UK Modellers...what cardstock and where?

[airdave]

This question is for UK modellers only...

can you please recommend a type/brand of cardstock
and where to purchase it. (Name of a store or outelt?)

I have a customer from the UK who is new to paper modelling
and has asked me what paper/card to use and purchase.
I've given him as much info as I can, but he claims not to be able
to find or buy anything like what I am recommending, in any store.
I have tried to recommend certain stores but he has had no luck.

To be honest, I don't think he is asking for the right thing.
Or maybe hes just dealing with staff that don't understand what he is looking for.

Its difficult to point him to the correct thing when I am working from the other side of the Atlantic!

What type, weight, brand of cardstock do you use?
and most importantly, where do you buy it?
Can you also tell us what you pay?

...
FYI

I use 65lb plain smooth white Cardstock...176gsm...for most of my modelling projects.
I also use 110lb (199gsm) for parts that require a little bit more rigidity.

Most of the time I buy Staples (an Office Supply store) brand 65lb cardstock.
A 250 pack costs me about $17CAD

I have also used Coverstock (67lb) but I find it slightly thinner, and a bit more expensive.
Its also a slightly smoother finish, so it prints nice.

My 110lb cardstock is Wausau (Exact Index) and cost about $20CAD for the same 250 pack.

[JohnM]

Tell him to ask for A4, 80gsm, Inkjet paper, or any cheap copy paper, and A4, 160gsm, card stock.

Best (and usually cheapest) place to get it is a local printing shop, but it's available in Staples Office Supplies, Smiths Book Shop, and most craft supply shops, but I find these quite dear.

Cheap paper and card can often (but not reliably) be found on the shelf in Tesco, Sainsbury, ASDA, Morrisons, etc, but it tends to hide in the children's areas.

Personally I get mine from CPC UK | Electronic Components | Electronic Parts on a next working day delivery, but I do have a long standing account with them, and their drivers fight over who is going for a day out in the mountains. Honest, two packs of card and a few cheap chinese odds and ends and there it is the next day.

Part no OE05451 A4 paper ...UNBRANDED - 82837 - PAPER A4 75GSM, REAM OF 500 SHEETS | CPC UK

Part no OE01646 A4 card would seem to be temporarily discontinued. I've only got half a pack left.

[airdave]

Not interested in papers to be honest.
For my retail kits I recommed 65lb(176gsm) cardstock,
and in some instances, 110lb (200gsm) cardstock.
So thats what we're talking about here.

I need a Brand, type, weight, etc of cardstock
and the actual location to send him to buy it.

As I said, he claims none of the shops I have recommended sell anything like this.
He claims that nobody knows what I am suggesting.
Obviously, he doesn't understand what I am suggesting.

According to the website, CPC doesn't sell any cardstocks.
So thats no help to us.

I've tried suggesting he go to stores and look for cardstock.
But first, if he has no clue what the product is, how can he look for it?
And when he finds it, will he know whether its the right thing?

And he might live somewhat remote. He said it was a 70km drive to a Staples (that apparently did not sell cardstock?).

Thats why I am asking for specific info.
Example...."I use Plinkadink brand 176gsm exact index cardstock, 250 pack available at Oneverycorner Office Supply stores in the UK".

[JohnM]

Sorry Dave, but I live in rural village half way up a mountain. I'm dependant on C.P.C deliveries, Ebay or Amazon as I can't drive far at the moment. There is a small print works in the next village 15 miles away who are good, and cheap, but when I ask for cardstock they are happy to cut whatever I want from huge A1 sheets. I do usually buy A3 as well as A4 though, as I do have an A3 printer. If he's anywhere near Ruthin in North Wales I can give a pointer.

[Utnapishtim]

Is he asking for 65lb stock etc? Most UK suppliers only understand gsm so do stress that's what he needs to ask for.

[JohnM]

I just put 'White card stock' into Ebay (UK) and got 12 pages of suggestions, but I guess that could be confusing to a newcomer, so I picked one for him ...

50 SHEETS SNOW WHITE A4 SMOOTH CARD 160GSM CRAFT HOBBY PRINTER | eBay

Must admit that I prefer 180 gsm if I can get it though.

[Tim Crowe]

I use 160gsm

I get it from where ever is convenient at the time

Staples, Colemans, Rymans @ Hobbycraft, all good places

Tim

[Kevin WS]

UK paper is metric - they won't have a clue about cardstock.

The problem has always been a problem because of the diverse US standards used.

Metric paper is bog standard across the board - there may be texture differences due to matt or gloss, virgin or recycled, but thickness remains constant for the grammage. I prefer a matt as it takes the ink well and does not crack so much when bending.

Common paper sizes are 80 grm (normal paper), then 120, 160, 200, 220, 240 and 260 grms. Paper over 200 grms is often harder to find. Larger grms become "board' or "card'.

I use 80grm for tiny models and delicate models with compound curves (like birds). 120 grm for most others - including 1/72 and 1/160 scales. Thicker paper for large models.

-----------------------------

Dave, despite our correspondence I still have not been able to figure out the correct size for Little Willie!

[SCEtoAUX]

Tell him to show the shops a picture of a pack of cardstock.
Or maybe have him explain that the stuff he is looking for is about the same as the stock used to print greeting cards and business cards at home .

[Kevin WS]

Actually Dave, if you measure the card thickness with a micrometer and send it to me I will measure up the metric and see what is the closest.