Pietenpol-List: Cowling Patterns
Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2002 8:51 pm
Original Posted By: "walter evans"
Hi Pieters,Just a quick tip to pass on. I'm in the process of making my enginecowling, making paper patterns first before cutting expensive aluminum.After struggling with flimsy posterboard (which comes in too small a sheetanyway) I discovered the ideal pattern material: Matte Board. That's thestuff they use in those expensive picture frame shops to make the coloredmatting between the picture and the frame. Matte board is about .050" thickand has just about the same stiffness as .025" aluminum, so it behaves aboutthe same. It is easily cut with a boxcutter knife or a bandsaw and onceformed to shape and taped in place it is pretty durable. It is not soeasily dented as posterboard is. Its only drawback is its price. I bought5 sheets of 32" x 40" matte board for $6 per sheet and that was enough tomake my cowling patterns. Yeah, I know, $30 is a lot to spend on somethingyou'll just throw away, but to me it was worth it for the reducedaggravation compared with posterboard.Just thought I'd pass it on.Jack________________________________________________________________________________
Hi Pieters,Just a quick tip to pass on. I'm in the process of making my enginecowling, making paper patterns first before cutting expensive aluminum.After struggling with flimsy posterboard (which comes in too small a sheetanyway) I discovered the ideal pattern material: Matte Board. That's thestuff they use in those expensive picture frame shops to make the coloredmatting between the picture and the frame. Matte board is about .050" thickand has just about the same stiffness as .025" aluminum, so it behaves aboutthe same. It is easily cut with a boxcutter knife or a bandsaw and onceformed to shape and taped in place it is pretty durable. It is not soeasily dented as posterboard is. Its only drawback is its price. I bought5 sheets of 32" x 40" matte board for $6 per sheet and that was enough tomake my cowling patterns. Yeah, I know, $30 is a lot to spend on somethingyou'll just throw away, but to me it was worth it for the reducedaggravation compared with posterboard.Just thought I'd pass it on.Jack________________________________________________________________________________