The Rodding Roundtable
Site Content => Tech Archive => Topic started by: phat46 on March 09, 2007, 06:20:23 PM
When i make a pattern for a bracket, mount, etc. I like to use clear plastic, like Lexan. I found that I can make a pattern more quickly than with a piece of cardboard or tin because you can see through it and see whhere you have to cut or drill. You can rough it out quickly and do the fine trimming when you get it close. It also can be hung on the wall afterwards for future use without getting bent of soggy. Kinda lame compared to the rest of the tech stuff, but it's all i got!!! :lol:
Neat Idea :!: :!: Using .125 lexan would be fast & easy to work with & like you said, it's "re-useable" ...I Like It :!: :!: There's really some neat idea's showing up..A guy could learn somthin' :D :D
It also works good for Templates when doing glass for somthing thats chopped, being able to see through it really helps alot. Small amounts of the plastic can be removed with a grinder, for that just right fit. Good Tech. :D
I know you thought this was lame, but I like it. this is a good example of using things you work with every day in your hobby. After all these years, and working with cardboard, I never thought of clear plastic, and it makes lots of sense.
Fatcat used to build dies for corrogated, and I used many materials from that in building cars, Scraps of die rubber, steel rule, and die board have found their way into many cars I have done. I have some mylar that would work great for templates.
Fatcat used to build dies for corrogated, and I used many materials from that in building cars, Scraps of die rubber, steel rule, and die board have found their way into many cars I have done. I have some mylar that would work great for templates.[/quote]
I think you know that i work in a steel rule shop too, and I find a lot of the stuff we use building the dies works on cars too. We have guys sitting at hydralic bending machines all day so when I need a bracket or something bent all it costs me is a coffe or a pop to get it bent. :lol: Nice to be able to use the sandblaster, tig welder and plaz cutter too; and of course it's nice that the top machine shop guys is a good friend, and that he has a '40 Packard streetrod among a bunch of nice cars. He and I built the "Enjenjo" English wheel at work and i ended up with it! :lol:
Here is a picture of a template made for the rear 1/4 window of a chopped 37 ford coupe, to get the shape needed for the start I had to get a special blade for my knife to do the heavy scoring, then just break it as if it were glass. Then it would be trimed up by just marking the plastic with a magic marker, and taking it over to the bench grinder and go to it. I used the brush side, it just melts away! The hole in the template was allready there when I found the 1/4" scrap piece, it turned out to be useful also in holding the template still while marking.
What a good idea, patters from plastic. I have scraps laying around from previous projects that now have a purpious. I use my chop saw to cut and form it also. You know using your tools in ways they weren't meant to be used. Hooley