Re: Duke's Custom Reach Suit with Bruteshot (with Step by Step) +photos!!
Thanks
Chernobyl and
SavedbyGraceG12 that really means a lot. Easier is starting to sound a lot better.. :/ Oh, well, I'll be happy again once I have this thing in my hands.
But if others want to attempt this madness I'm reposting my tips on assembling pepakura below.
Tips on assembling Pepakura:
1st (and foremost)
Take your time! If you rush this you'll either throw away your project or you'll spend more time trying to fix it.
2nd
Develop a system, or systems. This not only will speed you up, but will make you less prone to making mistakes and missing things.
----- There are several steps to assembling a pepakura:
cutting, scoring, folding and gluing. First is to figure out the order you would like to do those things in. Next I'll give you tips on each of them in the order I like to use.
Score-
- I like to score every printed pieces before cutting them out, this makes it easier to hold them in place. Also by doing all of them first, I don't have to switch between scoring and cutting. Saves time.
-Make sure your lines are straight! If you find scoring was crooked or wavy, score it again and try to keep it straight! Most importantly the beginning and the end of the score need to be dead on the line. Use a ruler if necessary.
-Use a rigid, but not overly hard surface for support. I find that if I use metal or wood I tend to have a harder time. Whereas, using a
self healing cutting board it lets me draw the score line smoothly.
-Remember to have a system! Mine is blue for mountain folds and the back of the Xacto knife for the valley folds. (some people use red for valley, but I'm cheap!)
Cut-
-In order not to miss cutting a line and then pulling the piece out only to rip it... make a system.
My system is:
1. Cut all angles of the valley-fold tabs. (quick cuts here are fine
.) While they are still on the page I fold the valley folds up. Being on the page there is a lot more support and making them much easier to fold. See picture below.
2. Cut the rest of the tabs. (Tabs are not critical so you can cut them fast and not worry if you're getting on the line or not)
3. Cut all of the non-tab edges. (These lines are
very critical, if you start to veer just make sure you get back to the line before the edge runs out. You're going to be using the corners of this edge and the corners of the folded tab to line up the piece for gluing.)
-Before cutting a piece out I make sure it is the piece I want. Check the computer model. Make sure you have the right piece and you know the orientation.
-Sometimes I write on the back of it with little notes, like an arrow for orientation or L for left side.
-Don't get too far ahead of yourself.
Cut a few pieces out then glue them. Otherwise, you risk getting lost and overwhelmed.
-If you're getting frayed edges on your cuts it's time to replace the blade. Don't cut yourself!
Fold-
-It may seem easy, but there is a little to it.
-You're working with paper, don't force it. If you warp the piece, try to straighten it out by folding along the edge again like an envelope.
If you're having trouble making the folds here's a couple extra tips:
1. There are times when folds are parallel and very close together and can be difficult with larger fingers like mine. I’ve learned to use a straight edge. In this picture the piece is so small that I had to use a razor blade as a backer, but normally
I just use a metal ruler in the same fashion. Brace the back of the fold with a hard straight edge and then push the fold over.
2.
Before you cut the piece out you can actually do some folding. This will help greatly if the pieces are small and difficult to work with. What I do now is prior to cutting any piece and after I've scored everything, I go through and cut the tab edges of every Valley fold and fold them up while still on the paper. This has sped up my pepping tremendously.
Glue-
-Once you know exactly what piece you need and where it goes get the hot glue gun ready. You can use other types of glue, but I find that hot glue works really well, gives it a little strength, fast drying and can be reheated to undo any mistakes.
-Start with the edge that is visually most important (generally the closest to the front).
The first tab is most important so take your time.. Use a little bit of glue along the tab and line up the corners of the edge with the tab to the corresponding edge without a tab and press them together. The hot glue tends to want to slip so you have a few seconds to make sure they are lined up. *Remember, line up the edges or ends of the tab, not the numbers.
-When gluing a long strip to something,
try starting in the middle. Find some fold lines that line up really well to a tab somewhere in the middle of your cut out piece. This will help eliminate those times of getting to the end and finding you are several millimeters too short... whoops.
-Don't force the shape, if your cuts are clean and straight and you are always gluing the corresponding edges completely parallel, then the pepakura piece will pull itself into the correct shape (it may not happen until you glue more pieces together).
-If you didn't get the pieces completely flush together it is okay, just don't glue an edge crooked.
-If you need to undo a glued tab, take the "nose" of the glue gun and wedge it between the two pieces, as you push it along it will reheat the glue holding them together. Alternately, you can just squeeze out a bunch of hot glue on the backside of that glued tab and it will heat the glue underneath the tab. The second method is more challenging, messy and hot, but it is quicker.
-To avoid the need to fix, work slowly and
one tab at a time. It may take a while, but I
never have good luck when I try to do more than two tabs at a time (unless they are really tiny tabs).
-Lastly, work
symmetrically. If you do a couple pieces on the left side, do the same ones on the right next. This will help you keep the piece even as you work and not wind up with a leaning tower of helmet.
-Remember, you're probably not going to get it 100% perfect so don't get frustrated. As you get closer to the end you can start leaving gaps or pinching it a little to fix some of the tension problems. Don't hesitate to cut something away or add a tab. There is going to be plenty more work to do so don't get hung up on the paper being perfect.
:thumbsup
