Mod Monday: Arisia 2011 Workshop - Paper Starships (Part II)

(To go to Part 1 where the topic was introduced)

What will I need to build these models?

• A computer with a working printer, ideally color, and a network connection. Since you are reading this right now I presume this is a given. Also handy is a pdf viewer like Adobe Acrobat and photo imaging software like Photoshop or Gimp to view and print files.
• Materials to cut paper and cardstock: Scissors (a pair, one for large sections and one for details), a hobby blade is also handy such as an X-acto or similar, and a cutting surface (SAVE THAT TABLE TOP).
• Glue: Something with low water content, sticky but not instantaneous. Preferably, you want the glue to be clear and non-staining. White glue will do if used carefully.
• Straight edge and a sharp point: Kits go together better with straight cuts and scoring. A metal edged one can be used in combination with a sharp blade for long straight cuts and "rolling" (see below).
• Paper and card stock: For most things, standard cardstock is about right. Photofinish paper is a good middle weight and has the benefit of having a naturally tacky surface and the ability to provide a glossy finish although it is pricier per sheet. There are times that regular paper will be better or just fine if layered (glueing parts on other sheets to double up). There are also times old cereal boxes are best. In this last case you can print the sheet on regular paper and then glue it onto thick, non-printable, cardboard.
• Nice to have: tweezers for those small bits, round cylinders of different diameters and other curved surfaces for shaping curves, markers for touch ups. Also a vacuum cleaner for the little bits of paper litter you will generate.

Any general instructions?

• Generally, cut close to the lines. Most of the glues you will use are water based so be careful as they can do 2 nasty things: 1) Warp your paper or card if over saturated, & 2) Cause inks from inkjet printers to run.
• Paper has considerable strength by weight so it resists bending. It is better to score fold lines by running a sharp tip over the line prior to bending. If using a knife, be careful to not cut through the paper or score so deeply that the paper will tear when folded.
• Paper can be curved without rolling by running a sharp edge against the inside such as the straight edge or the edge of a scissor. This is the same as curling ribbon. Be careful not to tear or crease your part accidentally in the process. This can happen with skinnier parts.
• You can help finish a kit by using a marker or colored pencil to help blend in edges between parts. This is particularly noticeable in darker parts where the white of the card edge is shown in sharp relief. Some modelers exclusively use black felt to color in edges.
  Seams are perhaps the most problematic aspect of paper models as they are difficult to hide. Unlike plastic, you can rarely sand, fill, or paint over the problem. Most designs try to hide the seams in the pattern of the skin or put seams along natural join lines of the model.
  Another way to hide seams is to avoid "tabbed" construction and instead rely on "butt" joins where the glue tab lies underneath both glued pieces so that the edges of two pieces lie against both. This won't solve the edge visibility problem though on corner joins.
• Other handy tips are available at the following sites:
• Niel’s paper models tips page
• Steve Brown’s very extensive FAQ.
• The very detailed “build” descriptions of the Krakus and the coastal freighter Emiliana Torrine with lots of advanced tips and tricks by Mike Edwards, which while about earth bound ships is very useful nonetheless.

Last but not least, BE VERY CAREFUL WITH SHARP BLADES!

Can I make my own?

Yes, but you will need more of those special skills dismissed earlier. Some basic shapes can be tackled with some trigonometry and good scale 3 view drawings of the subject on graph paper. It also comes more easily if you are the type that could easily do those SAT folding shape problems. More complicated subjects require more math and are more easily tackled with specialized software.

    If you know how to use 3D modeling software such as Blender or Metasequoia there is Pepakura Designer (Tama Software). Pepakura Designer unfolds 3D models generated by 3D modeling software such as Metasequoia. It will generate tabbed parts to build the physical model. The generated file format requires their free viewer (.pdo). Unfortunately it only works on Microsoft platforms. Blender, a freeware 3D modeling software package, also has an unfolding tool which can be installed as a plug-in. Google SketchUp is also being used as unfolding plug-ins are also being written for it (see ss42.com's Miscellaneous page).

    You will also need a relatively capable image editor and drawing tool such as Adobe Photoshop or Gimp for either painting the “skin” or customizing downloaded models. In fact, repainting by itself is also a popular aspect of the hobby since it creates an easy way for groups of modelers to add to the fleet. Angel Guzman (PixelOz) provides a free e-book Fundamentals of Paper Model Design available at deviantart.com. I personally have found even a scanner useful for scanning in parts I manually fitted to a surface.

Where can I find more information?

There isn’t enough space to provide all the possibilities, but start by using the links pages from many of the sites you will find from the initial set of links here. You can also get help from many discussion groups out there such as Papermodels at  Google groups or the Space-Paper-Models and SciFpapermodels groups at yahoo.groups. There is also a card modeling group at the zealot.com hobby forum. The starshipmodeler.net discussion forum also maintains a card modeling section, but the whole forum, as well as its associated web site (starshipmodeler.com), is an excellent resource for sci-fi and real space subjects. As mentioned earlier, searching for paper or card models will yield many sites and files. As for discussion groups, many will require membership to download files or even to see or participate in discussions (a no lurkers policy). Some of the groups will have only limited activity or are perhaps focused on topics that won't interest you such as HO scale buildings.

In conclusion all I can say is try it out. It really isn't that hard, and they are easier to hang up on your ceiling (unless you build that 3 foot Serenity model that is out there somewhere).

(Part I)