Tricks for making port screen templates

[Ocean Girl]

I'm trying to make templates for my irregular bronze ports. I was going to go buy some foam board, is there a better material for this application?
Any tricks you have found that creates a good template?
Here are the ports:

[Cotemar]

I always start with a card board templates.
I then trace it onto white Azek to make my screens

[Stumble]

Old box, plus box cutter. Gives you a quick template in seconds... I tend to use them as rough templates though. After cutting the first one I transfer it to a second piece of cardboard and grab a strait edge to make sure the lines are right, and a set of parallel rulers to make sure the top and bottom are correct. It just depends on how fastidious you are.

[shorebird]

Rough fit a quarter inch piece of fiberboard. It cuts, sands, and shapes very easily, so small adjustments can be done until you get a near perfect fit. Use a flush-cutting router bit to make an exact duplicate in wood or plastic, making as many identical pieces as you like. The bit has a roller bearing which follows the template and makes a nice clean edge.

[Auspicious]

Wax paper spread over the port using a pen, toothpick, chopstick, or similar to run around the port. Cut around the resulting line with scissors and tape over something substantial (foam board or light plywood) and transfer the lines with whatever adjustments are appropriate for your application.

In a pinch aluminum foil or newsprint will work but I've had best experience with wax paper.

[Krogensailor]

I like your idea. Foam core. KISS

[captain58sailin]

I use old file folders for template material.

[Ocean Girl]

I used foam board( we had it already aboard from other projects). It took about two hours to make two templates ( large port and small port) I think it is as close as I can get it. I placed the board on the inside of the port then traced port shape from deck. First on was cut too small, second one I cut big and just started slowly shaving. I also tried tin foil. Works great! But I don't think it would of shipped well. I'm sending the templates to schooner bay screens. Anyways, thanks for the input.

[jkindredpdx]

Nicely Played!