Crafty marking out tips

[John Rumm]

For the want of better entertainment, I decided to build a garden slide for No. 1 offspring. Just got to the stage where I join the two sides of it together with a dozen or so cross members that will eventually also have the slidey bit on top of them.... so far so good....

The slide surface itself will be laid up using thin laths bent around these (profiled) cross members - thus giving a nice surface with compound curves. Each cross member will be rebated into the sides of the slide in positions chosen to get a nice profile to the slide rather than necessarily evenly spaced. It will be easy enough to get the positioning right "by eye" on the first side. However I then need to transfer each of these rebate positions to the opposite side of the slide reasonably accurately if I am to end up with something not too wonky!

Other than painstakingly measuring each rebate position, reversing it, then drawing it out on the other side - can anyone think of a neat trick for transferring a set of positions from one side to the other?

[PeTeG]

Draw 1st profile on one side. Tap into this side a row of panel pins following the profile line, leaving approx 5mm of the pins above the surface. Cut the heads of all the pins with wire cutters. Offer up the other side & press togther. Separate the two sides, and in the second side you will have a row of small holes. link up the holes to form your reversed profile. Pull out pins from first side before rebating B¬)

Best of luck Peter

[Gnube]

I'd make one out of hardboard first and then trace the positions onto both of the final bits of stock when done. This assumes you cutout enough to get most of the shape - or draw edges first, then remove material and draw again - NB will require a couple of dowel holes first to allow for accurate registration of the hardboard "template" each time you progress/modify things!

That cheapo clear styrene can be good for this sort of work too

Take Care, Gnube {too thick for linux}

[jacob]

The traditional and best way is to make up a "rod". This is a full size drawing usually on board, and may also be the design drawing in that you can sort out the details full size. You then take measurements off the rod directly by laying on the timber pieces and transferring marks with pencil, set square etc but making sure that you end up with opposite handed pieces as necessary. You get the same thing in other crafts - ship building, steel work etc

- where full size drawings are done on the floor with chalk lines and the components put on them for final measuring and cutting. Its as old as the hills - there are ancient 'rods' scratched into floors in greek temples used by masons for columns etc.

cheers

Jacob