Need to Transfer Template to Sheet Metal

[byalexandr]

So I asked quite a while ago, and I guess it got buried or people didn't know, so I thought I'd ask again.

 

I have a couple of templates printed from a large scale inkjet printer (my dad works in engineering so he printed them off for me as my little HP at home can't do it on one sheet) and I need to somehow transfer them to the sheet metal I am using to build my 5.5L case.

 

I was thinking of the iron on method but that only works for laser printers, and I also thought about scoring the lines through the paper and onto the sheet metal, perhaps even laying it on and tracing with a Sharpie and letting it bleed through onto the sheet metal, but I'm not sure if these will consistent/visible and accurate enough since I would be doing it free hand.

 

Literally it's just a lot of lines to make a flat version of the case that I then fold up, so there's no complex lines or anything, just straight lines with some rounded edges.

 

Any ideas? Besides just using spray adhesive to glue it on? I feel like it would not only peel off easily but it would also get dirty quickly and hard to 'read', plus it would fall off as soon as I start to bend it all up.

 

I'll post a picture of the template and the sheet metal, I'm off to school right now so I don't exactly have time.

 

Thanks in advance, @byalexandr

[byalexandr]

But any ideas, even dumb ones, will help. Even the dumb ones might have some sense to them.

[FilipSebik]

Print on paper and then stick it to metal

[JorithZ]

Maybe use "marking blue" on the metal and then lay the paper print on top of it and trace all lines with an exacto knife.

Never used it like this, but its great stuff to mark metal.

[zool]

just trace the lines like you did when you were little!

 

flip the template upside down and draw over the lines with a pencil. flip it back on to the metal and trace again. then go over it with a permanent marker

 

 

Hope this helps!

[byalexandr]

2 minutes ago, zool said:

just trace the lines like you did when you were little!

 

flip the template upside down and draw over the lines with a pencil. flip it back on to the metal and trace again. then go over it with a permanent marker

 

 

Hope this helps!

Ah, good idea. I was taught not to trace so I wouldn't have thought of that. I'll give it a try later, hopefully I can make it accurate enough.

[byalexandr]

44 minutes ago, FilipSebik said:

Print on paper and then stick it to metal

Jee, thanks, that wasn't the first thing I thought of and even mentioned wouldn't work

[W-L]

1 hour ago, byalexandr said:

But any ideas, even dumb ones, will help. Even the dumb ones might have some sense to them.

For sheet metal you can use a scribing tool and directly mark the sheet metal using rulers/scales, as needed when working on it. It wouldn't easily come off and as suggested using bluing fluid or blue sharpie works well to make things more visible to the eye. 

[rodrosenberg]

We use a vinyl cutter to put a template on material. 

[ThomasD]

How complex are the lines you need marked?  If they are mainly straight lines then lay your diagram on the sheet of metal and use a nail and a hammer to lightly punch marks at the corners, then use a straightedge to scratch lines connecting them.

 

Curves are usually done in similar fashion, but you need a selection of curve templates to match what is necessary.