material suggestions for a template.......

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I'm turning some wheels for a fellow Creeker.

I"ve turned multiples before and though they've come out "okay" they weren't as good as I'd like them.

I recently bought a contour gauge/profile gauge and using it I can get a good profile of the turning.

I took the profile and traced onto cardboard. I want something more substantial to use.

Any suggestions for a material to use?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Ken - I would use 1/4" hardboard. They use it for routing templates all the time - so should work for this as well.

[Keith Christopher]

Ken - I would use 1/4" hardboard. They use it for routing templates all the time - so should work for this as well.


Yeah what steve said, however if you like more durable sturdy material you can go with 3/8 to 1/2 mdf. But if it's small enough regular old plywood works too. I made some inlay templates from old scram plywood and mdf. Really I use whatever I have.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Ken - I would use 1/4" hardboard.
This was going to be my suggestion as well. I have used it for similar things and been very very pleased with it. Thin and fairly light it is also quite rigid and strong. A good combination all the way around.

Joshua

[Kim Ford]

Ken;

I use either 1/8" or 1/4" plexiglass for templates. Unlike hardboard the edges hold up very well.

[Tom Klass]

Ken,
I like to 1/4 in baltic birch ply or the 1/4 plexi. If I plan on using a pattern for a lot and plan on it for a few years down the road then I go with the plexi. More stable longer lasting.
Tom

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree and use plexi. They hold up well.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Ken,

Timing is everything. We have talked about my other hobby, volunteering for politics. Well in 11 days there will be abundant template material. Those corrugated plastic political yard signs are excellant template material. The 'lossers' regardless of Party don't tend to collect and recycle their signs for the next election. These by-products of our election process are free and effective for templates. I use them for circle templates and shapes. They make great little mixing surfaces for epoxy too.

Call your precinct committeemen of both parties and tell them you'll be happy to help him or her with their garbage problem they'll have on November 5th. But carefull what you wish for because these guys garages look like ours except its signs instead of logs.

Frank

[Jim Becker]

I use 1/4" MDF for things like this. Cheap at the 'borg, although usually only available in 2'x4' sheets.

[robert hainstock]

Make it tempered masonite.
Bob