Simon's Affichage En Papier **DNF**

[JohnRatzenberger]

The longer I look at those instructions, the more they make sense. Of course, I might be a bit more panicked about them if I actually had the model in front of me to work on ....

Now if this were a new-tool Airfix kit, you'd probably have a hundred or so steps, 2-3 parts at a time, in a dozen page booklet, and never really have the big picture ... sorry, couldn't resist ...

[SJPONeill]

The longer I look at those instructions, the more they make sense.

Yes...just like those 3D puzzles where, if you stare at them long enough, you really can see a chicken painting the Mona Lisa..!
From a modelling POV, the beauty of many of these paper models is that provide a great foundation for a plastic model using the paper parts as templates for plastic parts but for this GB I am sticking with the paper parts. I could play around more with printer options but would rather get to building and see how it goes...I would hate to spend more time trying to get perfection from the printer only to find that the better detail is concealed inside the model anyway...
It is raining this morning so I will laminate those parts that require it to thicker card before I got to work and get some knife work in this evening.

[SJPONeill]

A miscellany of test prints...


I think that I have identified all the parts that need to be laminated to thicker card, and have glued them to some scrap card...


When I say 'scrap card', I really mean 'scrap card'...this is a great hobby for recyclers...


These parts will have well cured by the time I get home from work this evening so I should be able to cut them out after dinner...

[Migrant]

Will you be painting the edges of the thicker parts? Presumably the backs of the pieces with the light-bulb packaging will be out-of-sight.

[SJPONeill]

Where necessary I usually use watercolor pencils to shade any exposed edges..unless using the thinnest of paper, this is usually essential for any exposed edges...

[Molly-new]

I've also been poring over the instructions to make sure that I have identified all the parts that I will need for this part build - as you can see, the instructions leave a little to be desired and one can not assume that all the parts are in logical groupings...

That is way more detailed than I thought it would be, I will be watching this one with interest to see how it develops.

[SJPONeill]

Here's the other half of the instructions...

It should be noted that detail does not necessarily equate to accuracy or fit and many of the paper models from this era are hand-drawn and have fit issues. That being said, some of the hand-drawn models even going back into the 60s actually go together quite well...One of the challenges in paper modelling is that fit challenges are much more difficult to conceal with a dab of filler and a splash of paint - and the the medium does not take too kindly to excessive handling...but we wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun...would we?

Progress last night...

Fresh scalpel blade fitted and cutting commenced with Joe 90 playing in the background...the colours look a little washed out in this pic but they look OK in the flesh.

An initial check of fit looked OK...the biggest problem so far is just relating the instructions to the actual parts and from there deducing how they fit together...

[SJPONeill]

I took a day or so to redecipher the cockpit instructions to make sure I had all the bits right...as it turned out eventually, I was chasing after a part that belongs on another part of the aircraft...

Picking up on progress, today I have assembled the cockpit corners...the 0.5mm card is a bit less robust that what I am used to using (usually 1mm or thicker) and I have had to take more care to avoid bending the cards...

Apologies for the fizzi-ish pix...they are from my tablet as I have misplaced my camera (again!)...they show the cockpit framework completed...

As designed, there is a large gap in the former under the cockpit floor where the wheel wells would go in a full build but in the interests of structural strength I have added two extra strips of card across the gap.

From my progress so far I feel that this model would form a fine foundation for anyone interested in making a large scale plastic Defiant using the paper parts as plans...

[SJPONeill]

PS...while taking the first pic, the cockpit bulkhead popped loose which is why it looks a bit askew and I have tacked it back in place in the second pic...

[BlohmWolf]

Looking pretty good so far. I should try one of these someday.

[SJPONeill]

I find that paper models are a nice break from plastic modeling, especially when I am away from home and without access to a full modeling kit...the range of models also offers many topics not available in plastic or even cottage resin or vacform. The one downer is that there are few paper model retailers outside Europe and so you have to rely on either mail order or online download for you to print out yourself...worth a shot though and even many of the free models are very good quality...

[SJPONeill]

A clearer shot of last night's progress...

The build is not as tidy as I would like as it has been some time since I have done any serious paper modelling (the small scale Armour GB around this time last year!) and so I am a bit rusty...I spend a number of hours yesterday looking for my circle cutter and without it (it remains unfound) I am having to cut the round parts freehand - this is not that hard but the cutter does make this quicker and easier...

And this morning, I added B10 between the cockpit and the turret...I had to trin about a mm off the top of the rearmost bulkhead to get it to fit flush...I couldn't see how it would fit otherwise and I don't think (famous last words) that this will create any issues downstream...

I also took it over to the heavy industry area and reinforced all the interior seams with the hot glue gun...

Tonight I shall start cutting and assembling the components for the cockpit...

[Molly-new]

Very intriguing, watching this has got my interest roused so I have downloaded a free one to try in preparation for the GB if it goes ahead. (Best to try one on the quiet first )

[SJPONeill]

Very intriguing, watching this has got my interest roused so I have downloaded a free one to try in preparation for the GB if it goes ahead. (Best to try one on the quiet first )

If I could be super nosy, what one have you downloaded?

[Molly-new]

I went for the Star Trek Workbee from this site that you recommended http://www.paperaviation.de/Science-Fic ... ction.html;

It only has 14 pieces and being 1/32 scale should be big enough for me to get my sausage fingers around. Nice to see that the instructions are provided in English as well as German, I had a bit of a scare on my first perusal.