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Post by holajonathan on Dec 28, 2021 16:30:56 GMT -5
I've got a few brands and styles of templates, but my favorite, by far, is this stainless steel set that I bought form Highland Park:  www.hplapidary.com/products/highland-park-stainless-steel-templates-set-of-10?_pos=20&_sid=aa435cd8a&_ss=rThey are my favorites for 3 reasons: 1. They should last forever. 2. They have good versions of the shapes I use most like rounded triangles, ovals, tear drops, tongues, shields, etc... 3. The fact that they are not transparent helps me when framing cabs. Not being able to see the surrounding part of the slab makes the potential cab design really "pop." #3 is the most important factor, by far. See what I mean?  (No, I'm not marking that as a cab, don't worry) |
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 28, 2021 20:45:10 GMT -5
I think my go to is the set that we have here for download. There was a guy who was cutting them from acrylic, so I had him do me a set. The acrylic is clear but they have a peel off film that I left on. I, also, prefer it that way.
Cabtopia has some interesting shapes. I sunk a good bit into some from Slabstocabs by John Heusler. Coming from that name, I expected them to be better, but they are all so huge, that I never used one. Wasted my money.
DH has a 3D printer. He printed some from thingaverse which are nice because you can change any dimension. I have quite a few of those.
I make my own from interesting shapes that I have freeformed, too.
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Post by holajonathan on Dec 28, 2021 22:33:11 GMT -5
rockjunquie The key insight for me is how much better I do when the template material isn't transparent. My brain just can't visualize what's inside the border when I can also see outside the border. Most cab templates are transparent. This is often marketed as a "feature." Not for me. I need to buy some thin sheets of opaque acrylic or something like that so I can mark out my own shapes and (maybe?) just cut them out with an x-acto knife. Perhaps some of the ultra-cheapo dollar store cutting "boards" would work.
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 29, 2021 5:32:49 GMT -5
rockjunquie The key insight for me is how much better I do when the template material isn't transparent. My brain just can't visualize what's inside the border when I can also see outside the border. Most cab templates are transparent. This is often marketed as a "feature." Not for me. I need to buy some thin sheets of opaque acrylic or something like that so I can mark out my own shapes and (maybe?) just cut them out with an x-acto knife. Perhaps some of the ultra-cheapo dollar store cutting "boards" would work. Great minds think alike.  I use those dollar store cutting boards for my templates. I like that they are opaque because I like to isolate my framed material, too. |
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NDK
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Dec 29, 2021 7:46:21 GMT -5
I agree about not wanting clear templates. I printed the tony turner ones from here on clear transparent film then hand sanded them using fine sandpaper to "frost" them. Worked well for free 👍
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Post by HankRocks on Dec 29, 2021 8:39:41 GMT -5
I agree about not wanting clear templates. I printed the tony turner ones from here on clear transparent film then hand sanded them using fine sandpaper to "frost" them. Worked well for free 👍 Interesting about clear templates. I have a couple homemade ones that are not clear and after using them wish that I would have used clear stock. For me it would help zeroing in on the detail I want to see in the stone. Obviously a personal preference thing. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 29, 2021 9:40:31 GMT -5
It's really interesting the debate...or rather differing views (pun intended) with regards to the viewable as opposed to blocked view under the templates. I can see it from both sides (again, pun intended).
I think there's times I would prefer NOT to see the slab under the rest of the template, as Jonathan stated, it's easier to see the intended pattern on the cab...although...seeing the rest of the slab, you're able to "tweak" the spot in order to include something that may have otherwise been missed.
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Post by holajonathan on Dec 29, 2021 12:38:57 GMT -5
It's really interesting the debate...or rather differing views (pun intended) with regards to the viewable as opposed to blocked view under the templates. I can see it from both sides (again, pun intended). I think there's times I would prefer NOT to see the slab under the rest of the template, as Jonathan stated, it's easier to see the intended pattern on the cab...although...seeing the rest of the slab, you're able to "tweak" the spot in order to include something that may have otherwise been missed. The preference may come down to how you use templates. Here's what I do: I first look carefully at both sides of the slab to find all fractures, soft spots, or otherwise problematic areas that I want to avoid. Then, I spend a long time thinking about what interests me on the slab. There are no real rules here, but my eyes tend to gravitate towards colors, patterns, "texture," areas of contrast, geometric shapes, lines and their direction, dendrites, etc... When I find an area where I might want to mark a preform, I look at the other side of the slab to try to figure out if the color/pattern/lines/etc run all the way through the slab. In other words, I think about how the cab is likely to change as I remove material to shape the dome. Finally, I think about what template shape will best capture the area of interest. Only at this point do I grab a template, place the shape I had in mind over the area I'm trying to frame, and move it around a little bit to get it just how I like it. If I'm not capturing everything I want to capture, I move up a size in the same shape series, or switch shapes. If I'm capturing too much, I move down a size or switch shapes. If I just can't figure out how to frame the area of interest, I set the slab aside and come back to it later. Being able to see through the template is no advantage during this process. By the time I'm using the template, I already know what the area looks like and what I want to capture. With the template, I'm just trying to tweak the placement. Once I mark the shape with a sharpie and remove the template, I sometimes redraw one of more lines if I feel like the template shape limited what I wanted to capture, or if I discover that I have accidentally included a fracture or soft spot. This is a process that has naturally evolved for me. I have never really analyzed the process itself until I typed out this message. |
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Post by Rockindad on Dec 29, 2021 19:03:04 GMT -5
I evolved into using a slightly different approach while laying out the hearts I have been doing lately. Instead of using the "negative" that you typically do when using a standard template, I traced some of the hearts I had completed onto clear mylar sheets.   These have a few benefits: -By being clear I can see exactly what I am framing -By having the border darkened I can focus on what is currently framed -By not having the rest of a template in the way I can easily see what other options there are instantly Some may like this approach, others will think it is ridiculous. Whatever floats your boat! One thing is for sure, it is an economical approach whether you use this method or use the material to make a more traditional template. |
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Post by holajonathan on Dec 31, 2021 1:18:12 GMT -5
I evolved into using a slightly different approach while laying out the hearts I have been doing lately. Instead of using the "negative" that you typically do when using a standard template, I traced some of the hearts I had completed onto clear mylar sheets. These have a few benefits: -By being clear I can see exactly what I am framing -By having the border darkened I can focus on what is currently framed -By not having the rest of a template in the way I can easily see what other options there are instantly Some may like this approach, others will think it is ridiculous. Whatever floats your boat! One thing is for sure, it is an economical approach whether you use this method or use the material to make a more traditional template. This is a clever solution, and you gave me an idea. I think I am going to try painting black around the cut out shapes on my clear templates to see if that helps the outline "pop" when I am using them. |
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I use those dollar store cutting boards for my templates. 
