# Flexible Curve tool



## Gregor Low (Jul 24, 2017)

Hi everyone,

I've been watching a couple of videos relating to the Trend flexible curve and think it is a wonderfully simple idea. 

If you haven't seen it, it is essentially a solid piece of plastic /rubber or similar, which is extremely strong, but also can be bent into various shapes, before being screwed down to your working piece and used as a template.

Personally i think it looks like a great bit of kit. I can imagine it would be great for creating templates, such as a radius curve or arch for the router to be guided along. 

Wondering what other persons thoughts are? 

Gregor


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hey, Gregor; welcome!
These used to be really popular...used mainly for boat lofting and draughting.
Tru-Flex II Flexible Curves for Drawing & Measuring Curved Shapes


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

@DaninVan Dan, I remember those draughting flexible things from my childhood. My dad was a draughtsman and when he began he used them. By the time he retired he had moved over to CAD. And he was the one who asked me why I wanted a computer! Go figure.

Those draughting ones don't screw down so it would be impossible to use them as a guide.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Hmmmmmmmmmmm says I.. Been thinking about these things lately..might make some of the stuff I try to do, easier...two questions:

1: how well do they maintain the shape? take a good bump? or as I suspect, ya just gotta be careful...

2: how tight a radius can you get away with

ok, a third question: 

Draughting? drafting?


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

Draughting, Draughtsmen.... Draught

Pertains to drawing technical drawings and plans. Such as an architect. Or engineer. My dad drew blast furnaces and the like.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

gotcha Angie,,, thank you  kinda thought so, but ya never know

round here we call it drafting. My son is a draftsman..


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

I won't be getting one. I figure it would take me less time to sketch out curves freehand, I'd be fine tuning my curves too, so just a gadget I don't need. Probably wouldn't be able to find it when I needed it anyway.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Old School!*



vindaloo said:


> @DaninVan Dan, I remember those draughting flexible things from my childhood. My dad was a draughtsman and when he began he used them. By the time he retired he had moved over to CAD. And he was the one who asked me why I wanted a computer! Go figure.
> 
> Those draughting ones don't screw down so it would be impossible to use them as a guide.


Battens and ducks, Angie! 
30/08/2010, Monday, Drawing - Wei Shi's blog


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

DaninVan said:


> Battens and ducks, Angie!
> 30/08/2010, Monday, Drawing - Wei Shi's blog


Exactly, just how we did it way back then. I still have a couple of the Acu-Arc Adjustable Curves in their grey poly tubes and a Acu-Arc Ruler that could be used to draw a section of a large radius curve - all in a drawer with a pile of various templates that I bought over the years. And all obsolete as soon as they came out with CAD - bet I could buy a really nice router or two with all the money I've invested in them over the years.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Gregor.


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## Gregor Low (Jul 24, 2017)

Thanks for the welcome posts and replies.

Twoskies - there are a couple of videos on youtube but that's all i could really find. I wondered why they werent so popular, but for doing curves, and arc's I can't think of anything better if I'm honest, unless of course I'm missing something.

They are quite expensive for what they are, but for me being the casual woodworker, and with limited tools, i believe this would help me to create some quick templates very quickly for a couple of my plans.


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

DaninVan said:


> Battens and ducks...............


You'd need really heavy ducks if you wanted to use it to guide a router!

Just thought, anyone looking at the above comment would think I'm mad.....

Not far out either....


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

When I posted that link, Angie, I should have said 'Take a gander'...


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Great for drawing, but for templates, I'm afraid not. When routing with templates the template guide fitted to the router is pressed hard against the template.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

So; make a template. The objective is to lay out the curves; doing the layout AND using it as a template _in one operation_ is maybe a bridge too far?


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

The one Gregor, the OP, posted about is the trend one seen here which can be screwed down every 1 1/2" and used directly as a guide for the router. It does look like it would work but I have no need of curves like that is possible of as yet.


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## neville9999 (Jul 22, 2010)

Gregor Low said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I've been watching a couple of videos relating to the Trend flexible curve and think it is a wonderfully simple idea.
> 
> ...


You could use it to set out your shape on, say 10 to 16mm MDF type material and then make a template out of that, if you think you can use an item like that to run a router against then you need to learn a lot more about routers before you do it as it will not work. N


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

Then the advertising they have is wrong, it shows someone, albeit in a still photo, using it as the guide for a bottom bearing straight bit. It even says that in the text blurb.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Here's a link to US vendors.

Kurvenlinfix Flexible Router Guide

Not cheap, but perfect if you needed to make some accurate templates.


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## Gregor Low (Jul 24, 2017)

Thank you to those of you who have read the initial post properly, and understand the product I am talking about.

It is not a drawing aid, as some have mentioned. It is a tool made by trend for routing curves. It physically screws down to your surface and is solid! 

I noticed it is in their "New product" section of their latest magazine, so I was looking to see what the general opinion was.

I think I will buy it. I have limited resources, and this would be the most effective way for me to create a curve and arch type shape.

For those of you not sure what I mean, please look on you tube and you will see a video of a similar branded product being used.

Gregor


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I think that I'll stick to ruler and compass.


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

Gregor Low said:


> Thank you to those of you who have read the initial post properly, and understand the product I am talking about.............


Gregor, the product appears to be relatively new on the market and as such there don't appear to be any review, even on amazon in the UK.

As for the slightly off topic wandering that happened, that is the normal state of affairs on this forum, most topics meander but usually they return to topic. As for this flexicurve, I believe there won't be many users on this forum as most are seasoned woodworkers and prefer, as Harry has pointed out, to use wooden template, MDF or hardboard/masonite.

Please let us know how you get on with the trend flexicurve and what you think of it.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

harrysin said:


> I think that I'll stick to ruler and compass.


Totally. When needed that is. Usually I just sketch curves out freehand, erasing and sketching, until I get it like I want it. If I were going to make large curves, then I'd make a batten, and a bunch of ducks.


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## Bob Adams (Jul 5, 2014)

Gregor Low said:


> Thanks for the welcome posts and replies.
> 
> Twoskies - there are a couple of videos on youtube but that's all i could really find. I wondered why they werent so popular, but for doing curves, and arc's I can't think of anything better if I'm honest, unless of course I'm missing something.
> 
> They are quite expensive for what they are, but for me being the casual woodworker, and with limited tools, i believe this would help me to create some quick templates very quickly for a couple of my plans.


Welcome Gregor, and thanks for the heads up. I am interested in these, I have a future project in festering in the back of my mind where something like this could be useful. Please give us a review if you pick them up. As a side note, I have had Trend's masons miter jig for about 10yrs, and it has held up well through lots of abuse. I wouldn't hesitate to by from them.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)




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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

Well slap me sideways, that does look like it does what they said it does. For making templates I can see the appeal. At least you wouldn't need to worry about the screw holes.


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## 197761 (May 2, 2017)

I remember these from childhood also, just not the new ones that are screwed down. Never heard of battens and ducks, so I had to take a gander. But yeah, I am not very good at straight lines and curves without rulers and compasses, so I think these look very handy. First thing I thought of, was using for templates. But, seeing the video, could actually skip a step, unless I needed to make up a bunch, which would then help me make a template.


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## MGildersleeve (Jan 15, 2018)

This looks interesting. But, yes, what are batons and ducks? I tried to search for it, but got a lot of cajon recipes as a result.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Google "Drafting Ducks" and you'll get articles on the weights used to hold splines in place while drawing curves - used extensively in boat building. Battens refers to the flexible strips of wood flexed into an arc to draw a large radius curve.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Did you find it, Michael?
You could also try 'lofting'...
It's the process of laying out the lines of a hull; an art form really.


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