Symmetrical panels on a tank

[Brian Keith Smith]

Guys:

I am trying to layout the panel on a tank and I have one side laid out very nicely.

Does anyone have tips for how I can make sure the other side of the tank is the same size, symmetrical, etc.

I'm guessing I need to make a template of some sort from the panel I have laid out, but am not sure of the best way to make the template.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Brian

 

[flamethrower]

Brian, You'll need to get a pounce wheel (ask your wife if she has one in the sewing basket), some large masking paper, some charcoal, and some carpenters chalk.
Tape the paper so it hangs over your layout. Then take the charcoal or a heavy pencil and sketch over it so you get the design of the tape on the paper. Next, lay the paper over a large piece of cardboard on your workbench and firmly run the pounce wheel over the design poking holes in the paper. Hang the paper over the other side of the tank and using a rag with carpenters chalk in it, lightly pat over the design holes so as to give you your design (in chalk dotted line) on the tank. Then simply tape out the design over the dotted line. And go for it.

Now I know this seems long and drawn out but it will go quicker than you think.

You could just "eyeball" it. Like I did. Hey, it's close enough... Who looks on both sides of the tank at the same time anyway?

Good luck.

FT

If you want to buy pouncing materials, www.dickblick.com sells them as cheap as I could find them anywhere. They even have a pounce pad you fill with chalk and it's much cleaner than the rag idea.

 

[BonesFX]

Brian - Try this -

After one side is laid out, Get a couple sheets of paper and tape them down to the tank on the side that's been laid out. You might have to cut some reliefs out because the paper won't wrap smoothly over the whole tank (its a 2 demension to 3 demension thing that still drives me crazy) Anyway - after you have it taped down make some good reference points like where the gas cap is - the lower edge....
Take a pencil and lightly go across the laid out area until you can see the tape edges.

Now's the tricky part - Take the paper off and try to lay it flat on a table (sometimes if you tape the hell out of it it won't lay flat) take a piece of chalk and draw the lines where the tape lines appeared. Go over them a few times to make sure you have enough chalk on it - Now carefully apply it to the other side of the tank - face down and using your reference points line it up and tape it down - I use a small plastic putty knife and burnish the whole sheet down, carefully take off the paper and -- ther you have it - some chalk lines to go by - Just don't sneeze or you'll have to do it again -- Peace! Bones!~