Discussion: converting paper card models to plastic or wood or ?

[ssculptor]

Now that I have been captured by the interesting World War One aeroplanes mania I am going to use the delicious paper card models available in 1/33 scale to start. 

First I am ham fisted and tend to crush the little beasties when I pick them up. So I must make them out of a stromger material than paper card.

Step one, have them copied enlarged to 1/32 scale. There are places within a few miles of me where I can use their copy machines to make prints enlarged to 1/32 scale.   

Step two, cement them onto sheet plastic or balsa wood (or maybe better onto carbon fiber sheet) of a thickness one likes. When doing this I prefer using rubber cement on either the card  OR the plastic and lay that piece onto the other material immediately while the rubber cement is still very wet. That way the two will stick together but will be easily removed when the part is cut out. You can glue both parts, let dry and then stick them together to get a stronger bond but then it will be more difficult to peel the card off later. 

Step three,cut them out of the sheet and you now have a 1/32 kit. 

 

The major problen I am working on is how to get the wing to have the tapering thickness (difficult when one has a convex surface on the top and a convex shape on the bottom. Also trying to have the concave shapr between the ribs. This was easy when I was making models in 1/16 and 1/8 scales out of balsa wood back in the 1950's. One covered the ribs with "tissue paper" or "silkspan" or even silk and then sprayed the wing with "dope". ["Harry, you dope. Stop sitting on my model!"). 

 

Now I must do some research into carbon fiber because I prefer a stronger material than plastic or balsa. 

Or why not copper or brass and solder the parts together.

 

Please, If any of you have any ideas and/or experience with this type of scratch building please contribute your experiences in this forum.  

Yrs truly,

Ssculptor

[denders]

Well, there is so small of a difference between 1/33 and 1/32 that I wouldn't bother. It's ~3%. If you have space or feel more comfortable, and you're insistent upon enlarging them, why not to 1/24 or 1/16 or 1/8? 

[MikeMaben]

Hi Stephen, I have one paper model but haven't built it yet. It seems to me if you want to recreate

the contours of the wings on a WWI model, you'd have to go back to the old school methods of

using spars, paper and dope, stringers and bulkheads for fuselages and such..

I've never done that either but I used to watch my Dad do it back in the '50s.

But that's just me. Have fun and let us know how it goes.

[dodgem37]

I'm working on a paper model-to-plastic model project right now, tho not an airplane.  I'm working on converting a 1/25 paper LVT(A)-1 to plastic.  

https://www.super-hobby.com/products/LVT-A-1AMTank.html

 

I scanned everything, instructions and parts.  Basically, I traced parts using Adobe Illustrator, making dimensional adjustments, copied parts as needed, bought a plug in for Adobe Illustrator (Silhouette Connect) so I could send images to my Silhouette to cut them out.  Now I'm gluing together.

 

''The major problen I am working on is how to get the wing to have the tapering thickness (difficult when one has a convex surface on the top and a convex shape on the bottom. Also trying to have the concave shapr between the ribs. This was easy when I was making models in 1/16 and 1/8 scales out of balsa wood back in the 1950's. One covered the ribs with "tissue paper" or "silkspan" or even silk and then sprayed the wing with "dope". ["Harry, you dope. Stop sitting on my model!").'

 

I don't understand the comment about wings having tapering thicknesses, unless it refers to the leading edge.  As for the concave shape, if your structure is plastic you are going to have a sturdy frame, so your skin can still be paper, otherwise .005 sheet can be pressed into sewrvice.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

 

 

[thierry laurent]

Or you can vacform it!

[ssculptor]

Well friends, I try to avoid anything to do with computers. I prefer to work in the 1950's tech. I spent 36 years teaching computer functioning and drafting and I am burnt out.

I'm not a fine scale modeler - I go by the three foot rule. Namely, if the model looks right and proper at arms length then it is in scale. I like to enjoy what I am doing, not enslave myself to picking nits. 

Another issue is the fragility of the model. Paper is out. Even styrene plastic is too weak. A few weeks ago an SE5a in 1/32 fell off my shelf onto the floor and exploded into many parts ("Curse you Red Baron!").

I'll try to stay with 1/32 scale; if I go to 1/16 scale I'll be tempted to get into radio control and I want to avoid that. Too many trees in my neighborhood.

Brass or copper using brazing or silver soldering might be a way to go.

But I must look into carbon fiber first.

I am looking into thin steel modeling using a form of welding. Laser welding may be a solution - I  must now look into that.

If any of you have any experience with those please let me know. 

Ssculptor