There are many many ways of making up an inner template.
AG's way of stapling or taping small bits of card to an undersized bit of card works well and is possibly the most pragmatic.
two other ways that both work are:
A) when you need a simple straight edge....i.e. hull-to hog to board case...
Just cut a piece of card very rougly to shape and then use a pencil with a small block of wood to offset the mark inside the card. This works well unless the template has to be accurate in both sides as well as bottom, in which case you need to make two templates, one for each side and then stick together with tape.
B) Another elegant way for bigger templates, is to go buy some lengths of 8 x8mm strip pine, then cut each bit to fit one edge of the space. Use a glue gun to hold in place other bits of pine, wood, card etc to support the strip which. You can push the pine out to fit concave or convex shapes. Once all edges are supported by glued bits of wood, you have the simple task
of cutting it out and re-building it on the workshop table. This is basically the same as AG method but using strip wood rather than card....so works better as I said for larger templates.
Either way, it is a slow and gradual process. Make one....try it in place.....cut and adjust it...and when you are happy use it to cut the full bit. Just remember to cut as far outside the line as your confidence will allow.
Working with templates is fun.....nothing to loose until you transfer it to your wood.
cheers
eib
