Modelling > Tips, Tools & Techniques

Opening up Hatches - How to make a pattern of the removed hatch?

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ChalkLine:
So I'm about to open up the loader's hatch on the redoubtable Tamiya M41 Bulldog.

I want to keep the raised splash guard around the hatch although it's not there on the actual vehicle so I have to cut away the hatch via dremel.

How do people suggest I transfer the shape of the existing hatch onto plastic stock?

Frank3k:
Make a rubbing on paper before you cut it out to use as a template later?

- I just tried it with Tamiya tape, pushed against the surface. The hinge and latch get in the way, but it's pretty easy to trace the outline of the hatch, since it has a pretty deep gap around it. You can then tape it to plastic and cut it out.

I just tried it; easy and took only minutes.

Copy on tape:


Taped to plastic and trimmed:


I cut along the outer line, transferred the tape to another section and cut along the inner line:

ChalkLine:
Cool, I tried something similar with plasticine and it didn't work. I must have been having a mind-blank.

Kerick:
That’s a great tip! I’ll have to remember that one.

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