File :-(, x, )
Papercrafting Anonymous
OK, so I do quite a lot of origami but since this seems mostly focussed around papercraft I guess I should start doing this too. The only previous experience I have, apart from making dice in preschool etc, is making this 'Gathering for Gardner' dragon or something - it used the holow face trick to make an illusion of following you around the room, and required about 3 folds and glues...

http://www.pontomidia.com.br/ricardo/greatweb/images/gardner_dragon.jpg

That...

Anyway, most of the papercrafts on here seemto be done with card - I'm looking at the wolf link thread here at the moment, although I as wanting to make Orange Star MD Tank as Wolf Link looks too hard for now. So, where do you get this card? And do printers actually print on this or would they just get pissed off and chew it up? (ie do you print off the crafts on paper then stick them to card?)

Oh yeah and roughly how thick is the card? A lot of requests here, I know, but I actually have no idea about papercraft. A site for beginners would be great.
>> Anonymous
Many people use 160 gsm cardstock (110 lbs) which is twice as thick as regular printer paper. Most printers should have no problem handling that, so yes: it's best to print directly on the cardstock. It's up to you to find out what works best for you, though.
I get my cardstock from the store where I also buy my regular printer paper, but they sell it at all kinds of different places. Just ask the people that work at where you buy your regular printer paper if they sell it and if not, if they know a place where they do.
>> Anonymous
Thanks. I will try sticking two bits of paper together until I get a chance to buy some card. Apparently I'll also ned an X Acto knife (?), small metal rod (for shaping curves?), toothpick (to pick out sweetcorn?) and "Tesa Glue". Is tes glue PVA or something? I have lots of glues leftover from when I used to collect Warhammer.
>> Anonymous
>>37497
You've really been looking at Ninjatoe's instructions, haven't you?
1) X-Acto knife: it's sometimes hard to cut out all the parts of a papercraft with just scissors, so most people use a hobby knife. This doesn't have to be an X-Acto knife, any hobby knife will do, like box-cutters, break-away blades. A pointy tip works best, though.
2) Metal rod: sometimes you need to apply pressure to the glued surface from the inside of a papercraft to make sure the two parts are glued together properly. And sometimes your fingers won't reach, but a metal rod will. It's not absolutely necessary, but it might come in handy. Again you can use all different kinds of stuff, like a simple pen.
3) Toothpick: the same as the metal rod, but a metal rod is longer and won't break. ;)
4) Tesa glue: that's just a specific brand of hobby glue, but any glue that can glue two pieces of paper together will do. White PVA glue will do just fine.

In the end, they're all just simple helpful things that one might find useful, but I'm sure you'll find out what kind of "tools" you'll find work best for yourself.
>> Anonymous
>>37497
Oh, and if you're really going to try glueing two pieces of paper back to back: be sure to apply glue to the ENTIRE sheet, don't miss any spots (or else some part might end up on a spot that isn't glued to the second sheeth of paper.
But if you want my advice: if you don't have access to real cardstock, you can also just use regular paper (just one sheet, NOT glued together). The papercraft will be a little less sturdier, that's all, but I think it's better than glueing two sheets together (I've never tried that, though).
>> Anonymous
>>37498
Thanks a LOT :)

Making MD Tank Orange now. By the way, if
>You've really been looking at Ninjatoe's instructions, haven't you?
was srcasm, it's over my head. I can't find any instructions on the site, and in the model it doesn't mention those anywhere apart from in 'What you need'.

Anyway, thanks. Will try to repay somehow eventually. Maybe in a month's time I will be able to make papercrafts, if I do a lot.
>> Tools i use Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
bulb - Must have good lighting
Mat - unless you want to cut up your desk
#11 Blades&holder - main cutting tool
Bone folder - nice to fold paper with (used it for origami more)
Small exacto knife - useless without ABB olfa blades
Metal ruler - used to score and cut strait lines
Big exacto knife - .. bigger stuff
Scorer - Must use, scoring makes every thing 80% easier (empty pen works too)
Reverse tweezers – hold stuff together with out effort
Metal rod – used to curl paper
Markers – color the cut lines to hide the white of the paper. (not really necessary, but useful)
Glue – white glue. *much debate is over glue in /po/
Cutter – little snip here or there.. meh
Glue stick - has its uses.. less then often
Post-its – put dabs of glue here then on finger/tooth pick/slice of paper, then on paper
>> Anonymous
>>37502
No it wasn't sarcasm, the Advance wars models from Ninjatoe's have instructions on the site (they all have a link for a pdf file with the instructions (well, they're actually just step by step pictures of how to build it). So how you could not find any instructions on the site if you did manage to get the parts is a big mystery to me... ;)
But I was telling you that, because those instructions ALWAYS start with a picture showing a bottle of Tesa glue, an X-acto knife, a small metal rod, and a toothpick. C'mon, don't tell me you really never saw those instructions? ;)
>> Anonymous
>>37503
I disagree: 80 W light works fine and is better for your electric bill. ;)
And more nitpicking: X-Acto is exactly a brand name. The hobby knifes with the breakaway blades are called "breakaway blades" (what a surprise) or "box-cutters" (remember Nevada-tan? ;).
But nice set-up, now there's someone that really got hooked on papercrafting. ;)
>> Anonymous
Well, technically I did see them it just wasn't obvious what they were for... picture a medical student reading a book on how to heal peoples, and it said "You will need: Scalpel, laser, forceps, antibiotic gel, zoom thing that also does ultrasound, stitches, done! Now cut him open with the scalpel and get cracking." Then goes on to explain the whole operation using the scalpel. You'd be all like, "WTF? What about the lasers?"

Oh and @>>37503- nice setup, nice camera, nice monitor. Nice everything, even a bone folder (they're for creases right?). Never understood why they're that shape.

I have the parts and instruction in front of me. There's probably a stanley knife downstairs somewhere, and I have scissors, cutting board, glue, yay! ITT, pics if I finish it.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>37505
>> Anonymous
Can someone tell me how the hell you're meant to break off the blades on those knifes.
I'm mostly using a small metal hobby knife I got a long time ago at Games Workshop I think, but I had to use a plastic breakaway knife one once and I couldn't for the life of me work out how to break off the blades.

Fukken thing went blunt straight away.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>37509
Well I hope you're talking about the REAL breakaway blades: they have grooves on the blades where there is less material: that's where you break them. On all breakaway blades, on one end there's a plastic cap (that you need to pull out if you want to change the blade in its entirety). In this cap, there's a deep groove. Pull off the cap, and push the blade down so that only the part you want to break away is showing (up to the first groove). Push the cap over this part (putting the blade in the groove) and snap it off. The deep groove in the cap is slanted just like the grooves on the blade, make sure the groove on the blade lines up with the edge of the cap.
But for people that need to ask how to break the blade from a break away blade, it might be better for them to ask their parents to do this for them..............