BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
Cardboard boxes mate. Surely you can find those anywhere?
I'm a wetworks with a railgun
- Thread starter PEPAKURA TURTLE
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Chernobyl
Sr Member
Go to your local Walmart or Target. Ask if they have any large cardboard packaging boxes out back that you might be able to have - most large retailers simply throw their cardboard away or recycle it, so they'll have plenty, and most of the time they'd be absolutely fine with you walking home with as many boxes as you can carry.
Use some initiative, lad.
PEPAKURA TURTLE
Member
They actually let you do that? I only know that Costco let you do that... alright will do
Chernobyl
Sr Member
It honestly depends on the person you get at the time. Some employees might not have the time or the inclination to help you out, but others would be absolutely happy to let you take some cardboard from them. If all else, just see if you can't talk to some of the people who are responsible for procurement and processing of deliveries, they'll point you in the right direction.
True story: I work at a local hospital, and (should the fancy take me) I'm more than welcome to go home with as much cardboard as I can possibly, physically carry. It's all about knowing the right people to ask - so, pop on over with your parents, load up the car, and enjoy cost-free cosplaying resources.
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
Here in Canberra we have government-run facilities called recycle centres where you can go to an unmanned compound to dump your bottles, newspapers and there's a massive cage for cardboard boxes. I go there and climb into the cage to pull out all the choicest pieces of cardboard and load my car to the roof! There are security cameras everywhere and not once have I been approached or contacted to stop. I know plenty of mums and school teachers who do the same for craft projects all the time.
Distributors/retailers of large appliances like refrigerators and other white goods would often be quite happy for you to come to their loading dock and grab some cardboard that their goods are packaged in.
I like to take a page from the book of those guys in history that were incarcerated in concentration camps and jails. You know, the guy you would go to if you wanted something and somehow he was resourceful enough to find a way to get it to you, no matter how impossible the request sounded. That's the kind of person who gets things done.
SB
Distributors/retailers of large appliances like refrigerators and other white goods would often be quite happy for you to come to their loading dock and grab some cardboard that their goods are packaged in.
I like to take a page from the book of those guys in history that were incarcerated in concentration camps and jails. You know, the guy you would go to if you wanted something and somehow he was resourceful enough to find a way to get it to you, no matter how impossible the request sounded. That's the kind of person who gets things done.
SB
PEPAKURA TURTLE
Member
does it have to be straight or can it be all cracked and stuff?
Chernobyl
Sr Member
Is that even a question? Why would you want to use damaged products in your prop work? You wouldn't accept poor-quality materials normally, why should this be any different?
To answer: try to find decent, flat, undamaged cardboard panels.
I worked at Lowe's for 3 years, and as long as it's not super busy, we would give out cardboard to anyone that wanted it. We had to pay to get it picked up and recycled so if anyone wanted it it was one less thing to break down and crush. Wed get people all the time who would be shipping products they bought for relatives, and wanted boxes to put them it. It doesn't hurt to ask.
PEPAKURA TURTLE
Member
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
If you alternate the direction the corrugations run in each layer and use pva wood glue, your weapon will be super strong, very rigid and less likely to warp over time.
PEPAKURA TURTLE
Member
What if I use cardboard and fiberglass between layers?
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
Nooo! There's absolutely NO NEED to put fibreglass on the inside. What is it with fibreglass? It's expensive and messy. Your posts so far have indicated you are working on a tight budget, why the obsession with fibreglass? If you are going to use fibreglass at all, use it on the OUTSIDE only as part of your finishing.
Chernobyl
Sr Member
I don't mean to be rude here, but... are you sure you've done any sort of research whatsoever on your builds before progressing? A lot of these questions could be answered by simply searching around the forums for other sliced builds, or using common sense. Do your research.
I wouldn't advise fibreglassing between layers - or even fibreglassing at all, if it's a sliced build. Feel free to apply a coat or two of exterior resin to your build to strengthen it up, but fibreglass isn't something you're really going to need here - it'll just add weight and excess thickness to your build, and if applied to the outside, will cause you to lose detail on your prop.
Consider looking at THIS thread for more information. This thread should answer most of your questions.
PEPAKURA TURTLE
Member
thx guys, I just had a bit of fiberglass left over from last time, that's why I asked... I went into Diaso japan, (a Japanese shop here, kinda like Dollar tree with better quality and to my surprise, they had Styrofoam cutters for 1.50 each, and yeah I know it won't be useful for cardboard, quite the contrary, but because of that, I'm thinking about experimenting with Styrofoam once again...
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
I give up. We all have our own methods. It will be interesting to see how you go. Good luck with your build.
MikyVengeance
Well-Known Member
Cut the cardboard box into a flat shape and trace your templates onto it and cut it out. Then simply glue the slices with some glue and use craft foam over the ridges to hide them/ add detail.
PEPAKURA TURTLE
Member
Sorry for causeing all the drama and stress over this... I'll just trace, cut, glue, fiberglass, and eva the corners for sharp edges and shock resistent (I think)...
kinda like this, not like, fiberglass and eva... Yeah, I'm kinda new bout sliced builds but everybody knows that, considering how this build turned out, or is going to turn out...
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If you're doing a sliced cardboard build, you don't need to use fiberglass. You're just making more work and tons of extra sanding for yourself, like both Chernobyl and Sandbagger said. Cardboard with a healthy amount of pva woodglue is PLENTY strong enough to hold everything together and keep it stiff. Like they said, you could do a resin coat on the outside, but its really not needed. Cardboard base ---> craft foam detailing ---> seal the foam ---> paint the prop. That's really all there is to it. No need to overcomplicate it with extra unneeded materials.
PEPAKURA TURTLE
Member
alright I got it thx... break just ended...
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