanding block. It doesnt have to match the curve perfectly, just enough to fair your curves. Peter is right. With 1/4 it goes fast and you can get it pretty perfect pretty easily.

[Prashun Patel]

If you dont feel like doing it, as luck would have it, i will be in boston next tuesday, wed, thursday. If you want to send it to me, i will do it for you. How many parts?

[glenn bradley]

They'd be about 60 inches long. I'm located in Boston.

I think you guys have adequately shamed me - I should just buckle down and get to work myself! I'll give it a go with some 1/4 ply I had left over from a previous project.

I do a fair amount of template routing. I too find my best success with 1/4" MDF (no ply). The thin stock makes it more difficult to run afoul of perpendicular when hand shaping. The MDF shapes consistently due to its make up. As to mirror images, you can make half the template and just flip it -or- make half the template and use it (by flipping) to make a full sized template if that is your preference. I prefer half-templates as I generally need to flip it to route with the grain anyway.

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A template jig can also come in handy and be made quickly out of scrap although double stick tape is more appropriate for large pieces IMHO.

[Kenneth Walton]

Thank you very much for the offer, Prashun. As I'm still in the early design stage, and I can appreciate that this will be a good skill builder for me, I think I should give it a go myself. I'll get a slew of MDF and make myself some flexible blocks out of the ply I had set aside.

Is box store MDF OK to use, or is it as bad as their plywood?

[Prashun Patel]

HD stock mdf is absolutely fine. 1/4" hardboard is also fine.


If you are facile with a block plane and or spokeshave, I find these are great ways to fair curves on mdf. They do a number on the blade though...

[Myk Rian]

As to mirror images, you can make half the template and just flip it -or- make half the template and use it (by flipping) to make a full sized template if that is your preference. I prefer half-templates as I generally need to flip it to route with the grain anyway.
I made a half template to make the legs for my scroll saw stand.

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[John Piwaron]

So I'm in the prep stages for building a bed. There will be a lot of cloud lifts and other details for the head and footboard, and I'll admit that my "hands" aren't that great for ensuring mirror images from one side to the other.

I'm going to make templates, bandsaw the waste, and then flush trim to the templates. Do you guys know of anyone that I can send a sketchup file to, who will cut me a custom template out of MDF or similar? My google searches have been relatively fruitless. Maybe I'm using the wrong search terms? Or should I just learn to love my spindle sander?

Thanks so much!

Ken

Interesting. I recently completed a set of templates for a Greene & Greene bed. Lots of cloud lifts. Lots of long arcs. I was able to draw the long arcs without the aid of a computer or compass. It was a process. :) But for sanding, I used my ROS, not a spindle sander. I was very careful to just come up to the line. They turned out great! No problems at all. Very smooth and continuous. I guess I've made enough to get a little good at it. But I want to point out - I made templates to make the templates if you see what I'm getting at. In the case of the ones with several different arcs, I made a template of just that arc, then used it to template route that arc onto the final template. And so on. I did a good bit of measuring and locating points to come up to and no farther. Today I've got a beautiful set of templates. As if I'll ever build another bed like this one.

FWIW, I use 1/2" MDF for all my template work.

Maybe template making is my real calling and I'm missing the boat.