Durable Templates

[McAviator]

Myself and a couple of others have really gotten into flying in the last year and it has been a blast. After the time spent making templates from the tiled pdfs and multiple crashes I have decided that I would like to create a set of long lasting templates that can be used to make plane after plane to introduce others into the hobby as well. To my dismay, modeling 3d templates is much more time consuming than glueing/cutting, but in the long run I believe it will be worth it. I converted the pdfs to SVG files to place as a canvas in Fusion 360 and then created the sketches and included some cross hatching stiffeners to prevent the outline from flexing while tracing. This is a version 1.0 of one piece that is already under revision to make it even better. It has holes to pin the template to the piece as well as notches as reference points to mark your cutout lines for removing the foam. I was just introduced to Fusion and 3d printing a week ago so my workflow is a little on the slow side. Hoping to speed that up. Any input is always welcome.

 

[Phin G]

That is quite cool. I wonder if i could make templates out of wood to cut out the foam or stencil out the plans. Great idea

 

[McAviator]

That is quite cool. I wonder if i could make templates out of wood to cut out the foam or stencil out the plans. Great idea

Thats a great idea too! I dabble in woodwork and have a scroll saw which would be a perfect way to cut everything out. I think you could make them out of some good plywood pretty easily and have the same effect.

 

[Phin G]

Thats a great idea too! I dabble in woodwork and have a scroll saw which would be a perfect way to cut everything out. I think you could make them out of some good plywood pretty easily and have the same effect.

My dad and have a workshop for wood and then another one for metal. My dad is a chippie (woodworker) and i do metalwork at school. Im going to go and see what i can find in the scraps/ off cuts bin.

 

[Turbojoe]

Nice project!

I've been using counter top laminate to make templates for many years but now that I have a 3D printer I'd love to just print them out. I'm fairly proficient with Tinker CAD and I've designed and printed tons of formers, servo mounts, motor mounts etc. but you can't easily make curves for ribs like I would love to do and I just don't have the patience to learn a real CAD program.

We need a repository of wing rib STL files.

Joe

 

[Ratcheeroo]

I use a PET film that I print the plans onto(work at a sign shop). I have also printed plans on vinyl and then applied that to thin sheet of plastic. In either case parts are pinned to foam and then traced. I literally have dozens and dozens of plans like this, works very well

 

[Hondo76251]

I generally buy a speed build kit then just keep it as the template...

 

[Robert S]

Used Fusion360 to make a router template of Glamdring (Gandalf's LotR Sword). I just imported a picture , scaled it to size, and then traced the outline. Once I was happy with that, I then figured out how to cut it up into small keyed pieces. Once the parts were printed, I snapped them together, put painters tape on the template and on the wood and then CA glued them to each other. Then, I cut the template out roughly with a jig saw and then ran a router with a template bit around it. I then ran some different shaping bits around the blade and hilt.

This is going to be for Holloween and then I'll hang it on the wall in my office when it's done. Still need to make the handle and pommel and do a lot more sanding. I showed it to my wife and said, "look at the sword I just made!" She then said, "you made a pointy stick." I guess she is not wrong.

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I can think of so many wood projects that this technique would make so much faster and easier.