Making Small Templates for Pressing in Rock Mix

[ChrisNeff_FCO]

While I was down at Michael P's for his habitat/pedestal backing class, we had a little trouble when cutting out a small browning buck template.   When you need a small template, it is hard to maneuver the saw and easy to break the plywood.   When I came home I got the idea to use MP's rock mix to cover the form on my antler panels.   The problem was that these templates would have to be very small.   The following is what I came up with.

The materials you will need are:
Bondo
Fiberglass Resin
A Printed Copy of what you want your template to be
Scissors
Exacto Knife
Small Mixing Cup or whatever you prefer to mix your bondo in
Tongue Depressor
Glue or Tape will work
Small piece of wire about 3 inches or so should work
Scrap piece of foam big enough to fit your image on and about 1 inch thick


Cut around the image you printed out and glue it to your block of foam.


Use your Exacto knife to cut around the image.   I angle my blade in under the image, you really only need to get the outline cut into the foam so you can see it when the paper is removed.



When you have cut all the way around the image, remove the paper.   Then use the Exacto knife to start picking out the foam inside where you have just cut.   Do not worry about what the inside looks like.   Just watch the edges that you cut along your paper image.   Dig the foam out to about 1/4-1/2 inch deep.


When you are satisfied with your foam block, bend your piece of wire in the shape of a "U" or you could just leave it straight.   Then insert the wire through the bottom of the foam block, and into what will be the most solid part of your template.   Do not let the wire stick above what will be the surface of the template.



Next you want to get your foam block to sit somewhat level, and mix up your Bondo/Resin 50/50.   You want this to be able to run into those small areas.


Then pour your Bondo/Resin into the foam block.   Depending on just how small your template is you may be able to just pour it right in and it will work its way into the small areas.   For this template the tines on the antlers were too small and too close together so I poured the mix all over, including myself, table and floor!     Then use your tongue depressor to smooth it out and remove excess.


Let this cure completely.   You do not want to risk pulling it out too soon and breaking it.   Once it is cured, start breaking all the foam off.   It should break off easily.   If you have trouble around the small pieces, you can use your knife to scrape off the foam.


Once all your foam is off you are done!   The tines on this one were a little to close and I would have been able to separate them with the knife, but I sort of like the way it looks now.   We will see when I get the next plaque done, I may change it.



Here is a photo of this one and the first one I made.


And the results after use...



There it is!     I hope you enjoy and maybe get some use out of this.

[michael p.]

Cool idea!!!   Love it

[ChrisNeff_FCO]

Thanks Michael.
The guy I did the one pictured for went home and came back with two already completed plaques and told me he wanted them done this way!   That's what the second template is for and I'm going to use a small hoof to put prints on the other one.

[ChrisNeff_FCO]

Here is the end result of the template I made for the tutorial, and a couple I did with deer hooves.

[Fin n' Flight]

IS THAT THE SAME ROCK MIX FROM McKenzie AND MIKE IS THERE A TUTOREAL ON WHAT HES TALKING ABOUT I HAVE I THINK THEY CALL IT A 9D DOE TO MOUNT FOR THE SHOP AND THAT PEDISTAL AREA WOULD LOOK NICE LIKE THAT.

[ChrisNeff_FCO]

The rock mix I used is the one in Michael P's video, I think you can get it through WASCO/McKenzie.   I would imagine you could use any rock mix though.   When I went to MP's class at his shop, we worked on wall pedestals.   There are photos somewhere on here.   They look really good, and are really cheap and quick to do.