Post by franklinhu on May 19, 2006 6:02:28 GMT
I wanted to start a subject on people's experience with building the Nascar paper models.
Here how it went for me.
My kids (3 and 4 yrs old) were really interested in racing cars. I had built some card models of satellites from the NASA site, so I was ready to try something else.
I downloaded the models which take 3 pages. I printed them on my EPSON 780 photo printer on glossy paper. I found that the very top got cut off because it was designed to print on A4 paper. Not much got cut off, so it didn't make much difference, but if I messed around with the controls enough, I could get it to print the top, but some of the bottom was cut off.
I didn't have time to download the instructions, so I started cutting out pieces, letting my kids do some of the cutting. Lots and lots of parts. I used a small sewing sissor with a sharp point. That worked well. I also found that a plain glue stick works well with card models. It sets up in only about 10 seconds and holds strong. I let my kids play with the models and they have held up with all the abuse.
I didn't bother scoring the folds, I just did them by hand and I didn't cut out all the little zig-zag cuts. You will have to do them for where there are curves and the wheels.
I'd say just assembling the wheels is nearly half the effort. There is way too much detail involved in the assembly. What I did was skipped parts 37 which is the inside rim of the wheel. This is just too small to work. So I cut some tabs around part 36 (the spokes and brakes) and glued them directly to the insides of part 39 (outside wheel).
I also skipped some of the smaller details. Part 30 got cut off in my printout. It isn't explained that the big black bar above the part works as the other side of the part. You cut out the curve plus the black bar. Then you fold over between the part and bar and then cut out the bar. Now you have a 2 sided black part. There are some parts like 41 which I still can't figure out where these were supposed to go.
I think it took a total of about 3-4 hours to put the model together. I built two of them, since as soon as I got one built, my other kids wanted one --- and I just might have to build a 3rd one.
Here are what my completed models look like
These were taken using a Nikon digital Coolpix 3700 camera. I am using some newly aquired studio portrait lights. These were taken using only the 60 watt halogen modeling lights on the studio strobes. (It turns out you cannot use slave strobes with many digital cameras because they flash twice.)
These pictures were hosted by imageshack.us - see forum post on how to put up pictures in your posts.
All in all, a very cool project - thanks to the designer of these card models!
5/22/06 - update
As expected, I made my 3rd car. Now I'm getting pretty good a this. I took about 2 hours to cut out and 1.25 hours to assemble the body and 3/4 hr to make the wheels. I went to reinforcing the areas that were breaking when my kids play with the cars.
Here's what they look like together:
Here how it went for me.
My kids (3 and 4 yrs old) were really interested in racing cars. I had built some card models of satellites from the NASA site, so I was ready to try something else.
I downloaded the models which take 3 pages. I printed them on my EPSON 780 photo printer on glossy paper. I found that the very top got cut off because it was designed to print on A4 paper. Not much got cut off, so it didn't make much difference, but if I messed around with the controls enough, I could get it to print the top, but some of the bottom was cut off.
I didn't have time to download the instructions, so I started cutting out pieces, letting my kids do some of the cutting. Lots and lots of parts. I used a small sewing sissor with a sharp point. That worked well. I also found that a plain glue stick works well with card models. It sets up in only about 10 seconds and holds strong. I let my kids play with the models and they have held up with all the abuse.
I didn't bother scoring the folds, I just did them by hand and I didn't cut out all the little zig-zag cuts. You will have to do them for where there are curves and the wheels.
I'd say just assembling the wheels is nearly half the effort. There is way too much detail involved in the assembly. What I did was skipped parts 37 which is the inside rim of the wheel. This is just too small to work. So I cut some tabs around part 36 (the spokes and brakes) and glued them directly to the insides of part 39 (outside wheel).
I also skipped some of the smaller details. Part 30 got cut off in my printout. It isn't explained that the big black bar above the part works as the other side of the part. You cut out the curve plus the black bar. Then you fold over between the part and bar and then cut out the bar. Now you have a 2 sided black part. There are some parts like 41 which I still can't figure out where these were supposed to go.
I think it took a total of about 3-4 hours to put the model together. I built two of them, since as soon as I got one built, my other kids wanted one --- and I just might have to build a 3rd one.
Here are what my completed models look like
These were taken using a Nikon digital Coolpix 3700 camera. I am using some newly aquired studio portrait lights. These were taken using only the 60 watt halogen modeling lights on the studio strobes. (It turns out you cannot use slave strobes with many digital cameras because they flash twice.)
These pictures were hosted by imageshack.us - see forum post on how to put up pictures in your posts.
All in all, a very cool project - thanks to the designer of these card models!
5/22/06 - update
As expected, I made my 3rd car. Now I'm getting pretty good a this. I took about 2 hours to cut out and 1.25 hours to assemble the body and 3/4 hr to make the wheels. I went to reinforcing the areas that were breaking when my kids play with the cars.
Here's what they look like together:
