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elliptical templates

6/20/15       
Tom Scardino Member

Website: http://www.scardinodoors.com

Looking for ideas/products to make a negative template/copy of an elliptical top door (interior casing side) in order to then make an exact CAD drawing to scale and size for fabrication of a new door to match the existing, for replacement.
Thanks

6/20/15       #2: elliptical templates ...
Eric Doherty  Member

We just clamp a piece of 1/4" luan or MDF and trace the shape. Make sure to note any pertinent information right on the template. I cut the pattern to fit on site, and use it as a template back at the shop. Maybe a little old school, but it works for me.

6/20/15       #3: elliptical templates ...
Tom Scardino Member

Website: http://www.ScardinoDoors.com

How and where do you clamp your MDF to the existing interior side of door?

6/20/15       #4: elliptical templates ...
Eric Doherty  Member

If the old door was a good fit, you can clamp the MDF right on the door and trace. If the door isn't there anymore, or if it doesn't match the jamb, then you have to trace the jamb. To do this, I measure the outside dimension of the casing and cut my MDF at least that wide and tall enough to cover the head. Mark the spring line on both legs of the casing. Use a couple of 12" bar clamps to hold MDF above this line. You may have to remove the door to fit the clamps.

6/21/15       #5: elliptical templates ...
Tom Scardino Member

Ok the bar clamp explains it. Thanks

6/21/15       #6: elliptical templates ...
Tom Scardino Member

One of the jobs is a large elliptical fixed window 6/0 x 7/0 above the door. No way to clamp it and if we screw in the MDF there's no way to reach under it to scribe the ellipse, that we can think of. I was hoping to find some kind of foam product that could be pushed against the casing to make an indention . Then we could take 30 or so vertical dims to make the CAD.

Can't find any foam that will do that. Maybe a big piece of Styrofoam will work?

6/21/15       #7: elliptical templates ...
Eric Doherty  Member

Ahh, here's how I would tackle that. Cut a perfect circle of wood, maybe 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Drill hole in center to fit a pencil. Next cut MDF to fit inside of jamb. It doesn't need to be a perfect fit. Rest the template stock in the jamb and use the wooden disc with pencil in center to scribe a line parallel to jamb. You can tack some flexible material to the line and use it to guide the disc to draw actual curve.

6/21/15       #8: elliptical templates ...
David R Sochar Member

We keep a roll of 36" Kraft paper in the shop for templates of all kinds.

For this we would tape a large sheet over the casing and use the flat of a carpenter's pencil to rub over and indicate the out edges and maybe the inner edges. This can then be cut out and used as negative and/or positive, or used to make a rigid template.

You may have some magic way to turn that info into digital file, but I'll bet lunch I will have the casing blanked out before you can feed the data into a machine. Old school is best for ones and twos. Fast and direct. My opinion.

6/21/15       #9: elliptical templates ...
mitch

Website: http://subercustomshutters.com

Often, I do the same as David, using kraft paper and running a heavy thick lead pencil around the edge of the jam. I do prefer something more rigid like luan, on the large openings as paper can be a little too flexible and easily damaged. I solved the problem of marking the backside of sheet goods, by cutting out the center area, which allows me to reach through for tracing. I will carry a jig saw to the job site to cut out the center accurately enough, leaving plenty of material for marking and strength. If you cut out too much, the sheet of material is useless. More times than not, I have to trim some excess from the outside edges too. The inner area is of no use anyway, so what you are left with is a light elliptical doughnut for a template. The hole will also allow for the bar clamps to come thru.
Be sure to mark down the straight sides as far as possible.

6/21/15       #10: elliptical templates ...
Zach

Website: http://deasmillwork.com

We use the Leica disto 3d for all of our site measuring and templateing. It is perfect and is already in cad when you capture the data points.
By the time you make templates, put them into cad, cnc cut new templates and go check them to make sure they are accurate you will have enough money in it to just pay someone with the technology to do it for you. Plus it will be 99.9%accurate and a lot faster than cavemaning it.
Laser templateing is the way to go.
If you need this frequently then it may be worth investing in the technology to expand your capabilities.

6/22/15       #11: elliptical templates ...
Odd Babic

Website: http://babic.co

Put a pice of tape on the glass with 2 marks 100mm apart. Take a picture perpendicular to the glass. Import picture into autocad, scale to fit, trace line, finished

6/23/15       #12: elliptical templates ...
Mack

Ok, now that I've got the CAD drawing how do I turn it into a template?

6/25/15       #13: elliptical templates ...
Larry

Still no router?

6/25/15       #14: elliptical templates ...
Mack

Yes

6/26/15       #15: elliptical templates ...
Richard

Quick question, why don't you trace around the template you created to get the points into your CAD system?

If that won't work you could try this software http://posterazor.en.softonic.com/. It breaks large size images into standard paper sizes. When you tape them together you have a full size image. I have not personally used it for this application only for printing out plans that were larger than my printer supported. It may prove challenging lining up all the paper accurately but it's free so worth a shot.

Failing that I would mark some points on the CAD drawing, as many as you feel you will need to create a smooth arch. Get the dimensions of those points and then then mark those same points on your template material and connect the dots.

I am not sure if there is a quicker way as I have always had the good fortune of having a CNC router. I think I have read articles on how to create ellipses with string and pencils but I am unsure if it works when trying to match an existing ellipse.

Good luck!

Richard

6/26/15       #16: elliptical templates ...
Keith Newton

If you want to use the string method to get in the ball park with a template, here is how I would do it.

On a scrap of 1/4" mdf, draw a line across for the long axis, then find the center.
Measure up from there to establish the short axis, and drive a finish nail.
From that point, measure back each way and mark the Long radius where it crosses the long axis line, forming a triangle. Drive 2 finish nail in those points.
Put a washer over one of them, tie a non-stretch line, like Spider-wire fishing line into the washer, forming a tight loop around all three points, and pull the first nail out of the top.
Put a pencil in the washer, and swing it around, marking an ellipse, or semi-ellipse.

If when you hold this pattern up to the existing arch, if it isn't the same, nibble it away until it fits, or gets close enough to take the next step.

You can hold it up, and scribe, using a spacer of any size rubbing against the existing arch onto the pattern board. A fender washer works nicely. Saw and sand to that line, then using the same spacer, scribe back up the other way for the actual arc.

7/21/15       #17: elliptical templates ...
E. F. Pionkowski Member

Website: http://islandfurnitureltd.net

We do the same as David using Kraft paper. We are in Barbados and work in the other islands, so going back to check hard templates is not an option. Have never had a problem with fit using this method - we use the paper templates for the measurements and then draw an ellipse in CAD and cut on the Shopbot.

For new work we do the same but send the contractor an elliptical pattern 1/2" bigger than our fanlight. The ellipse is cut in 1/4" ply for his form work layout. We cut the ply templates into convenient size pieces, tape them together and send over to the contractor by air.

elliptical templates

7/24/15       #18: elliptical templates ...
Ray

I want to lay about 200' of laminate flooring and I am considering using an abrasive blade instead of a toothed metal blade. The rpms on the saw and the abrasive blade are compatible so I don't think there's a problem there. Just wondering if anyone has ever used or tried to use an abrasive blade to cut laminate. I tried on a small "sample" I got from a big box and it seemed ok. Not sure on a larger scale is all.
thanks in advance
Ray
xdrummer61@gmail.com

2/11/19       #19: elliptical templates ...
KevinSpear

I need to know which product is the best from the ones listed on the site?


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