Ever used papercraft plans with styrene sheets?

[SludgeMunkey]

Hello again-

Just curious if any of ya'll have ever played around with those often amazingly intricate paper-craft plans from around the web, but use styrene sheeting instead of card stock.

Please share your thoughts on this!


I have found so far, that if you do not have access to a laser cutter and/or a printer that can handle styrene, double sided tape is your best friend when cutting parts by hand. I have also found that styrene is a bit easier to work with than card stock as one must only score and snap rather than cut.





I am taking a "brain break" from my other current builds and messing around with Piotr Koper's AMAZING Caterpillar P-5000 powerloader (ALIENS) plans using .020 styrene. It is a heck of a learning experience. This is sort of a prototype project before I embark on some seriously hardcore modeling based off Jan Rukr's also AMAZING plans for a few other of my favorites...

 

[Wes R]

I've been thinking about it for more than a few vehicles. I've never seen that power loader papercraft.

 

[Smiling Demon]

I was actually thinking about it myself. Using the paper model plans for some shuttles!

Kenny

 

[SludgeMunkey]

I've been thinking about it for more than a few vehicles. I've never seen that power loader papercraft.

I'm still a bit fuzzy on all the forums rules with hyperlinks, but the powerloader plans are on Paperkraft.blogspot.com via Ninjatoes. It ain't perfect, but it is pretty darn good. I chose to try it in styrene first as I feel it can be better realized as such. A google search of "aliens powerloader paper model" will get you there.

(Not my build, but a sample of a paper build...)

I was actually thinking about it myself. Using the paper model plans for some shuttles!

Kenny

Found plans for the Normandy from Mass Effect. Looks great in paper, but all those curves are gonna take some serious re-engineering and putty.

 

[Exxos]

I have done it a few times. The main issue I have found is that because styrene is thicker and bends rather than folds, you can end up with shorter or longer parts than you want really easily.

I suggest that if you have a questionable spot (such as the curved strips over the top of the command section on Rukr's Sulaco), print out a B&W economy on scrap paper, tape it only in one spot to the styrene, and bend it over the area to test it and still cut the ends a little long – it's easier to trim back excess than to add a 0.043mm strip to the end.

 

[SludgeMunkey]

I have done it a few times. The main issue I have found is that because styrene is thicker and bends rather than folds, you can end up with shorter or longer parts than you want really easily.

I suggest that if you have a questionable spot (such as the curved strips over the top of the command section on Rukr's Sulaco), print out a B&W economy on scrap paper, tape it only in one spot to the styrene, and bend it over the area to test it and still cut the ends a little long – it's easier to trim back excess than to add a 0.043mm strip to the end.

Great idea! I have been freehanding and eyeballing it for the most part, but truthfully, this model has little in the way of bends. Oddly it has few tabs, too.

For nice clean bends and angles, I use a really really small "V" gouge normally for carving linoleum block prints. A nice straight yet tiny V makes for a clean bend.

The downside is it often snaps the plastic, so I remedy that situation by using a bit of double sided tape and printer paper. DS tape the paper to the outside, bend, glue, and then just peel off the paper and tape!

Of course, this is from about 8 hours playing with small scale parts- something like the Sulaco or the disgustingly smooth Legion figure lurking on my harddrive may be a very different story.

 

[BornKilr]

I'm currently building a medieval hanging cage out of 1/8" sintra plastic from a papercraft file. Granted, its pretty simple, so the exact sizes aren't a major concern. If this turns out OK, I'm gonna try something a little more complex.

 

[Zombie_61]

Over on the Aircraft Resource Center forums (a.k.a. ARC Air) there is a thread in which a modeler in Germany used templates from a paper model as the basis for an extremely detailed multi-media Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) and Crawler Transporter (CT) base for his 1/144-ish scale Revell Space Shuttle kit. It's still a work-in-progress, but every time I read the thread I'm amazed by his attention to detail, especially considering the scale in which he's working. Truly brilliant!