aabateries2
Member
this is a really usefull tut. great writeup
Tutorial: Scratchbuilt cardboard weapons for noobs
- Thread starter marshon
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Ah, right, then go for it! Half the fun of scratbuilding is that there is no right or wrong way to do stuff. As long as the end result is what you want then that's completely fine.
I love trying to work out how to get stuff looking / working the way I want it too.
For a moving trigger .......
It would probably be best to remove the hand grip from the original core design and make that part as a separate item. Then build the slot for your trigger into the grip core deign. Because you can then get at the top of the grip / trigger you could fit the spring into the slot then either pivot the trigger using a short length of metal rod, or fit the trigger to the slot and add a small retaining wall to prevent it from dropping out.
Once the grip core has been glued to the upper part of the main gun core it should all get sealed in.
Just remember that I'm trying to make this tutorial as simple to build as possible.
It would probably be best to remove the hand grip from the original core design and make that part as a separate item. Then build the slot for your trigger into the grip core deign. Because you can then get at the top of the grip / trigger you could fit the spring into the slot then either pivot the trigger using a short length of metal rod, or fit the trigger to the slot and add a small retaining wall to prevent it from dropping out.
Once the grip core has been glued to the upper part of the main gun core it should all get sealed in.
Just remember that I'm trying to make this tutorial as simple to build as possible.
Yes they would. I'm going to attempt to do this project so that there is NO sanding. I hate sanding at the best of times, but if we do have to do any then it wont affect the edges of the foam board anyway.
I am writing this tutorial AS I build the weapon so it's designing on the hoof.
But belive me, the cardboard will end up MUCH stronger than you think and you will have to cut chamfers in the foam board edges to get it to fit.
thorn696
Sr Member
Just wanted to take the time to say thank you so much for doing this, It is very informative. I also have a post on you're other thread, asking about witch latex carpet adhesive: seem (thin and runny) or the one for gluing it down to the floor ( thick past almost like pudding.)
I'll go over and drop in an answer after this update ;-)
Today's instalment ..... I may come back and edit this post because the glue is still drying as I type, so I may add a few bits.
Anyway, to those who have asked about other materials, other mechanisms etc, here's my thoughts on scratchbuilding. Use whatever materials you like as long as the final body dimensions are within about 1 or 2mm of the drawing. Whatever you use, the final structure must be strong! You will be amazed at how tough card built with this method can be!
Adding extra mechanisms is entirely up to you, it's your build after all. You may have to design in those factors before you start, and I'm trying to make this build as simple as I can whilst ending up with something everyone will be talking about.
So, onwards. I wanted to try and get the main structures at the front of the weapon completed, so we come to the muzzle and our first major headache.
The drawings simply don't give enough information to build the muzzle without some guesswork on our part. Furthermore, once again the front view does not quite match the side view. But there are some clues, in the form of two lines that run down the muzzle on the render view. I decided that these form the sides of the lozenge shape of the lower muzzle. I further decided that the upper circle on the front drawing is the barrel and the lower one some kind of laser sighting mechanism?
Had I been building this as a full blown project I would have made the lower circle a blue LED and possibly made the trigger a switch, but let's keep it simple for now.
I made two panels from cereal carton on which to build the lozenges.
Using the front drawing I calculated some sizes for the lozenge, they may be wrong but there's no other information.
Next I marked out a few different braces / spacers, I changed them a couple of times after test fitting because I didn't think they looked correct.
Once I felt that they were nearer the spirit of the drawing I glued them to the panels and added little struts to hold them upright and add a bit of strength.
Now clad them exactly as we did before, however we have the added difficulty that the ends are all angled and shaped. My way of tackling this is to cut them over length, then offer them up and trim, offer them up and trim and so on. If they are a little too long then trim them. If they are a little too short (say 1 or 2mm at most) we can usually get the PVA paste to fill the gaps. If not we may have to do a little filling later on.
Once clad I mounted them to each side of the muzzle.
The end of the barrel was made from a short length of plastic pipe. I mounted this to a backing section of card.
The facets were added using short strips of card and then the entire assembly was added to the nose of the muzzle.
Final detailing will all be added later.
You now need to carefully clad anything from the muzzle back to the end of the main barrel. It's boring and laborious work but it has to be done. Be especially careful to cover any open corrugations except the base of the magazine which we will do later.
Next we will deal with the very simple electronics.
Anyway, to those who have asked about other materials, other mechanisms etc, here's my thoughts on scratchbuilding. Use whatever materials you like as long as the final body dimensions are within about 1 or 2mm of the drawing. Whatever you use, the final structure must be strong! You will be amazed at how tough card built with this method can be!
Adding extra mechanisms is entirely up to you, it's your build after all. You may have to design in those factors before you start, and I'm trying to make this build as simple as I can whilst ending up with something everyone will be talking about.
So, onwards. I wanted to try and get the main structures at the front of the weapon completed, so we come to the muzzle and our first major headache.
The drawings simply don't give enough information to build the muzzle without some guesswork on our part. Furthermore, once again the front view does not quite match the side view. But there are some clues, in the form of two lines that run down the muzzle on the render view. I decided that these form the sides of the lozenge shape of the lower muzzle. I further decided that the upper circle on the front drawing is the barrel and the lower one some kind of laser sighting mechanism?
Had I been building this as a full blown project I would have made the lower circle a blue LED and possibly made the trigger a switch, but let's keep it simple for now.
I made two panels from cereal carton on which to build the lozenges.
Using the front drawing I calculated some sizes for the lozenge, they may be wrong but there's no other information.
Next I marked out a few different braces / spacers, I changed them a couple of times after test fitting because I didn't think they looked correct.
Once I felt that they were nearer the spirit of the drawing I glued them to the panels and added little struts to hold them upright and add a bit of strength.
Now clad them exactly as we did before, however we have the added difficulty that the ends are all angled and shaped. My way of tackling this is to cut them over length, then offer them up and trim, offer them up and trim and so on. If they are a little too long then trim them. If they are a little too short (say 1 or 2mm at most) we can usually get the PVA paste to fill the gaps. If not we may have to do a little filling later on.
Once clad I mounted them to each side of the muzzle.
The end of the barrel was made from a short length of plastic pipe. I mounted this to a backing section of card.
The facets were added using short strips of card and then the entire assembly was added to the nose of the muzzle.
Final detailing will all be added later.
You now need to carefully clad anything from the muzzle back to the end of the main barrel. It's boring and laborious work but it has to be done. Be especially careful to cover any open corrugations except the base of the magazine which we will do later.
Next we will deal with the very simple electronics.
OK, now on to our very simple electronics. Looking at the side render there are two very obvious green LEDs. Looking at the top view it is also obvious that the far side has a small pipe entering at exactly the same place as the LEDs on the nearside. Ergo, the two panels MUST be different, but we have no information as to the far side panel.
So we'll just add the LEDs to the side we know about. If you want to add some to the other panel go right ahead.
So what do we need to get our two LEDs operational? Well we need a power source, I'm going to use two AA batteries in a battery box (because that's what I've got in stock). We need a switch and we need two Green LEDs. I had two 5mm round ones in the box so I'm going to use those.
We will also need some fine hook up wire and a resistor(s) to act as a current limiter and protect the LEDs.
Now, there's a lot of old guff spouted when it comes to the exacting science of electronics, but the reality is that most hobby components are quoted as having a tolerance of as much as + / - 20%! So let's not get too hung up on it eh? The reality is that this set up would probably work without any resistors at all, but let's do it properly.
Information about standard 5mm LEDs is well documented throughout the internet, so if you are using reclaimed ones don't worry too much.
5mm Green LEDs need approximately 2V to drive them at 20mA. Two AA batteries deliver a nominal 3V so a single LED needs a 50 ohm resistor. They don't make one of that value so the nearest is going to be 56 ohms. We could wire them up in parallel and recalculate the value, but resistors are so cheap that it's not worth the hassle. We will connect them up in parallel and give each it's own resistor.
For a LOAD more information on LEDs and the resistances required for various power sources just do a Google.
We need to connect the resistors to the positive leg of each LED, connect both resistors to some hook up wire and then to one side of the switch. From the other side of the switch we connect to the positive side of the battery box. All the negative connections are then simply connected back to the neg on the battery box and we have a circuit.
However, even before we can do any of that we have to decide WHERE we are going to put all this crap? We could have mounted the batteries in the Mag, or one of the two big cylinders at the back, or possibly even in the scope. But I think the best place for them is behind the panel itself, that way we can keep it small and neat, have short wires and know where everything is. The down side to that is that we have to make the panel cover removable to change the batteries.
I think we can manage that.
The other thing to consider is that the connections will need to be soldered. Oh dear, never soldered before? Well either get someone else to help you (best if you've NEVER soldered before), or you can follow this tutorial for very basic soldering when the time comes. You will need to get a small soldering iron, some multi-core solder and a tin of flux.
More up dates to come.
So we'll just add the LEDs to the side we know about. If you want to add some to the other panel go right ahead.
So what do we need to get our two LEDs operational? Well we need a power source, I'm going to use two AA batteries in a battery box (because that's what I've got in stock). We need a switch and we need two Green LEDs. I had two 5mm round ones in the box so I'm going to use those.
We will also need some fine hook up wire and a resistor(s) to act as a current limiter and protect the LEDs.
Now, there's a lot of old guff spouted when it comes to the exacting science of electronics, but the reality is that most hobby components are quoted as having a tolerance of as much as + / - 20%! So let's not get too hung up on it eh? The reality is that this set up would probably work without any resistors at all, but let's do it properly.
Information about standard 5mm LEDs is well documented throughout the internet, so if you are using reclaimed ones don't worry too much.
5mm Green LEDs need approximately 2V to drive them at 20mA. Two AA batteries deliver a nominal 3V so a single LED needs a 50 ohm resistor. They don't make one of that value so the nearest is going to be 56 ohms. We could wire them up in parallel and recalculate the value, but resistors are so cheap that it's not worth the hassle. We will connect them up in parallel and give each it's own resistor.
For a LOAD more information on LEDs and the resistances required for various power sources just do a Google.
We need to connect the resistors to the positive leg of each LED, connect both resistors to some hook up wire and then to one side of the switch. From the other side of the switch we connect to the positive side of the battery box. All the negative connections are then simply connected back to the neg on the battery box and we have a circuit.
However, even before we can do any of that we have to decide WHERE we are going to put all this crap? We could have mounted the batteries in the Mag, or one of the two big cylinders at the back, or possibly even in the scope. But I think the best place for them is behind the panel itself, that way we can keep it small and neat, have short wires and know where everything is. The down side to that is that we have to make the panel cover removable to change the batteries.
I think we can manage that.
The other thing to consider is that the connections will need to be soldered. Oh dear, never soldered before? Well either get someone else to help you (best if you've NEVER soldered before), or you can follow this tutorial for very basic soldering when the time comes. You will need to get a small soldering iron, some multi-core solder and a tin of flux.
More up dates to come.
OK, so we will need to make the panel to install our lights and switch. This will have to be completed before we can move on. I did dabble with the idea of painting it first so that I don't accidently obscure them with paint but I want to hold the painting for a separate tutorial.
Start by removing the panel from the main template. I had to guess at the shape of the rear part since it is obsured by the pipework. Make a copy of the panel and start to transfer over the design using a CD marker.
Next carefully drill out the holes for the LEDs and the slot for the switch. Test fit the LEDs and the switch and trim as required for a good fit.
Next get some foamies and a couple of bits of plastic pipe (I used part of a pen for the smaller pipe attachment point). Transfer the design elements to the foamies. With a sharp scalpel blade the foamies will cut more accurately and more easily than card. Use a paper punch to make the small round details, and use a solvent based glue or contact cement to stick them on.
Panel lines and small indentation detail can be 'etched' into the foamies using a pointed soldering iron tip, or the back of a heated knife etc.
Here's the finished panel waiting for the switch and LEDs to be installed.
Next step will be to install, wire up and test the circuit.
Start by removing the panel from the main template. I had to guess at the shape of the rear part since it is obsured by the pipework. Make a copy of the panel and start to transfer over the design using a CD marker.
Next carefully drill out the holes for the LEDs and the slot for the switch. Test fit the LEDs and the switch and trim as required for a good fit.
Next get some foamies and a couple of bits of plastic pipe (I used part of a pen for the smaller pipe attachment point). Transfer the design elements to the foamies. With a sharp scalpel blade the foamies will cut more accurately and more easily than card. Use a paper punch to make the small round details, and use a solvent based glue or contact cement to stick them on.
Panel lines and small indentation detail can be 'etched' into the foamies using a pointed soldering iron tip, or the back of a heated knife etc.
Here's the finished panel waiting for the switch and LEDs to be installed.
Next step will be to install, wire up and test the circuit.
This is amazing! The tutorial is very complex, but gives the info in a simple manner. You are answering everyone's questions as you go. I love it!
As for a glue that may work for those of us that are state-side, I suggest "Tacky Glue" found in the craft section of most any box store (like Wal-Mart). I had to build a cardboard dog for art class, and it was just tacky enough to be able to manipulate for a while, and fairly strong too.
As for a glue that may work for those of us that are state-side, I suggest "Tacky Glue" found in the craft section of most any box store (like Wal-Mart). I had to build a cardboard dog for art class, and it was just tacky enough to be able to manipulate for a while, and fairly strong too.
I will definitely remember tack glue when I decide to make one!
i used to use hot glue until i stumbled on the tacky glue at Wal-Mart and now i swear by it. gives just enough time to manipulate any pieces and holds solid after it sets.
ForgedReclaimer
Well-Known Member
You Are God!
Last edited by a moderator:
A quick post before we wire up the LEDs.
If you are using new, or reclaimed LEDs you need to identify which connection is which.
If your LEDs are brand new, then the longer leg is Positive (Anode) and the shorter leg is Negative (Cathode)
However if you are using reclaimed parts, then there is a small 'flat' on one side of the body. This is next to the Negative (Cathode) leg. It's difficult but not impossible to make it out.
You will need to establish this in order for the circuit to work.
If you are using new, or reclaimed LEDs you need to identify which connection is which.
If your LEDs are brand new, then the longer leg is Positive (Anode) and the shorter leg is Negative (Cathode)
However if you are using reclaimed parts, then there is a small 'flat' on one side of the body. This is next to the Negative (Cathode) leg. It's difficult but not impossible to make it out.
You will need to establish this in order for the circuit to work.
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