Pattern templates

**retiree** · 08-02-2005, 07:59 PM

I am trying to find a company or individual who can cut plastic
templates from patterns that I have. Does anyone have info that
you would share with me. Patterns are on scaled paper. I want
to use a router on the templates.

**dcarter636** · 08-02-2005, 08:15 PM

Why would you not cut them out on a scroll saw?

edit in: I see now that this is your first post. Welcome to the forum.

**Talman** · 08-03-2005, 01:06 AM

You need somebody with a CNC machine (computer controlled router). I haven't built mine yet or I might offer to do it. Try checking in the phone book or head over to cnczone.com and see if anybody there can help you.

**arcticfox46** · 08-03-2005, 04:45 AM

WELCOME to the FORUM,

Well, you could go to any local machine shop that has a CNC machining center.

They could do it as long as the template is not too big for their mackine.

A CNC router is the same type of machine, so, if there are any CNC router shops in your area they could also do it.

**Don Butler** · 08-03-2005, 06:21 AM

I'm with Dave. Why not cut them on a scroll or band saw, or even a handheld jig saw? After roughing them out you can clean them up to the line with sanding.

I don't think I'd want to pay for a machine shop to make 'em, unless I was going to market them and couldn't spend the time making them.

Regards,

Don

**Chris Moore** · 08-03-2005, 06:38 AM

>I am trying to find a company or individual who can cut
>plastic
>templates from patterns that I have. Does anyone have info
>that
>you would share with me. Patterns are on scaled paper. I
>want
>to use a router on the templates.

I'm not exactly sure whether you are saying that you want to cut the templates from stock using a router or if you want the templates for use with a router. If it is the former, then you do indeed need to find a shop that has a CNC router to cut your templates. If it is the latter, then simply transfer your patterns directly to the plastic stock you want to use and cut with a scroll or jig saw. Clean up the edges by hand and your template is ready for use. If the paper patterns you have are not full sized you can attempt to redraw them to scale using a larger grid pattern on your template stock. Or... you can take your drawings to a copy shop that has large format capabilities and just have them enlarged electronically. Then it's just a matter of transferring the enlarged image to your stock using any variety of methods that include carbon paper, crayoning the back of the pattern, perf & pounce, scribe through, sacrificial attachment, and others.

Chris Moore
West Palm Beach, FL