radrobgray Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 how do you make templates i have no idea how to start to go about this...i have 1/4in. plywood and 1/4in. acrylic to make them but im not sure how to start it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted February 25, 2006 Report Share Posted February 25, 2006 Me, I use 1/4" MDF for the 'template to make templates with'. The dust is nasty, but it machines well, evenly, it's sturdy material (just don't get it wet; humidity, in standard ranges, does nothing to it). Just mark out the same, cut it, and use whatever tools you want to get it where you want it (ie, sanding drums, rasps, files, chisels). I then use that, and a template bit, to make a 'master' template out of quality 1/2" ply, or just 1/2" MDF. Keep the other as a master template, and don't use it for any instruments. If you mess up the working template, no probs. Mess up the master and you're likely to be very annoyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted February 25, 2006 Report Share Posted February 25, 2006 I prefer 1/2" mdf. I usually start from full sized drawings. You can download free ACAD drawings of standard guitar forms. So far I've used Fender tele and Gibson SG drawings. I know a few people who have access to plotters who can print out the full sized drawing for me. I then lay a large blank sheet over the drawing and trace the outlines of the parts that I want to make templates. The outlines are then cut out with scissors and laid down on my template material. I then trace that outline onto the template material. From there the actual template is cut out with as much precision and care as possible. And Viola! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laban Posted February 26, 2006 Report Share Posted February 26, 2006 You can download free ACAD drawings of standard guitar forms. Where can I download these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Irizarry Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 Where can I download these? Hi Laban: Did you do a search using the forum's search feature? Doing so with ACAD as the search term results 3 pages worth of topics that reference ACAD drawings. Among these are references to sites where you can download. I point this out to help not to chastise. I'm a newbie myself but I've already come to realize that one of the big complaints from the old timers is that newbies ask their questions without looking first. Its a valid issue. I've seen examples of this in just the last couple of weeks. I'm not suggesting this is you. I would rather assume that you were not aware of the search feature and point it out. All that said, you can find lots of "ACAD" drawings (aka .dwg or .dxf files) at http://www.guitarbuild.com/modules/mydownloads/. Dig around. There's a good amount of stuff. BTW - These are more commonly known as just CAD drawings. Good luck on the forum. Its a good place with good people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Irizarry Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 how do you make templates i have no idea how to start to go about this...i have 1/4in. plywood and 1/4in. acrylic to make them but im not sure how to start it. Rob - I'm new at this too and had a heck of a time coming up with information on how to start. There are a number of approaches to getting your design onto the template material for example. One person recommended taking the full size drawing, rubbing some kind of ink or pencil on the back, laying the drawing face up on the template material and then tracing over it so that the ink/pencil on the back transfered onto the template material. This, btw, didn't work for me. It also introduced the vagaries of tracing. My approach was much simpler. I took my full size drawing, rough trimmed out the body and used spray adhesive to stick the drawing right on the template material. I used 1/4" MDF. You can get this stuff from an office supply place or a crafts place. I recommend applying the adhesive to the template and NOT the drawing. I suspect the drawing will wave and curl since the adhesive is wet. I applied a good coating of it, gave it a few seconds to start setting up and gently smoothed the drawing onto the MDF. Don't just plop it on there. Begin from one end and smooth down a bit at a time. If you have some small bubbles, you can probably work these out with your fingers or a rolling pin but the key is to take your time laying it down to avoid this. I let this dry for several hours (actually days in my case - I didn't have time to take on the next step right away). Done correctly, the paper will survive quite nicely through the next set of events. This might also be important - I had the plan on a single sheet of paper. Some print out sections at a time and then put them together. I'm not sure that this would work so well. I'd be concerned about all the spots where sheets came together. I don't know where you are but I was able to have Staples (office supply store) make me full size prints from my original for only a couple of dollars each. Next up was the jigsaw. For this step, I turned off the orbital function and used a fine tooth blade to ensure a smooth cut. Make sure to clamp down your work! Don't try to do this freehand. Also, don't leave too much of the work sticking out because it will bend under the weight of the jigsaw and you want to make sure to keep the jigsaw as flat to the surface as possible. Again, go slow and stay just outside of the lines - 1/8" should do fine. More is ok. Don't get hung up on this. Just keep in mind that you don't want to mess up the lines by taking out a chunk and you don't want to leave so much material that you are rasping and sanding for days. Keep rotating your work exposing only a portion at a time to work with. Keep in mind that the jigsaw will not take on sharp turns. Depending on your design, you'll need to make some relief cuts so that you can get close enough to the line without taking a sharp turn. Also keep in mind that the jigsaw blade will bend if you force it. Next is the sanding. I used a combination of a four in 1 rasp and a sanding block to do this. GO SLOW and clamp your work as before. While sanding, keep in mind that you want the edge to stay perpendicular to the top surface. The last thing you want to do is tear into a line and leave a gouge. I had a couple of small nicks but they were inconsequential - I was able to work them out without visibly compromising the design. Start with the rasp's rougher surface and switch to the finer surface as you get closer to the line. Sand smooth when you are practically there. Typically, I've heard to sand the line off so that's what I did. I had NO experience doing this and despite this I got very good results. It will take time. Make sure you have it and make sure you have no distractions. It will make this go easier. As I mentioned, I used MDF which I liked very much. It works easily (be careful not to take off too much) and smooths nicely. However, keep in mind that it doesn't like to get wet although normal air borne moisture is fine. Mattia had a good idea in taking this template and making a sturdier one out of plywood with a pattern bit and router. I'm not at that point though. From one newbie to another, I hope this helps. BTW - Here is my template ready to go (please ignore the bit of schmutz): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druss Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Hey Rob G. I'm new to this too so this may not be the best way but I do have my template made. I just copied this from my build thread. Just curious are you building a bolt, set or neck through? Mine's a neck through with both wings the same shape so I think I'm getting off easy as far as my template goes. Making my template, it all went well until it fell to the ground on my last cut and busted the end. http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Reave...ga/100_0234.jpg Now I get to redo it, I'm making one out of MDF and one out of plywood just to see witch is best for me. If you do a search on it you get some who like one or the other the best so I'll just do both. I made this one out of 1/4" MDF so I'd have less shaping then used it on 1/2" MDF http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Reave...ga/100_0224.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Reave...ga/100_0226.jpg 1/2" MDF http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Reave...ga/100_0229.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Reave...ga/100_0230.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Reave...ga/100_0233.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Reave...ga/100_0231.jpg And of coarse it then fell to the ground and busted so I had to take a break. It's still fun though Ok I did it right this time http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Reave...ga/100_0237.jpg One good thing about this design is that both wings will be the same so I guess I only need one template for the wings. I know a lot of people cut out the lower horns then glue the wings to the neck but I think I'm going to cut out the whole wing then glue. I'm done for this week I have to go back to work tomorrow so I'll have plenty time to change my mind if thats not the best route. I just quoted my self how cool is that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToneMonkey Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 I use 1/4" MDF. The reason that I don't use anything bigger is because I was having trouble getting the sides of the template square when it was thicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrobgray Posted March 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 its a neckthru flying v (a mix between a jackson king v and a bcrich jr v). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjensen Posted April 5, 2006 Report Share Posted April 5, 2006 I use 1/4" MDF. The reason that I don't use anything bigger is because I was having trouble getting the sides of the template square when it was thicker. I use the 1/4 inch as well. What I do is draw out the rough shape on paper, fold in half to get my waist and hips right, then make a half template. Smooth out the half template with drum, and block, sanding. Then I route out the other half template from the first one. One more quick pass with the block to make them even and smooth. I then make a full template from the 2 halves. (trim out the lower horn or bout). From the 1/4 inch, I make a 3/4 MDF template the router makes the edge square, so i dont have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynamesucks Posted April 5, 2006 Report Share Posted April 5, 2006 i have made templates in the past using my schools laser cutter. it was a pig to put the files into 2d design though. 2d design is actually the worst cad programme ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1576 Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 I draw the outlines and location holes in AutoCAD, then export as a DXF file so that I can have the templates laser cut into 4mm acrylic. These are then mounted onto 38mm MDF boards with 1/4" steel pins protruding in the location positions, and the body blank fits onto these. Rock solid and very precise. Cavities are routed on a pin router for which I use a series of pins which go up and down in .005" increments from the size of the cutter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bio Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 i want to make a template of a dean ml guitar but i kand find schemeatics anywhere... so kan anybody help me out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCross Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 ....uhm to get things right for another newbie... when I get a CAD prog and I will do a rather good design of my guitar.... how do I get things on paper then? printing? will it be printed in several A4 pages? and then I will have to glue things together and cut em out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 ....uhm to get things right for another newbie... when I get a CAD prog and I will do a rather good design of my guitar.... how do I get things on paper then? printing? will it be printed in several A4 pages? and then I will have to glue things together and cut em out? This begs the question: what's with the CAD obesession? What do you hope to get out of it that a pencil, ruler, and eraser won't do? Are you planning on mass production? Anyway, export to EPS or PDF, got to a print shop with a large plotter, and have them print it off full-size on A3 or something. Should fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCross Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 ....uhm to get things right for another newbie... when I get a CAD prog and I will do a rather good design of my guitar.... how do I get things on paper then? printing? will it be printed in several A4 pages? and then I will have to glue things together and cut em out? This begs the question: what's with the CAD obesession? What do you hope to get out of it that a pencil, ruler, and eraser won't do? Are you planning on mass production? Anyway, export to EPS or PDF, got to a print shop with a large plotter, and have them print it off full-size on A3 or something. Should fit. ... uhm Iguess that would be way easier... nad my first choice... what kind of paper do you use for it mattia`? normal white one or with any scales n stuff? what kind of rulers do you use(i.e. for round stuff?) I did a small drawing of my idea with some kind of bowed rulers for drawing but are they useable for larger stuff w/o losing the feeling for dimensions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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