Favorite material for templates?

Jeff Horton

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What is your favorite material for templates for use with a pattern bit? I was thinking tempered hardboard but I am not sure it would hold up to repeated use and I hope to use these over and over.

Obviously plywood would be a good choice, maybe luan? It's cheap.
 
MDF will work if you are not going to use if more than a few times but if you want something that will last and hold up to a lot of use then go with 1/2 Baltic Birch.:thumb:

1/4 is to thin for a good pattern and easy to slip off of and ruin your part DAMHINT:doh:

The MDF is to soft for more than a few cuts after that the bearing will start to wear into the edge.

I used Baltic Birch in production with vacuum and it will last until a bearing comes off the pattern bit, again DAMHINT :rofl:
 
We just re-did our kitchen floor with a hardwood laminate. The strips are about 8"x48"x slightly over a quarter inch thick. I've been using leftover pieces to make templates, it works great.
 
I use 1/4" MDF with white melamine. The white increases visibility at the edge for my tired eyes. I have yet to wear one out but I hardly do what you would call production runs.
 
Never seen baltic birch in this part of the sticks.

I was thinking MDF after I posted that. But man I hate working that stuff. But I bet it would be good.

To make the MDF last a long time with a lot of use, seal the edges with thin shellac then about three coats of nitrocellulose lacquer over the whole thing, sanding the edges lightly between coats. You could also harden the template edges by sizing/sealing them with thin wood glue to extend life.
 
i use mdf, baltic or plexiglass depends on the application.
on a shaper with a ball bearing rub coller mdf will give you 30-50 good parts.
using a router, 5-15.....again, depends on your technique (how hard you ride the bearing?
baltic will give 10x or more life over mdf.
most shops here are using china-birch for drawers.....it`s full of voids!
 
Problem with BB is the cost. Too expensive to "waste" on a pattern, I use MDF and if you give a coat or two of finish it will last a lot longer. I do a bunch of Wipe-on Poly and usually pour a small amount into a plastic cup and dip in my rag swatch and apply, etc. but often I have poured out too much or have plenty left in the rag, etc. Not a good idea to pour the unused back into the can. My jigs and fixtures all hang about in the shop so I usually reach over and wipe a coat on them to dispose of the leftovers. Keeps them clean and ready for an enduring use. :thumb:
 
Either 1/4 or 3/8 Baltic birch are my favourite choices. Maybe overkill.
Peter

This.

(but I admit, I'm not a pro, I only do this on occasion, so cost is not an overriding issue. So far I usually have big enough scraps laying around.)

Never seen baltic birch in this part of the sticks.

Ask at your lumber yard, not at the borg. Around here I've once seen BB at Home Depot. But usually I get all my BB (5x5 sheets) from the local hardwood lumber dude.

...art
 
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