Cineris
New Member
So, I just kind of stumbled onto pepakura one day, and from there, I found the RPF after a bit of Googling. Long story short, I found this thread and downloaded the file for the Mark VIII helmet, and set to trying to figure out how to turn it into a finished product.
This is currently a work in progress. I just finished the paper today. And before anyone asks, yes, I did 90% of the work at my computer desk :lol
I did learn a few things along the way as well.
First off, I went and bought a cutting mat and comfy X-acto knife about halfway through the cutting. The scissors weren't working out as well as I'd hoped.
Also, Elmer's Craft Bond (top right of the first picture) is great for this type of thing! Especially the precision-tip tube that I was using.
Use 110lb card stock instead of 65lb cover stock. This is all done with 65lb, and I'm sure that the intricate parts (especially the lines coming up the forehead from the eyes) would have turned out much better with stiffer paper.
HARD lesson learned: Make sure to print the numbers for where flaps get glued on the INSIDE of the parts, not the OUTSIDE. This led to a lot of my assembly time being spent with the model open in pepakura so that I could see how the pieces fit together.
And lastly, I think that this helmet may unfortunately be a bit too small for my head, so I'll be sure to measure and scale properly before my next one.
All in all, This has been a lot of fun thus far, and I'm looking forward to continuing to work on it. It's looking like I'll be able to resin the outside tomorrow, so if I do get to, I'll post an update from that.
ANY advice whatsoever is always greatly appreciated! Like I said, I've never done anything like this before (up to this point). I've done body work on cars for years, so the fiberglass and bondo itself is familiar to me, but this type of application is entirely new, so any pointers are fully welcome and appreciated.
Thanks!
PS: This is only my second post, but this seems like a wonderful community, and I look forward to becoming part of it!
This is currently a work in progress. I just finished the paper today. And before anyone asks, yes, I did 90% of the work at my computer desk :lol
I did learn a few things along the way as well.
First off, I went and bought a cutting mat and comfy X-acto knife about halfway through the cutting. The scissors weren't working out as well as I'd hoped.
Also, Elmer's Craft Bond (top right of the first picture) is great for this type of thing! Especially the precision-tip tube that I was using.
Use 110lb card stock instead of 65lb cover stock. This is all done with 65lb, and I'm sure that the intricate parts (especially the lines coming up the forehead from the eyes) would have turned out much better with stiffer paper.
HARD lesson learned: Make sure to print the numbers for where flaps get glued on the INSIDE of the parts, not the OUTSIDE. This led to a lot of my assembly time being spent with the model open in pepakura so that I could see how the pieces fit together.
And lastly, I think that this helmet may unfortunately be a bit too small for my head, so I'll be sure to measure and scale properly before my next one.
All in all, This has been a lot of fun thus far, and I'm looking forward to continuing to work on it. It's looking like I'll be able to resin the outside tomorrow, so if I do get to, I'll post an update from that.
ANY advice whatsoever is always greatly appreciated! Like I said, I've never done anything like this before (up to this point). I've done body work on cars for years, so the fiberglass and bondo itself is familiar to me, but this type of application is entirely new, so any pointers are fully welcome and appreciated.
Thanks!
PS: This is only my second post, but this seems like a wonderful community, and I look forward to becoming part of it!
