ITT: Best Template Materials/Tips & Tricks
 

I wanted to start a thread for the more skilled and experienced members of this forum to educate those of us with limited fabrication skills on the best materials to use to make templates and what techniques are most effective at increasing accuracy and reducing time and frustration spent. When I say templates I am primarily focusing on heat shields, ducting, and aero type work but any other types of fabrication tips along those lines would work as well.

I know that most people use card board for templates but I can never seem to get the results that some other members show in their build threads which generally don't include must details on how the template was made. Especially while trying to make templates for my ducting while retaining A/C with all of the associated lines and brackets. I don't know if they are just much more meticulous or if there are some tools or techniques that make template design much easier. I have seen the toothpick method for air intake heatshields used and that is exactly the kind of stuff I am talking about. I would also like to know if there are any good relatively cheap materials that can be used to easily form complex shapes or designs that can then be used to remake the same part in a suitable material for the application.

I don't have much help for ya, but when I've done the cardboard stuff I always just have to go slow and cut a little at a time and do lots of checks.

What is the "toothpick method" of which you speak?

Cut a basic form, stick loads of toothpicks/cocktail sticks into the top of the cardboard between the layers, then close bonnet gently on it. Forces the toothpicks into the form of the underside of the bonnet.

That's clever. Basically making a one-off contour gauge....I like it.

For contours like that, corrugated cardboard is nice. Cut it a hair long vs what that says and fit it up. its not uncommon that things distort a little bit both as the template and the final product. being that is all one off, you will be spending time making the first of everything so make it a bit bigger and trim to fit.


Use Bristol board for other parts that don't need to have the contours. its way more precise as a template than corrugated cardboard since its thinner and stiffer.

Lastly, don't overthink things. If your making a cube of some sort as a catch can, use basic math and it will all work out, and much better than using some templates. if you have to cut a corner of it out, build the box first (tack weld) and then cut it to fit. keeping it simple.