how do you guys make templates when fabbing up own panels?

I do your traditional style restoration work where compared to guys on here it would be considered hack work-lol At work I make my own small panels by either cutting out the old metal and tracing, putting a patch on top and scribing, or welding paper and a marker. I saw some videos of Lazze where he used the tape everywhere and made templates for each piece of tape. So I can see that being a good way...for contours anyways. He also used paper on a cowl. Then I suppose there's measuring. how do you guys do it for complex parts? Seems like paper would work good but what kind? I think the welding tape rocks cause it sticks to the surface but it's expensive and as a hobby I'd like to get cheap cheap cheap. Anyhow, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, any good videos you can suggest would rock as well... I get head aches when I read-lol

btw, what's checking? I saw a Peter Tommasini video and they said they were "checking and scribing" the paper template.

 

Paper & magnets. Flexible shape patterns. If you want to learn or just read up sign up over here
http://allmetalshaping.com/

 

thanks. Will do. Thanks for the tip. I guess I'll look for some cheap white paper so I can see thru it a little bit to draw the body lines, etc...

 

I also use tracing paper and poster board from Staples - it is flexible but has a bit more body than regular paper. It is a light cardstock....

 

Bucks .... new thread here, were informative.

 

Yep I use white poster board .. I have a pile prob 100 pages deep.. And I keep all my templates


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Everything they said^^ plus profile gauges - adjustable ones, or simple metal or wood templates of the profile at various points through the panel.

The key in shaping sheet metal to a high standard is information. Once you know how to stretch and shrink, you need to be able to 'see' the shape in the panel, and where it needs less or more.
Master body men do this with their hands, eyes and a kind of intuitive knowing. All that is, is experience.

Until you get there, use every means at your disposal to keep track of where you are, and where you need to be. Resist thinking of these as some kind of silver bullet or crutch though - your mind is the most powerful tool you have. Use it to think about what is happening to the metal and that sixth sense will develop.

 

I use poster board from staples it is rigid enough to stand but flexable enough to bend around things . The other method I use is 1/8" plywood strips glued together with hot melt glue . People who manufacture countertops use it and it works very well for tin also. I use them in combination with the poster board for wheel tubs .

 

Heavy Duty tinfoil works well for alot of shapes too

 

Most of the templates i do are not compound curves so i use illustration board from staples or micheals. its single ply but much thicker than poster board, and you can put it in a brake and fold it like sheetmetal. it also gives me an idea of what type of folds i can expect once i've moved on to sheetmetal.

 

Empty cereal boxs if needed.

 

I have used cereal boxes and a sharpie to make templates. Low budget, but has worked for me.

 

thanks for all the responses. Man, you guys are very helpful. I already have a shrinking disk, slapper, hammers,dollies, mallets, sand bags, etc.. I have a good hand feel and know how metal responds so I think it will come in handy. Really like the white paper over a bunch of magnets idea. I'm guessing that to get a body line transfered over you just poke tiny holes thru the paper and jot them down on the metal, then fill it in once the paper is off?

 

yep. And don't throw away those soda can boxes. So far those have been my favorite.

 

posterboard. works good for me.

 

Man..you guys must eat a lot of cereal!

My patterns are generally much larger than a couple of cereal boxes.

I use poster board for the local artist supply store.

They carry 10 sheet packages and loose poster board,,I go for the slightly soiled or bent and torn and get it for 1/2 price.HRP

 

There's the masking tape trick too.
Cover your section with masking tape, several layers in multiply multidirectional fashion.
Remove it and lay it on the table, it will need to be cut to lay flat.
The cuts let you know where and how to shrink or stretch it.
Where the tape over laps, those areas need to be stretched, where they leave a gap, those need to be shrunk. If the shirinks or stretches are very large, materials may need to be removed or added from your flat piece.

 

The cereal box thing works good for small parts, engine brackets etc... But when you run out of regular poster board, you will try anything. I like Vicky's idea too.

 

Yup... Every empty cereal box, cracker box, shirt boxes at Christmas... all get cut apart and put in a drawer in the shop. Even the skinny sides.

If I need to make a small bracket, I've got small pieces of card stock or chip board.

For bigger stuff, I use poster board.

-Brad

 

I'm cheap so I source it from box liners at work or poster board from the "Dollar Tree" dollar store=2 sheets for a buck. Much cheaper than the office or art supply stores.

 

neat little trick. for the most part i will probably stretch with hammers, wheeling and doing shrinks with a deep throat shrinker and/or shrinking disk. should i look to getting a torch as well?

 

I couldn't be without my torch.

It depends on how much you have to shrink the thing, or stretch it.
You can stretch it paper thin but that's not good, you can shrink it to twice the material thickness but that's no fun.

If you try the tape trick , you will notice that the arrow straight cuts you made in the tape get it flat magically curved when you flatten it out. If you make a cut in the steel, follow that curve and weld it back together. Force the joint together and then run the weld thru a planishing hammer and or wheel. This will give you a more consistent material thickness and generally much quicker job for the areas that need way too much stretch or shrink.

 

I aiways save the card stock paper out of the gasket sets for templet making.

 

Next time you are at Costco grab some of the separators between layers of paper towels or toilet paper on the pallets. It makes great material for larger panel patterns

 

Thanks for the tips on templates and different types of materials to use.
Jimbo

 

Using a piece of masking paper, forming it tight to the panel, any area showing a pleat would require shrinking, a slit would require stretching.





Next, a flexible shape pattern is taken from this circled "sample damage area". Cling wrap was used to act as a release agent, but as the cling didn't, it was stretched across the area and taped in place. You can also use powder as a release agent so the first layer of tape doesn't stick to the panel, but that is quite messy. The "release agent" is just for being able to get the pattern off the body panel without deforming it..





An opposing angle on the second layer helps to lock in the panels shape on the pattern...





And trimmed off the excess. The reference line surrounding our "damage area" was copied onto each layer to help determine the correct size for the patch panel...






Next, a shot bag was used to hammer out the "repair panel". By using the FSP on top of our patch, the loose areas shown indicate more stretch or shape is needed in the panel.. until the pattern reaches a snug fit.. And if you have a badly distorted/dented panel, simply take the pattern from the opposite side of the vehicle, on the good panel, and then inverting the pattern will give you a pattern for the damaged panel.

 

I use upholstery cardboard. Its single wall and bends like sm would. Holds shape in the break also. Super nice.