# Template question



## TORB (Oct 25, 2011)

I am a mug for volunteering to do this job for a friend. :fie:

The task is to frame a mirror. No problem with the base and the most of the two sides, they are just about complete, but the top is an arch. :cray:

The frames is about 2 inches inches wide. I have used the mirror itself and managed to cut a template for the inside of the curve. The problem is that I can't use that curve and a guide bush to make the outside cut because of the width of the frame. 

Any suggestions on how to make the outside curve please?


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Torb is the problem that the radius is different on the outside edge or is it some other problem?


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## TORB (Oct 25, 2011)

Charles,

The radius of the outside edge should be 2 inches bigger than the radius of the inside edge. The problem is that I don't have a 2 inch bearing or a 2 inch guide bush.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

It wouldn't be that hard to make another template from the mirror that is 2" larger. Just use a combination square or a pointed dowel against the mirror at a 90* angle and follow around the mirror at 2" farther out. You would have to noticeably deviate from 90* for it to be noticeable on the frame, something on the order of 10*.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Following on from what Charles just said, a 2" sq. block of wood, with the pencil in a small vertical groove on the outside, and a bit of a vertical concave shape on the inside...
Just slide it around the perimeter to layout the new template. That'll follow any curve fairly accurately.


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## TORB (Oct 25, 2011)

Thanks to both of you. I used a bit of dowel with a pencil stuck to the end and a small nail at the 2 inch mark. Worked a treat.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

The best solutions are the really simple, really cheap ones.


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## Wood Chip (Apr 10, 2011)

Cut a circle/wheel of wood that has a 2" radius and a center hole to accept the lead of your pencil. 1/4" MDF works well for this. Put your pencil through the center hole and roll the circle around the curve. You'll have your curve.


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## Bushwhacker (Jun 16, 2009)

*curved mirrow*



Cherryville Chuck said:


> The best solutions are the really simple, really cheap ones.


That's very true Charles, I heard that the US spent over 3 million attempting to design an ink pen that would write in zero gravity. The Russians used a pencil.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

That's funny and sad at the same time.


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

Bushwacker said:


> That's very true Charles, I heard that the US spent over 3 million attempting to design an ink pen that would write in zero gravity. The Russians used a pencil.


Didn't graphite bits cause that electrical fire in the soyuz? 

OK, so I made that up but this gets trotted out a lot and it ignores the fact that graphite is electrically conductive. There ain't no free lunch.


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## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

Hi, TORB.

Would you mind to post some pictures about the final result?


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## TORB (Oct 25, 2011)

papasombre said:


> Would you mind to post some pictures about the final result?


Here are a few shots of how it looks now; very much still a work in progress. There is still a heap of clean up work as well as rounding off edges and other exotic router work.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Looks good Torb.


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## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

TORB.

I have exactly the same problem with a mirror for my daugther. I want to make the arched piece, the one you show at picture 3, in a single piece. How did you make the template for it?


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## TORB (Oct 25, 2011)

papasombre said:


> I have exactly the same problem with a mirror for my daugther. I want to make the arched piece, the one you show at picture 3, in a single piece. How did you make the template for it?


Its not difficult.... once you know how. :yes4:

Trace out the curve onto some 12mm ply. Then cut close to the line using a bandsaw or a jigsaw. Then clean it up using a sander of some sort. For the outside, I used a 300mm disk sander. For the inside, I used a 75mm drum sander mounted into a drill press, but I guess you could use a normal drill too. 

The rebate was completed using a hand held small router with a guide bearing. The fancy edge work was done on the router table. Here are some pictures of it now. Its almost finished and has had its first coat of Danish Oil.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Alexis; in doing it as a single piece you may find that you run into structural issues due to the grain running in the wrong direction as you sweep into the arch portion. If you laminated a second bottom layer in a perpendicular direction to the top layer, I think you'd eliminate that weakness(?).


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## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

Hi TORB and Dan.

Excellent and technical explanations. Thank you for your fast replies


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