Editor in Chief Bill | 27 Mar 2012 4:08 p.m. PST |
Writing in Ragnarok magazine, Graeme Dawson laments: Assembling paper terrain is harder than it looks
Do you agree? |
DeanMoto | 27 Mar 2012 4:15 p.m. PST |
Yes some people dig it though. I found the cutting out of parts harder than the actual gluing together though. Besides building a couple of Roman Seas fleets, I also put together a few Paper Terrain buildings and a Scifi vehicle for a buddy. I actually gave up on the Scifi project. I also find that the cutting really dulls blades quickly – and they need to be really sharp for clean cuts. Well that's my take on it. Dean |
Cherno | 27 Mar 2012 4:21 p.m. PST |
Depends on the model in question, I would say. I only hae experience with World Works Games stuff, and the base TLX terrain is time-consuming but easy to build, for me at least. Some of the props however can be very fisddle and hard to glue together right without any mishaps. Much depends on the right tools and techniques as well. Knowledge is king :) |
(Leftee) | 27 Mar 2012 4:37 p.m. PST |
Printing the stuff and making it compatible with the printer is the most annoying part. Pre-printed will probably solve this. Putting it together isn't so bad. Get a cutting board, score folds with the back of the Xacto, metal ruler, use good scissors instead of knife when possible. Use good glue and have a brown and black marker handy. Bob's your Uncle! Now just have to scale all that crap to 20mm – my printer is not very intuitive. |
Dynaman8789 | 27 Mar 2012 4:56 p.m. PST |
I only put together the stuff from Paper Terrain. I did not have too much trouble with it. The trick is getting the proper tools (straight edge, GOOD scissors, little bitty clips, and quick drying glue – but not tooo quick). Anything that would require weirdo cuts or folding things into circles is right out for me though. |
Sergeant Paper | 27 Mar 2012 5:01 p.m. PST |
I disagree with the article. |
Coyotepunc and Hatshepsuut | 27 Mar 2012 5:11 p.m. PST |
Paper terrain is a hobby unto itself
I have become very good at it, so I tend to think of it as being very easy
|
Sundance | 27 Mar 2012 5:27 p.m. PST |
No. I find the worst part is cutting it out. Assembling it is usually a snap. Part of trick is to use just enough glue. Most people put too much on. When you do that, though, drying time is greatly increased and it has to be held longer to stick. |
Cherno | 27 Mar 2012 5:31 p.m. PST |
It's also prone to warp when using too much glue, especially when working with foamcore :) I found that gluesticks (that white, waxy stuff) is often better then liquid paper glue for bigger areas. |
Jakar Nilson | 27 Mar 2012 6:25 p.m. PST |
It's only hard to do when the shape is too complex, or too small and fiddly. |
DS6151 | 27 Mar 2012 7:20 p.m. PST |
Depends on the person. I can't do it at all. My brother has no issues with it. |
John Leahy | 27 Mar 2012 7:27 p.m. PST |
Yeah, as long as it isn't too complicated they are pretty easy to do. I personally believe that having a modelling background helps when working with paper terrain. They have a similar mindset. Thanks, John |
combatpainter | 27 Mar 2012 7:34 p.m. PST |
I assemble paper terrain. Some is very easy and some is very fiddly. |
Toshach | 27 Mar 2012 7:51 p.m. PST |
There are too many variables for it to be characterized so simply. The skill of the modeler is crucial, as is his/her experience level. And a lot also depends on the complexity of the model. |
Gungnir | 28 Mar 2012 12:01 a.m. PST |
I both design an build it, so it can't be that hard. |
Given up for good | 28 Mar 2012 2:10 a.m. PST |
Small parts and big fingers is the only issue I have. Scaling bits down for 15mm figures is OK but leads to more small bits. |
ScottWashburn | 28 Mar 2012 4:10 a.m. PST |
In think that some of the perception of it being 'hard' comes from false preconceptions about it being 'easy'. A lot of people probably think: "Well, it's just paper! I'll knock these babies out in a few minutes and be ready to go!" Then, when they actually start assembling them they find that building a paper model is no different than building any other kind of model and that it takes care and planning and at least a little bit of skill. This isn't what they were expecting. |
Tazman49684 | 28 Mar 2012 6:07 a.m. PST |
The nice thing is when its done, its done. You dont have to sand it, prime it, paint it. Just asemble it, base it and its ready to go! |
FingerandToeGlenn | 28 Mar 2012 7:37 a.m. PST |
The answer is the classic bureaucrat, "it depends." I have a problem with small, fiddly bits as my fingers really don't do small fiddly anymore, so I try to avoid such in my designs. The cutting IS the tedious part (and I really think an automated cutter is overkill for most hobbyists). However, good tools are essential. I gave up on the Xacto range when I discovered the Olfa SVR-2 with snap-off blades--sharp, cuts easily, and I don't try to stretch a blade's life past its usefulness. A good cutting mat and a good metal straight edge are equally necessary. However, a lot of paper enthusiasts look down on scissors--I don't. Heck, it's faster, and I have less chance of enduring the shame of telling my wife we need to go to Urgent Care (did I mention I'm not the most physically adept of persons?). Good tweezers, rolling cylinders, clamps, different thicknesses of card stock and chip board, etc--the inventory can get large. Then there's glue. My only recommendation is stay away from store brands and buy quality--it's worth the few cents to avoid problems, but--have the right glue for the right purpose. Too many people try to get by with just a glue stick or white glue. Oh, recreational beverage and a good pipe of tobacco also help. |
Sgt Slag | 28 Mar 2012 8:48 a.m. PST |
Depends on the models. World Works Games' Ultimate Castle set is truly awesome to behold the finished model, but it can be quite complex if you opt for all of the bits
If you add in mounting it to a permanent base, the complexity increases. They are models, and models do take time, effort, and skill, to assemble. The 'paper' concept, can be deceiving. Scissors are your friend! They greatly speed up the fiddly cutting process, and the results are really no different than using a razor knife, except they cut much faster, and typically with greater precision on curves. Cheers! |
Eclectic Wave | 28 Mar 2012 9:57 a.m. PST |
It also depends on how complicated a piece you are working on. A fully articulated battle mech that you can move every limb on is so difficult that it will make your eyes water (And yes I downloaded one and tried it, gave up after about 5 hours). And if it's Japanese more then 50% of the time, they don't bother with instructions (for the japanese paper hobbiests, instructions are for wimps). |
ordinarybass | 28 Mar 2012 10:11 a.m. PST |
It can be harder, though not necessarily. I used to really like the idea of paper terrain, but these days I've found ways to make traditional terrain that looks better to me with out much more effort. I do use paper when all of the following are applicable: -the designs are simple and free -I need alot of terrain -I won't be using it that often. Hence my N scale sci-fi combat is largely carried out among free DP9 designed card buildings. link |
The Virtual Armchair General | 28 Mar 2012 11:36 a.m. PST |
Some designs seem, to me at least, to be "over-fiddly," and possibly created by someone who enjoys the act of assembly as much or more as having the finished product. We war gamers tend to want the finished piece in hand, ready to use for our games, rather than become involved with the process. That said, even when a design is simple to cut and assemble, the hard part is to take the extra steps necessary to make the model PERMANENT. Backing is simply indispensible, and can be a pain until you have your own best technique down. And as Tazman49684 said above, not having to paint or do anything more upon completion is priceless. TVAG |
warpig69 | 28 Mar 2012 11:38 a.m. PST |
helps when there are clear instructions
there's a lot of guys in europe, russia and japan posting stuff but without english instructions. if they arent in a format that can be translated online, it can be kind of a challenge. houses are easy. vehicles and spaceships are lot harder imho, esp. when you are scaling down to 15mm. need smaller fingers |
Parzival | 28 Mar 2012 11:39 a.m. PST |
Depends. Toshach's Kragenvale Keep model is relatively simple to build. Most box shapes aren't hard, either. The real trick I find is selecting and applying the right glue (glue stick ain't it won't hold under tension). I also concur with the scissors recommendation; they offer more precision and better cuts than craft knives, for the must part. (Some cuts still require the knife.) Granted, there are no doubt some very complicated bits of terrain that are harder than anything I've done, but that certainly doesn't mean all paper terrain is difficult by any means. I certainly prefer the simpler designs, which given that I mainly do 10mm are perfectly fine for "tabletop distances" effects. |
(Leftee) | 28 Mar 2012 1:07 p.m. PST |
Aleene's (Turbo version) Tacky Glue is a good friend to have. |
Cadian 7th | 28 Mar 2012 4:46 p.m. PST |
Only been building papermodels for two years now. I love it for both cost and speed. I think, as mentioned above, that by the media involved people think it's easy. But if you rush through without allowing for test fits, don't let the glue dry, or use too much
.well there is where it gets difficult!
And Glenn is right!
a pot of gourmet coffee, my sturdy tray, blades( and scissors ) and various glues
I can spend a quiet evening with my wife. I will sometimes do nothing but cut out all the components needed for several models. Since I can print loads, my kids have fun helping me out with the gluing. Perfect for northern nights and rainy days. |