A few newbie questions

[sramsay]

Originally Posted by Butelczynski

I use pencil for edges. Quick,easy,works every time and does the job perfectly. All models I present here are some with pencil. Soft one does the job

Are you talking about soft watercolor pencils? I tried using Prismacolor pencils (without water), and couldn't figure out what people were talking about. It didn't seem to work at all. I found it hard to get the pigment on, and harder to get it even. I also couldn't get anything like a color match. Which makes me think I'm misunderstanding the entire thing.


Or perhaps you're just talking about muting edges with soft lead (graphite)? I've read people who say that the edge problem is really about contrast, and that ordinary grey pencil solves the problem more-or-less completely.

[Butelczynski]

Ordinary pencil works for me. Plain soft grey pencil . It is about contrast. Try it ,see if you like results.

[Burning Beard]

Yepper a regular pencil always works to knock down the contrast. I don't paint my models, I paint for a living so I enjoy not having to paint a kit.

[MichaelS]

I Love my Derwent watercolor pencils. They even taste good!!

[mbauer]

[QUOTE=sramsay;644696]


Here goes:

1. Contact cement. I realize that good 'ol fashioned Elmer's (or whatever PVA-based adhesive) is the glue of choice for card modeling, but I also know from reading around that when you're trying to index card stock or otherwise glue together two big surfaces, you probably want some kind of contact cement (because, as I understand it, PVA is water-based and will warp the paper if you try to use it over a big area). My question is this: Is there some kind of preferred brand of contact cement that card modelers prefer?

2. Creating interior frames. I see a lot of models where the interior needs to reinforced with some kind of thicker cardboard. My question is: How thick? Is there a particular type of paper or cardboard I should be looking at?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP1IyIS0ca0



As I write these questions, I am fully aware that they are way down the road for me; I'm mostly focused on very simple models -- just trying to get my basic skills together. But when I see some of the very advanced stuff people do, I can't help but be curious about how it's done.
QUOTE]

1. On the rockets I've built, use Aleene's Turbo Tacky (White PVA) glue. Have a Monoject 412 plastic tip syringe to precisely laydown a bead the length of what you are gluing. Just enough to still be wet when you run a second bead down the other side of what you're gluing.

Once glue is applied, press hard and hold to get the glue into the paper fibers. On the rockets I use a piece of PVC pipe ass a bridge to build the rocket tubes. Built a 10 ft tall [304.8cm] Saturn V this way.

2. Like everyone ones says, "3M Super 77 for laminations layers."

The Monoject 412 really allows precise control on long glue seams, very little is needed but it works great to run the two little beads of glue as small as possible. Dentist use them to flush individual teeth. Bought mine on ebay.

Hope you like the paper forming model craze!

Best regards,
Mike Bauer

[Jim Nunn]

Welcome!

This is great hobby and over the last 60 years it the one form of model making that I always enjoy the most.

You will find that you will collect a range of glues for use with different materials, but for the most part a high quality PVA glue is the standard.

I'll address the making of thick card stock. You would be surprised at the accuracy required to produce a top notch model such as this Post build review: Drafmodel LeFH 18/40

Most inner frame work is 1 mm thick and sometimes 2 mm. Commercial models kits will have a block showing the various symbols that tell you the thickness and how to roll the part. I make my own thick card stock from the standard 67lb card stock that we build our models with. Two sheets of card stock when glued will make 0.5mm stock. 4 sheets will make 1.0 mm stock. this homemade stock is very accurate and in my opinion easy to work with. The glue used is the 3M super77 spray glue this is a solvent based contact cement and will not warp the stock like water based glues. The best place to purchase the glue is at Home Depot. When I make this card stock I'll make several sheets. I separate the sheets with wax paper and use a couple of Plexiglas or glass sheets and some weights to press the sheets flat.

Some comments on accuracy. Most armor models have a box frame that you apply the printed skins to make the model. If the card stock is thicker than called for you will end up with seam gaps. on a rolled tube part if you cut out the part and it is only 0.008 narrower than necessary when you roll the part you will end up with a gap of .025 inch. The same holds true for bulkheads in a aircraft model.

Here is an extreme example of the code used by the model publishers.

Jim Nunn

[Scooter]

For edge coloring, I use soft pastel artist chalks. They go on extremely easy and with a decent pack, the color can be matched perfectly, making the joint or seam vanish. Best of enjoyment to you.

Scooter