First Project-Army of Two Mask pepakura questions

[Vorian]

So I though for my first project I decided I would try something I though was simple, I was wrong about that. I went with a Army of Two Mask. I scaled it correctly based off the finished pepakura. I have worked with pepakura before in an 3D art class but, guess it is to be expected the mask turned out funny. Do to the concave and convex nature of the mask, and turning straight pieces of stiff paper into curved shape some of my glue came apart while I was gluing it together. So my first question since I did not see this in the pepakura sticky I was wondering in order to help reduce the stiffness and make the paper a bit more malleable when folding and gluing. I though I might role the paper around a rolling pin a few times, would that be a bad idea? Not sure if that would be a good idea because the one I made was not that stiff and flopped around a bit, and I am using 110 lb card stock.

Also I saw that some people used glue and it was more or less my preference. I watched a a tutorial and some guy used gorilla glue, but when I used it it took forever for it just to cure enough to let go of the card stock, also it sort of turned into foam in spots and expanded along with other issues. I stopped after two pieces and tried a paper craft glue stick. That did not work that well either. I then used rubber cement. It cured relatively fast and I can rub off any excess that might be squished out of the folds or dripped onto the pieces. One other benefit is that I can take a hair drier to it and separate the pieces (depending on how much time has passed) with out damaging them. I was wondering if anyone else has tried rubber cement and if anyone knows how it will react with resin , or should I just use a hot glue gun?

 

[Carpathia]

Whenever I build a piece with a very defined curve, I pre-curve it using a pen or dowel rod, depending on the radius of the curve. So, pre-curving it is a viable method.

With the rubber cement, if you can separate the pieces with a hair dryer, then it's possible that the curing resin will heat up enough to affect the glue. I would be weary. I have always Elmer's white glue and always get great results with it.

Also, you could have put this in the FAQ sticky. Questions like this could benefit everyone.

 

[rah66]

To soften the cardboard for folding/bending you can spray (not soak) it with pure alcohol (like used for disinfection). It will try off very quick and without leaving any traces.
- not tried by myself but my designer flatmate told me so, and has used it already. She said if nothing else available, perfume would work as well... (on your own risk, though)

 

[JayOneSeven]

I like to make a tin foil bowl by simply placing a sheet of foil over a small glass or something. I then put a dab of Elmers into it (no more than a moderate pea sized amount). I then use a toothpick, or cocktail stick, dip it in the glue, and apply it to the tab of Pep. The stick allows for me to smooth the glue out over the entire flap, and keeps my fingers clean. The toothpick can fit into tight to reach places that your fingers can't.
The glue will dry in the bowl (becoming better and better to work with until it finally sets) and you can just peel it out of the bottom and throw it away.
Once done, scrunch up your bowl, throw away your toothpicks, and you should have a clean, tidy work station free of glue drips, dishes, and tools.

That's just my preference for gluing pep :]

 

[Carpathia]

I like to make a tin foil bowl by simply placing a sheet of foil over a small glass or something. I then put a dab of Elmers into it (no more than a moderate pea sized amount). I then use a toothpick, or cocktail stick, dip it in the glue, and apply it to the tab of Pep. The stick allows for me to smooth the glue out over the entire flap, and keeps my fingers clean. The toothpick can fit into tight to reach places that your fingers can't.
The glue will dry in the bowl (becoming better and better to work with until it finally sets) and you can just peel it out of the bottom and throw it away.
Once done, scrunch up your bowl, throw away your toothpicks, and you should have a clean, tidy work station free of glue drips, dishes, and tools.

That's just my preference for gluing pep :]

I something similar. Instead of foil, I use a plastic lid from a case that a roll of electrical tape comes in. I squeeze about a quarter-size amount of Elmer's onto that and let it tack up while I do something else (a few minutes is enough). To apply, I use an old nail file. When the glue dries, it just peels right off of the lid and the nail file, leaving a clean surface. No mess, very little waste.