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THE BEGINNER THREAD!(STICKY PLZ) Chapsy !IZBAuq3d/s
since there seem to be so many of these, I thought I'd make a thread for any and all beginners that want to get into this hobby.
First off, papercrafting is a very time consuming hobby. Most models take anywhere from 1-4 hours to complete, while more complex ones(like the Inner Brain Eva Unit 01) can take days, even months of work.(I'm still working on mine lol)
To get things started you'll need a few things(see picture for reference):
1.)Cutting Mat - Pretty self explanatory. Makes keeping track of parts easier and keeps you from cutting up those nice coffee tables. I got mine at a Michael's for about 10 bux.
2.)Papercraft Glue - I use the elmer's gel glue specifically made for papercrafting. It's pretty easy to use, and dries nice and neat. It's usually a good idea to use a toothpick to spread the glue on the part, but I just use the tip of the bottle. Each bottle is about 2 bux.
(cont.)
>> Chapsy !IZBAuq3d/s
>>58016
well, that sucks.
Into notepad it goes...

if anyone else has anything to contribute, please do. I think I've covered all the bases as far as I know...
>> Anonymous
Often overlooked items:

Paper dulls scissors really quickly. One of the inexpensive (under $10) scissor sharpeners you can get at home and hardware stores pay for themselves many times over. A few "cuts" across the ceramic bars, and even tissue paper cuts cleanly. Much cheaper than new scissors, and much cleaner cuts all around.

Because you only use the tips of a knife blade, the snap-off blades on the small sized utility knives can be much more economical than x-acto blades. 33 "points" for under $2 at times. Also, a small stone/ceramic sharpener can put an edge back on any blade, and shape the point to cut even better, extending the life of a blade up to 100x
>> Anonymous
Do you know any websites that sell cardstock for cheap and is good for papercraft? I'm looking for one to use for Kamikuzu guns.
>> Chapsy !IZBAuq3d/s
>>58026
My girlfriend gave me some really good cardstock she got at wal-mart. It's 110 lb and is nice and bright. I'm sure it can't be more than 9-10 bux for around 100 sheets or so. Cardstock is typically cheaper than most think it to be.
>> Anonymous
>>58033
I got 250 sheets of 110# cardstock for 13 dollars at Office Depot.
>> Anonymous
>>58046
>>58033
Thanks guys
>> Anonymous
Has there been any thought to using (e.g.) wikichan to store these bits of wisdom? Getting stickied doesn't seem too likely, alas.
>> Anonymous
>>58068
its worrying how the new boards are just 5 months old and have a firmer backup of info; the hole contents or our wikichan page are:

"/po/ is the Papercraft and Origami board of 4chan full of fun templates and such which take hours to make but look cool when you're done."

least we could add is this tips and meebe a short blurb about the attacks or any other "historical moments in the life of /po/"
>> Anonymous
God, I wish I ran across this thread before I started. I decided to pick Hina Ichigo as my first papercraft. TOok a few nights work while on the computer.
>> Chapsy !IZBAuq3d/s
>>58076
I just decided to make this thread tonight becaus it seems like more and more people are asking how to get going on papercraft. I figured this would be better than reposts and shitstorms that seem to be plaguing /po/ lately. It's good to see I helped some folks out :3
>> Anonymous
Hell, I found a lot of helpful tips. Thanks, Chapsy.
>> Anonymous
>>58077
I went and added your stuff to http://wikichan.org/index.php/Po/ ; I hope you don't mind.
>> Anonymous
>>58086
sweet! thanks a lot :3
>> Chapsy !l6EXKIpmNI
oh forgot to mention, could someone add a link to the wiki to show the reference pic?
I uploaded it here:
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/7477/1182046256483ye3.jpg
I'd do it myself, but it's 5 am in Iowa and I've been up since 4 PM yesterday lol.
>> Anonymous
Great thread Chapsy, thanks for the tips
>> Anonymous
I'm new to papercraft, but for my first model i'm probably going to end up using superglue and tape. I'm going to build my metal gear rex in one night fuck yeah. I rule.
>> Anonymous
>>58334
never use super glue fr a first build, you're more likely to glue yourself to the paper that the pieces together, and super glue leaves stains that look like oil but feel like rock

also, it can't be repositioned so if you make one mistake you have to start over

if you want fast-ish builds use UHU and toothpicks
>> Anonymous
>>58334
It is best to just use a light coat of elmers glue and then to squeeze the two surfaces down as it is drying. (I like to squeeze my surfaces hard a few times and then put it at the halogen lamp carefully to heat the paper slightly to speed the drying.) Super glue will just ruin your clothes and the table. Oh, and in case anyoe is silly eough to try, rubber cement is also TERRIBLE for papercrafting. I made a somewhat elaborate papercraft with rubber cement once, and it took over 10 minutes for each piece to dry, and now -- a few moths later -- pieces are falling off here and there because of rubber cement's shittiness.
>> Jen
>>58357

That's because rubber cement is not acid free. As you have now found out, it tends to lose its sticky properties after only a few months. I've only used rubber cement for masking before, because it can be picked up with an eraser.

Since papercrafts have a lot of time and effort put into them, it might be a good idea to use acid-free paper as well as glue. It will keep the paper from turning yellow like newspapers do. The liquid glue of choice tends to be an all-purpose white glue, like elmer's or tacky glue. If you want to use a glue stick for your papercrafts instead, make sure the glue is acid-free, and make sure that it hasn't been sitting on the shelf so long that the glue is almost dry. I've also had problems with glue sticks claiming to be acid-free before, but it turns out that they weren't, but I really don't know how to prevent that from happening too well other than to buy a well-known brand.

There might be a possibility of getting a sticky for awhile by asking a mod in IRC. I don't know if they'd actually do it though, and a more permanent workaround already seems to be happening with wikichan. Shall we add beginner's origami to /po/ on wikichan as well?
>> tmots
it would be a good idea for an admin to create a thread that was locked and stickied, along the lines of a subject of "FOR BEGINNERS"
and comment "If you're new to papercrafting, or even just new to /po/, go to...
http://wikichan.org/index.php/Po/
Even if you've made paper models in the past, there's lots of useful knowledge!" Or something simple and similar.
>> Anonymous
whenever anyone one ask me 'how do i get started?' i just refer them to the yamaha paper craft site with videos of tips for begginers. (http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/entertainment/papercraft/howto/index.html)

one thing from that site that you didn't included is having a rounded metal object of some sort. if the item calls for a rounded object/cylinder/cone, use the rod to roll it againts the paper held in the palm of your hand. this will roughly curl the paper into the shape you want and you can position it better when it comes time to glue.

scoring can be done with almost any object with a hard point, just look around. i just use the tweezers that i also use for pressing 2 joins together in places i can't reach with my hand (ie when trying to close up 2 halves of a head where there is a hole in the bottom for the neck).
>> Anonymous
also you don't have to use a tooth pick to spread glue. just cut out a shape from the spare cardstock thats left over after cutting the peices out and use that. You can pretty much cut out a new peice whenever u need a sharp point again. no point wasting the spare paper.

Also I prefer tacky glue personally. its a lot easier to use your fingers to push peices together for joins most of the time and will end up with glue on your fingers. With tacky glue, it holds in about 10 seconds, and any glue on your finger simply rolls off once dry, which doesn't take long. Careful not to touch the outside of the model if u have glue on your finger though. might make it sticky/attract dirt.

Also does anyone use sealant spray once done? thats one of the things i'm still looking into atm.
>> Anonymous
>>58367
Oh yeah I was thinking about that. If you use 110 lb cardstock is that acid free? Also, where would you purchase computer paper that is acid free or cardstock that is acid free? I know they sell journals and the like with acid free paper but I don't know where to purchase computer paper that is like that.

As for a beginner's origami, that'd be great, but I have no knowledge of what to write there, I just follow instructions that seem very obvious to me o.0
>> A.r. !!1J3JRobqN2a
>>58453
I might be able to write something.
>> Anonymous
>>58367
Not true. You can definitely get acid-free paper cement; it's what you use for making latex clothing. The most easily found non-acid is Elmer's Craft Bond Acid Free Rubber cement, although Best-Test is also around.