Making Matching Templates

by Jayson Bowerman

Originally published in American Lutherie #120, 2014



Development of a new instrument model usually begins with creation of the body-shape template, or plantilla, before any molds or forms are constructed. Here’s how I make a female template that could then be used to make something like an external body mold, beginning from an existing plantilla. Time invested making accurate, fair, and smooth templates is well spent.

The method was derived from the technique of expanding or shrinking a curve by a fixed offset. Typically we do this with something like a pencil and washer, but the same idea can be applied with a router loaded with a trim bit that uses a follower bearing.