Thread: Transfer curve shape to another surface?

I've used cardboard mockups to get shapes. It can be trial-and-error, or you can do a tracing.

Trial-and-error means just hack away at the cardboard 'til it lays flush, and it's a pretty coarse approach.

To trace this, I can think of two ways.

Method 1:

• Get a piece of cardstock, also called posterboard, that's wider than than the panel you're tracing (cardboard is okay, but cardstock is stiffer and has a harder, cleaner edge).
• Figure out how large the maximum gap is now -- let's say it's no more than a 1/4 inch, for this example.
• Get a block of relatively hard material that's at least as thick as that gap, maybe 5/16 inch or 3/8 inch for this example. A little thicker is fine, but definitely no narrower.
• Hold your cardstock in the same position your new panel will take -- if it's perpendicular to the interior panel, then hold the cardstock perpendicular to it.
• Put the block between the pencil and the interior panel, and bring the pencil to the cardstock.
• Keeping the block between the pencil and the interior panel, trace along the panel.

What you get should be a line on the cardstock that exactly matches the shape of the interior panel, the thickness of the block from the panel.

• Cut along that line, and you have your pattern.
• Check to see that it fits the way you want.
• Lay the pattern on your new part and mark along it.
• Make your cut.

Now, if you have a little gap right where this is going -- and it looks like you do -- it can be even easier.

Method 2:

• Get a piece of heavy paper or cardstock that will fit in that gap.
• Cut it to the exact width of the gap.
• Slip it into the gap, and hold it in place.
• Trace along the interior panel.
• Cut the pattern, do the fit-check, mark your piece, and make your cut.

You can also do Method 1 directly on your part, if you want. Instead of using the cardstock, mark directly on the part and then make your cut. But that eliminates the possibility of a fit-check. I like fit-checks.

(If you're really gutsy and reckless, you can make the tracing directly on the part with the tip of an X-Acto knife. I've done that, because it seemed like a good idea at the time. It wasn't a good idea.)