Newbie question about paper thicknesses

[smp]

I started the Clifton McCullough Short 184 before I joined this Forum. As I did not know what thickness paper to print it on, I printed the parts pages on three different thicknesses, typing paper, photo paper and 65lb cardstock. So I have a choice depending on the part in question.


I managed to get the interior cockpit assembled. The next step is to wrap one piece over the bulkheads with the ink inside to show the interior cockpit walls and then the exterior skin gets wrapped over the first to complete the assembly.



Well, I got creative, usually a mistake about to happen, and decided it would be better to make the first part, with the printing to the inside, out of typing paper rather than the thicker photo paper I am using for most of the parts.


This assembly is critical to the rest of the model as it determines alignment of everything, either fore or aft of the cockpits. Before I go to slopping glue on it, I thought I had better ask if using the thinner paper will throw things off. I messed up the corresponding photo paper interior skin part and threw it away and I am out of ink. I could laminate the typing paper interior skin with more typing paper if the thickness is an issue.


So, should I go with the thinner interior part alone or would it be better to increase the thickness by laminating? Or, am I just making a newbie mountain out of a molehill. (At least I kept the glue in the bottle and asked)


TIA
sp

[Lex]

This is not a newbie question at all. As designers we constantly think about how these issues affect the design.

Let's say you replaced one layer of photo paper with office paper. Photo paper is the kind of thickness that the majority of the skin will be printed on, and works out to about 0.2-0.25mm in thickness. Replacing that by office paper about 0.1mm thick will give rise to a circumferential difference of about 0.4mm, or 1/64 inch. No matter which way the designer intended the model to be built, the error is nowhere near significant, and a part of (and a sad truth of) cardmodelling is about fixing errors, either inherent in the design or during construction. You'll be surprised to know how many designers don't even make the correct provisions for paper thickness at all...

I would not worry about it too much, other than being prepared for fitting issues as I would in any other part of the process. Normally there are plenty of places around the cockpit to comfortably eat up any fitting errors, such as gear well on more modern planes, wing root and etc.

[smp]

Thanks Lex. I will just go with the thin inner skin and the regular thickness outer skin and then deal with whatever issues do or don't arise. Your assessment based on experience is what I am looking for as I have very little experience in this medium.



I have noticed a dearth of specific information about card, paper and cardboard thickness on the plans of many card models. Now I know there is some wiggle room. That's a big green light. I'm full throttle and headed straight for the next issue. Whatever that turns out to be
Thanks again
sp