Need for Template

[Walter Cleeson]

I am enough of a noob, to ask dumb questions like this,so here goes:

I just watched an episode of Wood Works where David used a large circular template made of 1/8" mdf for a round table top. I am just puzzled a bit as to why he put the effort into the template. The entire process wasn't shown, but he made the outline for the template with a trammel arm. He then used the template as a guide to size the boards for the glue up, and also to trace the line for his jigsaw cut.

My question is why couldn't he have just used the trammel arm for the cut line instead of bothering with the template? He did not use the template to finish the cut with a flush trim router bit, but rather a trammel mounted router. Assuming this was a one time project, the only benefit I saw for the template was helping with the initial board layout. But it seems that could have been accomplished in other ways.

Just curious.

-Walter

[J. Z. Guest]

I agree, if he didn't flush trim it with a router, making a template was useless for one tabletop.

If he were going to make more than one, possibly to sell them later, the template could be used to flush trim the duplicates.

[glenn bradley]

Hmmm, I'm thinking that maybe the purpose of making and showing the use of the template was part of the shows desired content(?). I keep templates of often repeated curves on aprons or details on leg feet and such.

[Matt Meiser]

That is odd if he didn't use to to template route, which he commonly uses. I find it is easier to mae and MDF template and template route even for one or two pieces because it is so easy to refine the curve on the MDF template.

[Walter Cleeson]

Well at least I am not the only one a bit puzzled. I guess that makes me feel less dumb. :D

Thanks guys!

[Peter Quinn]

I'm thinking if I recall correctly that the template was meant as a design tool to give you the "scale" of the project in real life before committing expensive wood to the process. Its easy to draw things to scale only to later realize they aren't quite right full size. A full sized template can act as an inexpensive design tool and a consistent reference during a large scale project.

Last year I made a set of arch top storm windows for a client that started with a very accurate life sized template (drawing really) to which each part was compared as shaping proceeded. All joinery was notated on the template and I saved it for the next round of window restorations which should happen this summer. I simply couldn't print a drawing that large on my ink jet! MDF makes a great drawing board.