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Toughening Up a Paper ( Card ) Model

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  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Toughening Up a Paper ( Card ) Model
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Saturday, September 5, 2020 1:14 PM

 Hi;

    First this. Don't think for one minute that you can just take some typing paper and build a complex model. You might, but, I doubt it. Unless you are familiar with the Media that is.

    Why do I say this? Ask any Paper Crafter. The paper comes in many weights.Yes, weights! How they came up I don't know. Do you remember construction paper from School? It's like that. Some is heavy, some is light.

     Now, most Paper( Card) models come with the parts either in two weights or they do one weight, but simpler construction methods. It does make things interesting, believe me! Now here's this. You can build a Panel or Section or even Plank on frame style. Some are even full Hull.

     This is where it get's interesting. When doing these you need to say, Stiffen the paper you're working with. There is a cure. Go to your best craft store, Hobby Lobby etc. and pick up some Craft Clear Semi-Gloss Fixative in a  Spray.

      Lay the sheets out BEFORE you cut anything out. Spray Both sides. Yes, Aleen's Craft Glue in the Copper Bottle will still stick. This seems to stabilize the paper too; also ,when doing frames for Aircraft and Ships Double or Triple the thickness using light cardboard.

      Sometimes on ships the frames are just to thin to support the sides. Now Wilhelmshaven uses a Waterline plate on their hulls with the deck as the upper support. They have glue tabs top and bottom plus a type of keel. The stiffened paper works better here because it won't ripple while gluing. On some models like theirs, You do not glue to the frames. You glue to the top and bottom plates only. This foregoes any Rib Ripple from any glue.

 Again, everything works better, for me anyway if I stabilize the thinner products with the Craft Spray first. It won't mess up the printing, be it digital or regular type printing. One other thing I learned. When Doing the paper or card model you've selected. You can use the scraps to create inner supports for areas that have many folds therefore are weaker overall. 

     Sometimes I cut the assembly tabs off and create new ones from scrap. I actually get better corners and straighter, stronger construction that way.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Saturday, September 5, 2020 1:44 PM

Tanker-Builder
Sometimes I cut the assembly tabs off and create new ones from scrap. I actually get better corners and straighter, stronger construction that way.

As Pawel has often pointed out, one can cut off the tabs completely and replace them with 'L' shaped brackets or tabs from scrap. It's easier to manage, stronger...and much neater. Big Smile

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    January 2020
Posted by Space Ranger on Saturday, September 5, 2020 10:24 PM

Or, you can use the paper model parts as templates for sheet styrene. Enlarge/reduce the paper model to your favorite scale and copy it with an office copier, use a spray adhesive to affix the copy to 0.010" or 0.020" sheet styrene, cut them out (allowing for their thickness), assemble using liquid styrene cement, and paint.

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Monday, September 7, 2020 2:50 PM

Hi Ranger ! 

       Have you been looking in my shop window? LOL! LOl! That is how I get exactly the unusual ships I want to modify.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Monday, September 7, 2020 7:03 PM

The sane world measures paper weight in grams/ sq. meter.

We of course have to do it the hard way.

Paper weight is determined by weighing 500 sheets (one ream) of paper in a basis size.

The problem is the basis size. A ream of 8 1/2" by 11" paper weighs half as much as a ream of 11" by 17" paper right? But the paper is the same thickness.

 

Bill

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 12:19 PM

Yeah, Hi Bill;

    I was wondering about that, because that's the question I got asked at the store where I went to get Higher quality paper than Hobby Lobby sells. I wound up back at H.L. and bought some medium weight Construction Paper-Polished on one side.

    The trick is to use paper or card that does not " Fuzzy" when you cut it, But is strong enought to build something with. Oh, And have clean edges that are smooth. I got some that was actually given to me . It actually creates the ridges like you get when you cut a sheet of plastic- Go Figure, What's with that ?

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 12:26 PM

The 'fuzzy' kind is great for multi-layer laminations for things like tires. Really soaks up the glue, so it sands well to shape when dry.

Can't think of much else it's good for....Confused

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 8:18 AM

Hi GregBale;

    On that you are correct. Promise not to laugh? I had to sand some Cardboard for another project and for some reason salvaged the dust. Geez, with Super Glue whatta filler that was.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 9:59 AM

Tanker-Builder

Hi GregBale;

    On that you are correct. Promise not to laugh? I had to sand some Cardboard for another project and for some reason salvaged the dust. Geez, with Super Glue whatta filler that was.

Not laughing at all!

Having completed a number of 'paper' projects recently, I've got an old plastic film canister (remember those?) full of the same stuff, for exactly the same purpose. Big Smile

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 3:01 PM

Hi Greg:

 Guess what? I have about a dozen and a half of those 35mm containers . I had a HasselBlad for years. Was at the cape when we lost the Challenger! Lost the Film to NASA Security folks. ! Now all I have are the containers.

  • Member since
    August 2020
  • From: Apex, NC
Posted by gomeral on Thursday, September 10, 2020 11:33 AM

I'm jealous!  I got rid of mine years ago after migrating to digital, and I was looking for some earlier this year to make fire starters like I learned oh-so-long-ago.  Rolled up strips of newspaper in canister, fill with melted paraffin.  They came out fairly easily, worked beautifully to start camp fires.

I've heard CA doesn't stick to the lids, too, that they make great reusable "palettes" for dipping into and applying CA.  maybe I need to find some cheap film somewhere and buy a couple rolls...

(Edit: Argh! Forgot the other comment!)

I spent years working in pulp & paper making consumer products (toilet tissue, paper towel, facial tissue), my wife works in packaging and is always dealing with cardboard weights, and then there's the whole "bond" vs. "index" weights, etc....  I swear, I wind up spending 30 minutes on the internet researching any time I'm looking for a specialty paper because basis weights don't mean anything to me any more!

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Thursday, September 10, 2020 11:45 AM

gomeral
I'm jealous! I got rid of mine years ago after migrating to digital, and I was looking for some earlier this year to make fire starters like I learned oh-so-long-ago. Rolled up strips of newspaper in canister, fill with melted paraffin. They came out fairly easily, worked beautifully to start camp fires.

Now there's a memory!

We used to make those in Boy Scouts back in the '60s. We'd have a little assembly-line going, the week before summer camp.

BTW...I forget what kind of plastic it is (polyethylene??), but for the "CA won't stick" function you can use almost any similar plastic, like margarine tubs, coffee can lids, etc.

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
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