in my area, the MDF is just plain junky, soft and mushy.
if you have the higher grade of MDF, that will work fine
for the amount of work you will be using them.
you can call them "prototypes" until after you use them
for a while then decide what material would suit you the best.
when I had my sign shop - I made several out of 1/2" plywood
that were used a LOT and lasted many years.
looking forward to seeing what you come up with !!

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I have lots of half-inch plywood lying around. I could actually make a couple of templates out of different materials. Thanks for the good info!

 

I've made some of those out of 1/2" mdf. If you use plywood, Baltic Birch would be best as it is void free....regular plywood might have voids and if there are any on the edges of your template they may cause problems for your router's bearing.
HD mdf ain't bad.....just inspect before you buy. The only problem with mdf is the dust.
Oak can be grainy. Poplar is less expensive and easier to work with.

 

Router Template

templates are designed to be used with bearing pattern bits.
the higher quality of the bearing and bit will provide the best results.
this is a sign that was very popular in design and size. it was
rough cut on the bandsaw then the template was screwed (or clamped)
to the project piece and the bearing pattern bit in a hand-held router
would smooth it out. very efficient in a high volume shop.
I have used plexiglass, hardboard, MDF, and plywood for templates.
whatever works for you with your projects is the best.
[keep in mind that the template must be large enough for the router base
to fit on throughout the cutting process].

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I use 1/4” MDF for most pattern routing.

I don’t recommend plywood unless it’s high quality.

 

The 1/4" "Tempered MDF" also called "Masonite" is good for templates, and it is quite moisture resistant. I've made many templates from it.

Charley

 

When I was growing up, my father used something that he called "masonite". I've found the same thing in Lowes, but they don't call it that. I think they call it hardboard or something. They make peg board out of the same thing. It's mirror smooth on one side, and the other has a rough textured pattern on it. Does this sound like the masonite you're referring to?

 

I guess I should have specified the plywood I use is solid core (no voids)
1/2" MDO sign grade plywood. sorry for the lack of identification.
but even if you run across a void in a pattern piece of "inexpensive" plywood,
a craftsman should be able to work around it. (bondo, thickened epoxy, etc.)
it ain't rocket science.

Enchant - this is a project where I used "hardboard" as a template to make
the boat bow handle that I posted as a project recently. it was for a "one off"
project. so I was not concerned about the edges being frayed with repeated use.

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Thanks, John. I think I'll make a few set of templates out of various materials. The baltic birch is probably the best I have, but it's 3/4", which is a little thick.

 

FWIW; Around here, tempered hardboard and hardboard are two different things. Look really similar but the tempered is much denser. I think the thickest we can get is around 3/32.

For my jigs, router bases, templates I want to hold up and use as a tool. I use 1/4" acrylic or "lexan", sometimes I'll use hard maple scraps planed to 1/4 or 3/8.