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I can't remember exactly what it's called. High-impact polystyrene or high density polyethylene. I get it from a local plastics store and it comes in large sheets (16 square feet I think?). It's exactly the kind of thing you need. It's stiff, but easy to cut. At the right thickness, it won't bend too much and I use it for all of my patterns large or small.

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My prototypes for small items (wallets, coin holders, and such.) are all originally cut from canvas paper. I buy books of it in the painting section of an art supply store, its thick durable, and the scratch awl takes well to the edge of it. its also cheap and easy to store and comes in several different sizes, the only thing i havent used it for is painting. When i buy a book of it i grid it out with a pinstripers grid 1"x1" squares and anytime i come up with an idea i can jump right into templates with a pen.

I tried to draw comics for a few years... I was a medic for a few years... Using a wrench is in my blood forever. Somewhere in that mess I picked up a piece of leather and made a dog collar, I was finally satisfied with something I had done. Everyday I marvel at the things I have made, and I am happy...

  • 2 weeks later...
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I use the pallet covers that feed stores use to cover the top of pallet of feed. They are a little less in thickness then a cereal box, come in 4' x 4' sheets and best all...are FREE. Just hit up your local Tractor Supply Co. Or other feed store and I'm sure they will set you up.

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Most small to medium things I use manila folders. For larger sized items I move up to the poster board.

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Posted
  On 8/10/2013 at 1:13 AM, treybecca said:

I use the pallet covers that feed stores use to cover the top of pallet of feed. They are a little less in thickness then a cereal box, come in 4' x 4' sheets and best all...are FREE. Just hit up your local Tractor Supply Co. Or other feed store and I'm sure they will set you up.

facepalm*** ive been looking for a new template material for a month now... I work in a factory, these cardboard "covers" are called slip sheets, we use them to layer pet food pallets (Like you said) and not once did i think of using those until you posted while i was at work. luckily im still subscribed to this thread and it e-mailed the post to me. Keep an eye out for the ridged plastic ones that some companys use. if you could get a couple of those they would last forever

I tried to draw comics for a few years... I was a medic for a few years... Using a wrench is in my blood forever. Somewhere in that mess I picked up a piece of leather and made a dog collar, I was finally satisfied with something I had done. Everyday I marvel at the things I have made, and I am happy...

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Posted

We use heavy card stock to develop a pattern.After we make a prototype and it is tweaked I will use ABS plastic.We purchase 4x8 sheets of this material and it works very well.If the pattern is something that we will mass produce we will have a clicker die made so that we do not have to cut the item by hand..

Quality leather goods www.captain-itch.com www.Tennesseeholstercompany.com

  • 3 weeks later...
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For the first working templates I use old cereal boxes. Since most of what I have done so far has been custom each piece I havent yet had to make a permanent repeatable template..When I do I think I will first try the plastic sign blanks or the bag stiffeners.

And ya thanks for all the shared experience.

Murray

Plinkercases.ca

  • 5 weeks later...
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Posted

We start off with paper templates, then when it's time for something more permanent, we take those paper templates to a local acrylic supplier and have them cut them out for us in acrylic. They usually can do squared shapes but not curves (they use a table saw to cut) so we then get the curves done with a laser cutter.

We used to use hardboard from a hardware store - but every now and then we'd take slices out of it when not being careful enough with the knife blade cutting around it - so we switched to acrylic. I can't tell you how much more I love it - because it's transparent I can get a better sense of placement in terms of the grain and any other markings on the hide.

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Divina Denuevo

www.divina-denuevo.com

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Posted

I use vinyl floor covering. It is cheap and incredibly strong. Thick enough to cut round and handles much like leather. You can even use it to make up prototypes. It cuts with any knife too!

"Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps"

Ray Hatley

www.barefootleather.co.uk

  • 2 years later...

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