169. Fairing strips make easy tapered curves + bonus!

[Make Things]

I grew up thinking those were called furring strips.

If the curve isn't too great or very long, cardstock such as matboard and masking tape works.

Neil

That's a great tip! Anything that's manufactures, I think, is going to be better than wood. I've seen people use thin strips of wood and I gasp. Wood is so inaccurate that I'm nervous to use it as a straight edge, let alone hope that each fiber and grain is going to bend uniformly.

[sossol]

That's a great tip! Anything that's manufactures, I think, is going to be better than wood. I've seen people use thin strips of wood and I gasp. Wood is so inaccurate that I'm nervous to use it as a straight edge, let alone hope that each fiber and grain is going to bend uniformly.

I used random materials around my workshop- - mostly matboard and masking tape - to lay out all of the curves on this bass body. The smaller curves were plotted with jar lids, can lids, and one bend piece of plastic. I chose to be constrained by the original shape of the body and to low-tech design methods, while giving it a Googie vibe.

This is what it looked like when I got it. I'm sure you'll agree that it needed curves.


Neil