The
Bosun’s Mate
In Photo 1. I’m using a technique that works well, particularly if you are working alone. Having marked out
the offsets along the curved panel edge I’ve knocked
in panel pins at each offset position. I’m using a long
piece of aluminium flat (about 3mm x 25mm) to rule a
fair curve. I’ve pushed the ally rule against each pin, and
then held it in place by stapling a small piece of ply behind it. This leaves both hands free when you come to
draw the line: make sure the pencil is really sharp and
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that the rule is right down against the panel; don’t push
too hard against the rule as you draw the line; make sure
you draw you line right at the intersection of the rule
and panel.
Here I’m making a panel template so I don’t mind the
staple marks – if you are making a real panel put the rule
and staples outside the panel edge. For smaller panels a
steel rule works well.
Shaping Panel Edges
It is really hard to cut a fai curve with a jigsaw, or on a band saw, even after years of practice! So I rough out the
panel shape, cutting a couple of mm outside the line, and then plane back to the line.
You can do this by putting the panel on edge in a vice, but it can be hard to get the edge square, so instead you
can use a bench to improvise a shooting board.
I’ve clamped the panel to
the bench, with a spacer
underneath. Using the fact
that planes are rectangular in cross section if you
hold the plane on its side
on the bench as you fair
the panel edge it will come
out square – provided you
remembered to check that
the blade is set level! If you
have a