"Dave Graffam paper Models on Sale at Wargame Vault" Topic

Got an e-mail over the weekend about a large number of Dave Graffam paper models that are on sale for $2.00 USD or less.

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As a satisfied user of his models, I can highly recommend these products. In fact, I just ordered seven more sets.

Jim

Yes, Dave's stuff is amazingly good.

Bought a bunch of buildings from another vendor, years ago. Still need to build out all of those models. However, here is something you might find useful…

Planning to print such building models on full-sheet labels. I will be cutting MDF to the correct sizes, and shapes for the walls, accounting for butt joints. Then I plan to peel-n-stick the label paper to the MDF. I've done some stone column texture print-out's, applied to empty pill bottles, adding bases. They make nice Stone Columns, very quickly, very easily. Need to take the leap and build with MDF sheets.

I've been using this approach with 2-3mm thick cardboard, with great success. I've built a Castle Gatehouse, numerous square Castle Towers, and many Castle Wall Sections this way. The cardboard, however, needs reinforcement to prevent warping. I have been gluing square dowels inside the Towers, Gatehouse, and Castle Wall Sections, to brace them. So far, so good. With MDF pieces, however, no trusses should be required, to prevent warping.

Thinking the MDF would be great for my 54mm rectangular buildings: durable, heavy, and will not blow over easily. Should be able to withstand most in-game handling, and storage handling, without issues. When I build terrain, I want it to be durable…

And, yes, Dave's stuff is amazing, indeed. Too bad I have so many models already. This sale is fantastic! I looked through the entire list of his work, but I could not find any that I really needed. If he did 54mm buildings, that would certainly change… Not finding much for card stock models in that size. Cheers!

I bought a bunch of his stuff to build a small town for a By Savvy & Steel musketeers campaign. It builds really easy. I am not great at building card stock scenery, and this came out looking good.

why not just enlarge them Sgt Slag?

I agree Graffam's models are some of the best looking out there. He also offers the model's Photoshop files so you alter them, if you like.

Sgt Slag

I too was planning on using full page label sheets to put them on 1/8" MDF pieces.

I guess now is as good time as any to buy the entire "ground tile" bundle set. Plus the grassy plain set :)

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Dan
PS. I imagine there's a way to "tone down" the colors, to make them look more realistic? Also, do you guys typically print your own sets at home, using up your toners, or do you have them done at a print shop (like Kinkos)?

Pat Ripley, they tend to be too large, on the page, to enlarge from 28mm to 54mm. I played with that on some, but the pieces tended to overshoot my page size, as they were enlarged. I would need to do a lot of work to cut the images up, then enlarge, ensuring they fit on the page size. It became apparent very quickly, that that is a very great amount of work.

I found a few building designs in 54mm sizes, which I purchased. I just wish I could find more. Enlarging 28mm designs is an incredible amount of work. I prefer to let the designer do that. I'm not that talented with imaging software to edit them properly.

Cacique Caribe, try turning on the "Save Toner" option, in your printer options. This will tone down the color saturation. If you really want a lot of control over color levels, you could print in B/W, and color with pencils, yourself… ;-) Otherwise, try using imaging editors to tone down the color levels, if you wish to play with them, digitally, and you have the skills to do so (I don't).

I print mine on my color laser printer, at home. Went with a color laser over inkjet, because I thought toner would be cheaper, and longer lasting… Not really, on either count. I never calculated the per-page-cost of printing at home. It might be comparable to Kinkos. Last time I checked (several years ago), color printing 8.5" x 11", at commercial shops was $1 USD/page.

Recently learned that OfficeMax, for example, has large format copiers, and printers, in color… They can also enlarge copies with these same printers. I took an old Judges Guild city map, in a larger format, and had it blown up, in B/W. They also laminated it for me, for a fee. Worth checking out their other services. (Pat Ripley, I think I just answered my own problem with enlarging 28mm buildings to 54mm sizes… Just need to figure out the percentage of enlargement required!) Cheers!