Paper Model Building and Finishing 

posted by 8ball on Sunday, 21 May 2006 at 3:08 pm 

I've designed and created a few paper models, and I love building them, and I've had to work through a lot of different techniques for building and finishing to get it to my satisfaction.  So I thought some of you might appreciate a little reporting on the methods and materials I use, and hopefully share your ideas and experiences.

Tools
   - X-Acto Knife with lots of #11 blades
   - self-healing cutting mat
   - 12" steel, or metal edged ruler
   - a hemostat (for hands-free securing of bonds)
   - tweezers

Glue

Like anything else, I've developed techniques for putting paper models together that are in some ways unique to me.  I've tried a whole bunch of glues, and have settled on five.

Glue Stick:  The glue stick is my default.  I use it to fasten any surfaces on which I can apply pressure, and that I can get at.  It's the least messiest of all glues, and does not readily wrinkle the cardstock.

Elmer's:  Kind of messy, and will really wrinkle your card if you are not careful.  But it holds great, and does a good job of bonding paper to wood.

Elmer's Glue Pen:  This is my go-to "wet" glue.  It comes in a translucent pen with orange caps at each end -- one for a broad applicator and one for a small applicator.  It doesn't wrinkle your card unless you really glob it on, and it dries quickly, but not too quickly.  Because it's a liquid, I use it for hard to get at spots where I can't apply pressure.

Avery Glue Pen:  I like this a lot.  It's sort of a skinny glue stick.  The glue itself is less gooey and more pasty than other glues sticks, and its blue so you can easily see where you have applied it.  It dries clear and flat.  The down side is that it's a bit more expensive than the other glues and it goes fast.

Uhu Glue Pen:  This is what the guys at Worldworks recommend.  I like this for larger areas that I can apply pressure to.  It dries very quickly -- almost too quickly -- but it has a good applicator and if used correctly will not cause wrinkling. the down side is that it is hard to find.

My top picks are the glue stick, and the Elmer's Glue Pen.

Cutting

I've cut more matte and coreboard in my life than the moon has craters.  Here's the key.  Always use a sharp blade, and let the knife do the work for you.  By sharp blade I mean a new blade.  If your knife has more than say 30 - 40 6" cuts on it, and you want to do some precision cutting, then get a new blade.  Lay your metal ruler along the line you want to cut.  You should be in a position where you will be pulling the knife toward you.  Don't try to cut through the card in one shot.  Let the blade do the work.  Two or three lighter cuts will yield better results.  Besides, when you press hard, that's when the knife is most likely to bind into the cutting mat, which can force the knife away from your ruler, or worse cause the knife to jump the ruler.  (If this happens, put the fingertip(s) in a cup of ice and head for the emergency room.  Don't tell your wife!)

Scoring

I use two scoring techniques.  For edges that will not be visible, I score the outside of the fold with a very light cut of the X-Acto knife.  Very, very light -- just enough to break the top layer of the card stock.

For edges that will show, I score the fold with a slightly rounded, pointed scribe.  You want to crease the surface of the card, but not actually break it.  Some people use a dinner or butter knife, some use a fine-pointed ball point pen.

Edging

Sharpies?  Too dark and bleed too much.  Paint?  Good, but can be too messy.  China markers?  Very good, but not that many colors, kinda hard to find, and a tad expensive.

I use Crayola crayons.  The box of 64 is $3 at WalMart and you'll have more colors than you will know what to do with.  I find that the flat edge does a great job along scored and glued edges.

That's it for now...