'nuther newbie

**lee4752** · #1 02-01-2008, 09:30 PM

Hi All, Thanks for being here. I've been building scale models fo 40 years, but just starting with paper as a media. The photos I've seen look phenominal and I can't wait to start.

**Kevin G** · #2 02-01-2008, 09:37 PM

Welcome to the forum, glad to have you here!
Sounds like you have just a little bit of experience under your belt so you shouldn't have too much trouble getting into the paper stuff.
Main thing is to have fun and just jump right into something.
If you have a question ask it! This group is about the most helpful and nicest bunch of guys and gals you are likely to meet on the net.
Hope to see some builds from you soon.

**ashevilleangler** · #3 02-01-2008, 10:00 PM

Welcome aboard Lee! This is a great place to learn and have fun. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Start with one of the digital models so mistakes aren't too costly and you'll be sure to have a successful first model.

Cecil

**Don Boose** · #4 02-02-2008, 07:24 AM

Looking forward to your pictures, Lee.

Don

**Clashster** · #5 02-03-2008, 08:22 AM

Welcome, Lee! A great medium to build in - nice to be able to download a model and reprint if you screw up! Enjoy!

**Golden Bear** · #6 02-03-2008, 09:52 AM

Welcome in Lee. I think the best way to establish yourself is to start a build thread. Mind you, we can get pretty chatty around here. But it is a good way to get to know folks. Plus, we all reeeeeally like to see build pictures, commiserate with each others troubles and try to help.

...and I think that I just passed my 40th anniversary of building card models last year! Add about 5 years for building 1/72 airplanes and my modeling career now goes back about 45 years. Woo.

Carl

**lee4752** · #7 02-03-2008, 06:56 PM

Now I just have to figure out what I want to start out with. The models I've seen here are simply phenominal. Of course, most of my experience has been with plastic. Although, I.ve completed a few wooden ship models in my day. A lot of what I've seen seems close to the plank-on-frame construction method for those ships. I thought I'd try something a little less ambitious than what I've seen here to start. I'm looking at some of Ton Noteboom's spacecraft kits. They seem to be somewhat straight forward. Any other suggestions?

**member_3** · #8 02-03-2008, 07:33 PM

Check sites like Paper Shipwright, Digital Navy or CardPlane - they all have free downloads that fall in the easy-medium category.

**shrike** · #9 02-03-2008, 07:42 PM

I'd recommend building something you want to build.
Sounds like a "Duh" answer, but better to build something you like, with that extra impetus to finish it, than something that you started because it should be "easy" and getting bogged down because of a different skill-set.

What kind of model would you like to build? Airplanes? Ships? Tanks? They are out there in every level of complexity from a couple of hours while you watch TV to multi-month consuming passion.

One important thing to keep in mind and that has come up in all of the contest threads recently is that the designer of the model is MUCH more important than the printer.

**Brooker** · #10 02-03-2008, 09:03 PM

Hi,
If you go to this link: http://www.3dpapermodel.com.tw/ copy and paste the URL into the address bar of your browser, you can download loads of free card kits, any of which you can build..........
If you go to the bottom of each page 1@2@3@ = page numbers. Just double click the link to load the page.
If you get Flashget which is free from Google: http://www.flashget.com/en/download.html you can set it up to get your downloads for you. You can also set it up to download huge amounts of downloads, while you are doing something else.
You can enlarge any paper kit to any scale by photocopy enlarging each page to the same enlargement at the same time.
When you build in card, remember card does not have any grain, so it can be bent in any direction. This is easier with thicker card assemblies, if you lightly dampen the card under a water tap, before bending, afterwards setting aside to dry, before assembling.
My models are very robust. I buy "strawboard" from picture framers and art supply shops in 1mm up to 4mm thicknesses. When I build a model in thin card, I sheet the back of the model (which you cannot see) in 1mm strawboard sheets, having pre-cut parts, after having used the thin card skin parts as templates before assembly, on the strawboard, drawing around them in black biro to get a rough shape, which needs to be trimmed, after the thin card assembly has been constructed, to get an accurate fit
If you use PVA glue to join card parts together, then you only need as much glue as you need on the back of a postage stamp (wet) on both surfaces and hold together until dry.
I build card ships models at a scale length of 5 to 6 feet for static scale and radio control. I photocopy enlarge coloured kits into black & white. I build detail which is printed on the skin of the model, onto the skin of the model with thin card parts, Thus when I paint parts and completed cabins, etc, with water based household paint in sample tins mixed at paint supply shops (using the card kit colour scheme to match colours with the shop computer colour paint matching service) the detail stands out from the skin surface and my model resembles those built by professional builders for museums, etc.
If you want windows or portholes in a completed model, just get a bubble of PVA glue to skin a window "hole". PVA glue dries clear, so your window or porthole will look just like one of those, which confounds the general public.
Richard