I need to cut a 1m curved section from an MDF sheet, has anybody any tips on
how to draw an accurate curve, other than a peice of string and a pencil,
I'm not too good at freehand either.

Craig wrote:
I need to cut a 1m curved section from an MDF sheet, has anybody any tips on
how to draw an accurate curve, other than a peice of string and a pencil,
I'm not too good at freehand either.



Bend something flexible and trace round it?

"Craig" wrote in message
. uk...
I need to cut a 1m curved section from an MDF sheet, has anybody any tips
on how to draw an accurate curve, other than a peice of string and a
pencil, I'm not too good at freehand either.

A big compass?!

Or get a piece of hardboard thin enough to bend and not break!

Place a nail at the top of the curve, and one either end about 25mm in from
the edge,
bend the board placing over the centre nail and under the 2 end nails

Take a pencil and draw curve!

Craig wrote:
I need to cut a 1m curved section from an MDF sheet, has anybody any
tips on
how to draw an accurate curve, other than a peice of string and a
pencil,
I'm not too good at freehand either.

Do you mean a half circle? Or just a curve, if so, what kinda curve?

Dave

"Craig" wrote in
. uk:

I need to cut a 1m curved section from an MDF sheet, has anybody any
tips on how to draw an accurate curve, other than a peice of string
and a pencil, I'm not too good at freehand either.


You can get an elliptical curve with 2 pins, and a loop of string round
them with a bit of slack in it.

Put your pencil in the string loop and pull to make a triangle, and move
pencil, keeping the string taut.

Try it and you'll see what I mean (I hope)

Get the nails the right distance apart (from the edges?) the string the
right length and you can get a smooth curve from one edge to the other, if
that's what you want, and as deep as you want.


mike

"mike ring" wrote in message
. 1.4...
"Craig" wrote in
. uk:

I need to cut a 1m curved section from an MDF sheet, has anybody any
tips on how to draw an accurate curve, other than a peice of string
and a pencil, I'm not too good at freehand either.


You can get an elliptical curve with 2 pins, and a loop of string round
them with a bit of slack in it.

Put your pencil in the string loop and pull to make a triangle, and move
pencil, keeping the string taut.

Try it and you'll see what I mean (I hope)

Get the nails the right distance apart (from the edges?) the string the
right length and you can get a smooth curve from one edge to the other, if
that's what you want, and as deep as you want.


mike

thanks guys, some good tips.

Craig wrote:

I need to cut a 1m curved section from an MDF sheet, has anybody any tips on
how to draw an accurate curve, other than a peice of string and a pencil,
I'm not too good at freehand either.


Accurate to what? Curvature of te earth? parabiloic section? Ellipse?
your wifes naked torso? Pre-existent wall?


There are a million ways to do this, but unless you say what you mean,
its impossible to recommend one.

In article ,
"Craig" says...
I need to cut a 1m curved section from an MDF sheet, has anybody any tips on
how to draw an accurate curve, other than a peice of string and a pencil,
I'm not too good at freehand either.

What sort of curve? If it's a simple arc I'd use a router attached
to a strip of thin ply or similar secured with a screw at the other
end.

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 21:22:33 GMT, "Craig"
wrote:

I need to cut a 1m curved section from an MDF sheet, has anybody any tips on
how to draw an accurate curve, other than a peice of string and a pencil,
I'm not too good at freehand either.


I bit of plastic bent round nails ......

You have to mess a bit to get the right curve, like them bendy rulers
we had in "Technical Drawing" at school