Aluminum Foil Molds and Templates
Use aluminum foil to replicate odd shapes or short stair stringers for exact reproductions.
Stair stringers are challenging for me because I often use the “measure twice cut 3-4 times” rule and have to buy extra wood. I needed to make one additional stair stringer for a client who wanted to extend his porch stairs. This time I unrolled aluminum foil and pressed it against the side of the original stringer to get an exact template. I moved it over to my 2x6 and used a straight edge (aluminum ruler) and box cutter to etch in the lines I would follow to cut.
Tin foil came in handy when I had to cut a block of wood that wood help redirect water running down a small swale used to keep rain water from flooding over a patio. I lightly balled up a few feet of the foil and pressed it gently into the space to form a mold of the shape of the swale, which was about 8 inches deep and 12 inches wide. The sides were uneven since it was just a trench cut into dirt. I then traced the edges of the foil form to cut a 2x6 to the appropriate shape. Later, with a couple sticks of rebar inserted, the little funky dam worked.
