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Post by genghissean on Jan 13, 2017 4:14:07 GMT -9
Hey, I bought a bunch of Dave Graffam models off www.drivethrurpg.com and last night I bought an inkjet printer and color cartridge from Best Buy. I'm hoping to use it to print out buildings, castles, etc. to supplement starting my 11-year-old daughter on D&D. Is there a newbie thread that walks through all the need-to-know stuff for first-timers? Some things I'd like to know are: These models are intended for printing on cardstock, aren't they? I read something about people printing them on paper and then gluing them to something. Surely, that's not necessary, is it? If they are for card stock, is there a favored kind or will anything that says card stock work? Tips for storage or mounting? Do you adhere buildings to a base or simply set them down on whatever table/game mat you're using? Anything else I should know? Thanks.
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Post by Papercraft Warrior on Jan 13, 2017 4:42:05 GMT -9
Hello, welcome to the forum. The good start would be to introduce yourself in this topic, experienced members might be monitoring it for fresh bloo-... members. When it comes to paper modeling, these two pdfs might come in handy The main thing will be patience, take it slow. Do not print off everything at once, make enough for a small project. Test the seams, the shape. Get a feeling for how to handle the material. How to cut the lines. Watch how the glue dries.It is a rewarding hobby, but as every one, this one has a toll as well. If you have sweaty palms have a small towel nearby. Be careful not to cut yourself. Take time to test do the shapes fit. If you are using better materials try once with the cheapest paper, so you can get the impression of how it all goes together. Depending on the size, you might need thicker material, cardstock is useful, but not required for most models. If you happen to use thin paper be careful not to soak it in glue, it is easy to misjudge on larger models. When it comes to storage, it depends on the model, materials used, and the one assembling it. My tip, keep the old shueboxes, they can come in handy to put extra models in them and store them below the bed, when you need. When you start building, it can run out of hand. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
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Post by genghissean on Jan 13, 2017 5:02:05 GMT -9
Thanks. Those tips are helpful. Are you suggesting there's a problem with cardstock? I thought it would be the preferred method since it would make the models sturdier. Does it also make them more difficult to fold and work with or something?
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Post by cowboycentaur on Jan 13, 2017 5:11:15 GMT -9
Cardstock is usually less problematic than regular paper. You can use about any kind as long as your printer can handle it, i just use the 110 weight stuff from Walmart. Some people use photopaper as it make the colors look a bit better but either is fine.
Something as simple as Elmers glue works well. Just don't use a lot. You can always add more, usually put a bit down then spread it around with a toothpick or my finger so there's a thin layer of glue.
For folding edges you can either prefold or lightly score with a knife so it bends cleaner. What I use is an old pizza cutter as there's less damage to the paper.
As for mounting a lot of models you can just put on the table, or mount to cardboard if you want a little more sturdiness. I usually use foamcore as I like the look and rigidity to it. If you're glueing to a large surface area use glue in a spray can as they don't have water in them and will prevent the paper from warping.
Sad to say lot of it is just doing it and learning from trial and error, but if you run into issues be sure to ask and we can let you know what works for us! Good luck and apply papercrafting!
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 13, 2017 5:12:01 GMT -9
When it comes to cardstock, I generally use 65 lb (147 g), sometimes 110 lb (199g). Paper models fall into two categories: organic or rectilinear. Organic has curved or rolled surfaces like an animal, airplane, or submarine. Rectilinear has flat surfaces. With large flat surfaces, I generally use 110, swoopy things 65. I also do small things on 65.
If something really needs to be solid, I may mount on cereal box cardboard or writing tablet backing.
Bases are an enigma for me. I like the feel of based buildings, but I always find that I find new 'favorite' ground tiles and the bases already on my buildings don't fit in. Try things both ways.
Which buildings did you get? Maybe we can walk you through a couple
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Post by genghissean on Jan 13, 2017 5:25:24 GMT -9
Well, their website seems to be undergoing maintenance at present, so I can't check my library, but I bought one of their big holiday packages that involved a huge castle, probably not the first one I should try. I recently bought a series of individual ruins, as well. Each one is a single building. www.davesgames.net/catalog-ruins-both.htmNot sure, but some of them might be in there. I basically wanted the remains of a town to explore. I'll post later what I've got once their site comes back online.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 13, 2017 5:56:38 GMT -9
I don't do many ruins. I would start with cross-piece ruins, if they are in your collection
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Post by andrax2000 on Jan 13, 2017 6:09:15 GMT -9
These models are intended for printing on cardstock, aren't they? I read something about people printing them on paper and then gluing them to something. Surely, that's not necessary, is it? Dave's models are intended for cardstock. For your first few builds, print directly on the cardstock. People may talk about printing on paper and gluing to cardstock or cardboard but you only needs to do this for 2 reasons. First, if your printer can't pull cardstock through (one of my 2 printers will not). Second, if you want it to look really nice you can print on photo paper and glue that to cardstock. If they are for card stock, is there a favored kind or will anything that says card stock work? For Dave's models, I'd recommend 110lb index cardstock (200 gsm). In the US, there are a few different categories of paper and the weights can be a bit confusing. See this page: www.paper-papers.com/paper-weights.html for a chart and explanation. Basically, when people here say cardstock, they are talking about "index" and NOT about "cover." So this: www.amazon.com/Neenah-Exact-Inches-Sheets-Brightness/dp/B006P1EQXANot this: www.amazon.com/Neenah-Heavyweight-Cover-Cardstock-Inches/dp/B00WALIVHGIf you go into an office supply store, and ask for cardstock, they will probably give you index. But if you search Amazon for cardstock, both index and cover will be in the results, so just watch out for that. Also, Amazon seems to have terrible prices for cardstock. I buy mine at Sam's Club for <$8 a ream (250 sheets) and I still feel like there has to be a better deal, but I can't find one anywhere. Strangely, on most online stores buying a case is MORE expensive than buying 8 reams! Frustrating! Tips for storage or mounting? Do you adhere buildings to a base or simply set them down on whatever table/game mat you're using? Dave's models have very narrow bases included. I just use cardstock for those, or glue them to foamcore for extra rigidity if I feel like it. Some people like to make custom bases. I then just set them down on top of my battle grid or other ground terrain. I store them in cardboard file boxes. Anything else I should know? Thanks. If you really start making a lot of terrain or minis, you will notice how expensive ink is. I recommend finding a bulk ink supplier. If you decide to ever buy a new printer, check which ones you can use bulk ink in first, as some have very elaborate mechanisms for preventing third-party ink. If you start making a ton of terrain, you might also look into a Silhouette paper cutter (I use the Cameo model). If you notice that some models print out much darker than others, this is because the model maker forgot to embed a color profile into the PDF and Acrobat Reader is stupidly guessing the wrong one. Not much you can do unless you have another program like Photoshop to print from. Don't forget to print at exact size and not at "fit to page." This is a mistake that I think everyone makes at least a few times.
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Post by genghissean on Jan 13, 2017 10:03:12 GMT -9
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Post by Papercraft Warrior on Jan 13, 2017 11:25:34 GMT -9
If you want to try a sci-fi version of D&D, "Gun Crawl" from genetmodels.com can come in handy. It has paper terrain for the inside of space station (or space ship, or subterranean...well, they can be used for anything). In the genet archives, they have a lot of internal printables and props as well as vehicle models and paper robots, browse around.
Under "Workbench Stream" you can watch live assembly of new models (when it happens, I never managed to visit on time), or a playlist of interesting building tips (techniques from those pdfs in video with annotations. Make sure to turn on annotations, there is no sound in the videos).
If you are uncomfortable with taking models for free (they do not charge), you can always make a mental note to buy from them once they start selling models again.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 13, 2017 11:29:47 GMT -9
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Post by oldschooldm on Jan 13, 2017 12:00:00 GMT -9
Awesome! THIS is what I most wanted to know. Looking forward to having you guys as a resource. I note I have several large sets for grand layouts. Naturally, I won't be starting with those since they probably require a lot of expertise: .... Some of the kits you purchased have cutfiles here, and some are fold-flat variants. Also, many can be adapted at construction time to be fold-flat, I document the technique here www.facebook.com/groups/569075156534856/permalink/830892450353124/www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bxNsaOo_84NOTE: Fold flat construction takes longer - but then you can store your models flat!
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Post by paintinglittlesods on Dec 27, 2017 13:12:30 GMT -9
I know this will necro the thread but thanks so much for this basic information !
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Post by Vermin King on Dec 27, 2017 13:18:34 GMT -9
I always encourage folks to explore the forum here. Much treasure to be had -- minis, models and information
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