Finishing Template?

[Mickguard]

I did it, I did it, I just made my very first template! Only took a week!

I made it out of 13mm particleboard (is that the same thing as MDF)?

Anyway, here's my question: am I suppose to protect the template in some way --like sealing the edges or something?

I'm going to doing a few practice runs with it, so I want to make sure it holds up until I get to the real wood...

[jay5]

Particle board and MDF are not the same. In all honesty, if you are happy with the template I would consider copying it over to either MDF of PLY (w/ a template bit). I put particle board at the bottom of the list as far as template materials go. I wouldnt worry about sealing anything. I sprayed a few particle board templates I had w/ laquer of some sort. Didnt make any difference IMO. Particle board isnt very durable at the edges.

[Mickguard]

Edit (later the next day): Hey, thanks for the heads-up!...

I've done some more reading around, and I've decided I don't want to use the plywood I have here either...

But I do have several scraps of useful MDF here, (but it's been covered with a paper pattern though)...still, it gives me the chance to work with it and see the definite difference...

Like I said elsewhere, I practice everything...so I'm looking at this as just that, practice...because I found a couple of (very minor, but still) mistakes in the first template--it bobbles a bit on the outer edges of the horns...luckily you gave me the heads-up --I discovered that on my scrap, NOT on the wood!

I figure sometime next week I'll have a real template completed...

Anyway, that's why I ask all these dopey questions, so you guys can help set me straight...