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looks great so far, seems like its coming together

ok... you sem to go rather for the templates for paper stuff that are out there... which is also a good way... makes it maybe even sturdier... lots of effort mate! good luck and have fun!

Well this being my first modle I wanted something with a templete and this was a model that I really wanted and thankfully it was one of the only ones with a scale chart on it.



I love it when drafters make designs...


So wonderfull to follow.


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And!



OMG!!! I never thought that this thread would actually make it to page two...

Yes, templates are nice but you are going to find that when you go to fold or crease the plasticard it will tear and break. WHen using a paper template it is best to cut the template out and then seperate each template into all the pieces it encompasses.

i.e. :



I am sure that is not how that piece folds but you understand.....


Unless the piece in question is curved, rather than on a sharp angle, you are going to have problems with vertices on the shape not lining up....


Also, when bending the PC, and trust me on this one (I know), you have to bend it further than the angle you actually need it at. THis is becuase of the elasticity of the PC, it will just 'unbend' itself a little. If there is any pressure on the uncut vertices it will put a warp in the entire shape of the object you are building. when you glue the edges down.....


If you look at my Khorne Warhound build you see a lot of curved edges, but no part of the model has any folded PC. Remember folded, as opposed to bent or curved, puts a lot os stress of the card. Creasing it is even harder and anywhere there should be a crease, or definite edge, should be two pieces cut seperatly and glued together.....



Lastly, remember that the paper templates were most likely made to be used with paper..... PC is much thicker. This necessitates a very large adjustment of the sizes and shapes of some of the pieces in order to get them all to line up properly.....

Paper templates worked fine on 1/4in Foam Core board, however, because you can bevel the edges of the board and leave the paper on the outside to be the bend, almost like a hinge effect......

Good luck....

*in a deep and sinister voice*

"oh.... fear not... this will go for a long time^^ this wont be over in a hurry"




oh and i second the warnings of max here... i had this happening to me too...then i learned it the hard time ...that was before joining the think tank that dakka is...

Thanks Max! I thought for alittle while while cutting that i would be able to just score the card, bend it and then have it done. But when it came time to glue I realised that it would be much easier to just cut off the pieces and glue them together.


But! That means at least that their will be alot less complicated cuts to do with my rusty knife!!!



Always love to hear what you have to say.
It always makes everything clearer or makes me feel good that I'm on the right track...

It's looking good so far.

When you separate all the pieces of plasticard, it's also a good idea to make little triangular wedges to use to strengthen and support the different pieces. Using bits of scrap like this offers you more surface area to glue pieces to and makes lining things up neatly much simpler.

Best of luck with the rest of it!

^^ that too, or when you purchase your tubing and rod also buy some PS angle sticks. It comes in five or six sizes and is perfect for making sure that your PC pieces are edge to edge and at a 90 degree angle. That is, of course, assuming that you need them at 90 degrees. If not it gets complicated......

Those both sound like great ideas.
I'll use some cuttings untill I can get to the store again and buy some angled pieces...


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So I didn't think that I would have a chance to work on this guy tonight...

... But I did! yay...


About 30 minutes and I came up with this....





Let me know what you all think about work so far and any suggestions on things that will help the process!
I'm going to finish the model before cleaning up all the contact cement that I have managed to get all over the place.
.. Including myself...

And some of the pieces that didn't fit quite right will get a filling with some sort of putty before all is said and done with this guy.




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The contact cement looks worse on the photos then in person...


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And the track guards are hella anoying to cut out...



And to get the template to cut and not rip...



I think that I might just come up with something on my own that will work out easier.......

Very nice start, looking forward too seeing it finished.

i think you are on a good road already with that stuff... sure it needs some filing later on but i think the most basic of tech you have mastered...making small cuts like with the trackguards... and yep i know that this is a hell of lot work...tried myself with a landraider once...never completed it tho... but the guards was very intense work and it looks good what you did...!!!

Thanks Vik! Need to get a file to angle the track guards and then have to cut out the smaller piece...

The smaller ones the real bitch (So it didn't sensor....) to deal with...

But still having so much fun with it even when it gets tedious..

Love detail....


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Can't wait to be doing rivets and strapping on this guy...

Yes, looks good. Did you say you are using contact cement? You should be using a plastic cement of some sort.


My glue of choice is Testors red tube plastic cement. Some use the liquid, PLastruc apparantly has a fantastic plastic cement, but its hard to get. Citadel seems to take freaking forever to set. I think the key is when the cement you are using is fully cured, will you be able to sand or file it?

If it can be then cool, you will be able to finish up all the lines and edges. I do a lot of finishing cleanup but because of the glue I use it is simiply a file away from (near) perfection......

I have not thought that far...

The only reason that I'm using the contact cement is that it was $1.25 from the dollar store...

And bing tight on money thats a help...


However it holds really suprisingly well and when I get home I'm going to see how well it files down..

Would be nice if the cheapo glue works well all around....

yep...it would truly be a nice and new one if it would hold even tho it is cheap... we do get lucky sometimes... so i cross my fingers....

by the way... try something for me...

snapp a glued piece off...use a seperate piece...any piece at all... just to be on the safe side here... i do glue tests and material tests always to be on the safe side... it really helps you later on to know more about the properties of your materials...

and here is a new thought... what will you plan to do with the tracks? will you get some already made ones or will you do your own tracks?... on a related thought here... dont do that thin band of plasticcard and then straps of thicker plasticccard as tracks stuff... i think that could ruin the look...try to come up with a good design by yourself... sure this will make you go insane by having to massproduce so many small items... but there are ways around that... you could use a holepunch to make nie patterns... if you are interested look in my gallery... "imperial armor"... there i did two version out of cardboard or foam... could be done with plasticcard too...

The plain that I got didn't come with a track design so I thought that I would have a go at designing a system from scratch. Maybe making a set similar to a watch strap that I used to have.

I did break off a piece... Although not for the reason that you stated. I see the marrit in it now tho. The glue was still alittle gueie, but had more hold then I thought that it would. Seems a pretty good deal for a dollar and a bit..

Do you have any track designs in your gallery? Or pictures that I should/could look at for help?

ok...here are some assorted pics of two seperate tank projects of mine...note... the one tank is made by foam and cardboard...the other one entirely by cardboard...






and end result


--------

end trackshoes for that tank....




differnet try same project...


on the track supporting body...


primed




and end result:

Sweet Vik!


I like those a lot.


A lot, a lot.


I think I will experiment with something similar to both!

I think I will experiment with something similar to both

key phrase...


experimenting is they way!

Oh it really is!


First try was lopsided... But it was only a first try anyway!


So that just means that I get to keep trying!

And thats 90% of the fun!

aye! all thumbs up for that... it is all in the hobby! if you loose that spirit...it begins to look like work...and won´t be fun anymore!

For sure! Just uploading a few picture as we speak!


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Okay so another picture update.

I've continued to assemble the main body of the tank. As well and started to file the
tread guards. Having only a nail file for the moment it is tedious and rather ineffective
at it's job.




As well I have a thought for what the tank tracks may look like and would like
comments on how to make them better. If they have to be redone from scratch that
is okay. Because I've only made two so that I could see what you all think.

it is shaping up all right i think...

as for the nailfile... i think it is a good tool... fine grit...and good grip while sanding the edges... and i use one too atm... one of these cardboard looking ones...the stuff you throw away after three or four times... and it has to sides with different grits so i think it is a good tool^^

hell, yes...show us your thoughts and tries...and make it quick as i need to hit the hay^^


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ah now i see them...

they look good... brutal and menacing... like my smaller tank tracks too...

but mark my words here... are you up to the task to do that around a 200 times over and over again? that will be most likley the amount of trackshoes you need for both sides together...

that is quite a feat!

Oh I can do that. And I know that that will mean 400 pieces with this design. It will take a while but I think that if it makes it nicer looking then that is what it takes and what needs to be done.

yep...you do the job that is in front of ye! ...i like that spirit^^

have a good night!

wow this tank is looking great.. and im sure that in the near future your going to be drawing quite alot of attention from the =][_,=!

OH! That reminds me to say that I started cutting rivets!

No idea how many so far....

But alot more to make and still a while until it's time for them.


Night Vik! Thanks for the input!


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That and I wish Vik were still on to see the next two photos...


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Okies last for tonight...

Time to do some dishes and fall down.


Start of the track guards being set on...

that looks really good! its taking shape really fast!

Thanks RW!

Trying to go fast but not to fast that it losses quality...
Then again it's the first one of a few that I have planed and I plan to learn all the lessons that I can from this one to make the others easier.

ahh... i still am here^^

see what you did there...and i like it^^

that looks like a tank to me^^