# Attaching a template - what's got you stuck?



## kquiggle (Mar 10, 2014)

I'm sure I'm not the first person to have done this, but I've never seen it mentioned anywhere else so I thought I would note it here. I recently needed to attach a paper template to a piece of aluminum plate - I've read about using double sided tape or spray adhesive, but I thought I would try something different:

I brushed rubber cement on both the aluminum plate and the back of the template, let the cement dry for about a minute, and then stuck the two together. It worked wonderfully! The template was held on very firmly, and any excess cement rubbed off easily. When it came time to remove the template it peeled off readily leaving little residue, and what little residue there was I simply rubbed off with my thumb.

Has anyone else used rubber cement for this purpose? What other methods have you used?


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## bmac2 (Mar 10, 2014)

I remember my dad use to use rubber cement to mount 10 sanding disks. It held great and like you said, it was easy to peel them off and clean up the aluminum disk. Just had to be careful not to put too much on the back of the paper or it could soak through.


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## AussieJimG (Mar 10, 2014)

I haven't seen rubber cement around since we used it to repair punctures in bicycle tyres when I was a kid. 

It is always nice to know of something else that works. Thanks for posting.

Jim


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## petertha (Mar 10, 2014)

I do a lot of scroll saw work on all sorts of materials (plywood/carbon/G10/ aluminum) using paper template patterns from cad drawings to cut out. I really like a spray product called Photo Mount by 3M. I believe there are other brands like Scotch & generic stuff at the craft store. It mounts almost instantly, no shrinkage to the paper. It hold very well under cutting & edge sanding action. Then just spritz some thinner on the paper like acetone or alcohol & it comes right off with no residue. 

Caveat:.. not so great for metalworking using oils or cutting fluids because it will seep under the paper & lose the bond. For that you need something more resistant.

Note this is not the same 3M spray product you see for permanent bonding. That stuff is quite thick & gooey by comparison. The photo mount is like a very thin mist but still highly tacky. ps - as the nozzle gets plugged over time with intermittent use, just soak it in a small container of acetone or lighter fluid & any excess glue in the stem tube comes out so it sprays like new. I don't do that 'hold the can upside down & spray half the contents out' to clean the tip business.

I did try rubber cement just for the heck of it. Just seems like a lot of extra time to paint it on vs. spray. Mind you I was doing bigger parts, like what I could fit on 8.5x11 paper. Good luck!


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## goldstar31 (Mar 11, 2014)

I've used so called rubber cement out of an aerosol quite successfully but I don't think that it is rubber anymore. It's great stuff in warm weather but not now in March in England! It takes too long to become tacky.
 One of the old fashioned ways is to use a shellac type thing to stick sandpaper/glass paper etc. Mine is in an old tube made by Black and Decker. 
 I'm doing a tidy up and found one of these cheap glue guns. Works well and better with either with a hairdryer or a paint stripping gun. Not very hi-tech or elegant but so what?

 I dropped a clanger with credit cards- and our new cards arrived stuck with some gooey stuff to the bank letter. Found that it stuck to everything but I'd love to know what it is.

 Removal of most of these things is ---WD-40 or equivalent or something with orange oil called - obviously- Sticky stuff Remover!

 So what's this bank stuff- please???

 Norman


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## kquiggle (Mar 11, 2014)

A quick addendum: Rubber cement is generally sold by office supply stores (or in the office supply section of a department store). 

Historical note: In the pre-digital photography days, rubber cement was ideal for pasting photos into albums - it doesn't cause the paper backing to pucker or wrinkle, does not react with the photo emulsion, and you can unstick the photo later if necessary.


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## crueby (Mar 11, 2014)

A method I have used for templates on lots of woodcarving and scrimshaw projects is to use printable applique film. It is a clear plastic film, sticky on the back (with paper backing you peel off when ready to stick on), that you can run through your inkjet printer. Great for making up complex patterns on the computer (line art, photos, whatever).





On woodcarving or etching, you can carve right through it. Should work for metal projects too, though cutting oil might make it lift. I am going to try it on a pierced brass beam for a steam engine I am working on now to transfer a pattern for sawing out - will be hand sawing with jewelers saw, so cutting oil is not a problem.

Place I buy it from is 
http://shop.graphictransfer.net/Applique-Film-25-pack-11000.htm
You can find simaler material at most craft stores.


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## kquiggle (Mar 11, 2014)

That applique film looks like neat stuff - I can see a lot of useful applications for something like that. With a bot of web searching I see that it is available with either  "permanent" or "repositionable" adhesive. I assume you would want to use the "repositionable" for easy template removal? At around a $1 per sheet it's a tad pricey, though (or maybe I'm just a cheapskate!).

Please let us know how your brass cutting test works out.


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## crueby (Mar 11, 2014)

kquiggle said:


> That applique film looks like neat stuff - I can see a lot of useful applications for something like that. With a bot of web searching I see that it is available with either  "permanent" or "repositionable" adhesive. I assume you would want to use the "repositionable" for easy template removal? At around a $1 per sheet it's a tad pricey, though (or maybe I'm just a cheapskate!).
> 
> Please let us know how your brass cutting test works out.



I assume the stuff I have is the repositionable - permanant would be bad for the carvings I do. It is pricey, but is a whole lot simpler when doing complex patterns than doing a pounce wheel or something like that. I got it originally for doing pictures onto gunstocks, then found lots of other uses for it. I hang onto the offcuts, use it to hand draw patterns and stick them on small work.

The brass cutting test worked out great - this time I was using a jewelers saw, so no cutting oil was needed. As an experiment though, I stuck some on a chunk of brass, and ran on some cutting oil at the edge, and rubbed it around, scraped at it, and nothing moved or smudged. The film is a plastic (very thin), and the oil did not penetrate through or lift the glue from the metal. Looks like that would be no problem, as long as you are using a pigmented ink. Some printers use a water-soluble dye ink that could smudge or smear. Permenant marker pens work on it fine too.


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## hobby (Mar 14, 2014)

Kuiggle: thats a good tip, thankyou.

I've been using the glue sticks, they even work to temporarily hold two pieces of aluminum together for drilling.


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## David Morrow (Apr 8, 2014)

I use spray mount adhesive. You will find it in photo supply stores and hobby stores. I think mine is made by 3M. They seem to make a variety of types. Mine is for photos but I bet any of them would work.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...0GE3E02LECIE204A00000000_univid=1114284886905


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## kquiggle (Apr 8, 2014)

I've use the 3M spray adhesives in other applications, but not for templates. 3M makes a lot of different spray adhesives, so picking the right one probably makes a big difference; without having actually tried this, I would be inclined to go with their "repositionable" #75 or maybe #76 adhesive for templates. I collected some good links to information at the link below (click on the link and look under "adhesives"):

https://sites.google.com/site/lagadoacademy/useful-links#info-other


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