Layering Cardboard to make weapons?

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ensamvarg

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Hey everyone,

I was thinking about making a weapon of some sort using cardboard and bondo.
They key to the idea that popped in to my head is to make several pieces of cardboard the you sandwich together.

Kind of like this (from the front):

I
III
IIIII
III
I

I hope you get the point.

Has anyone tried this?

I was thinking of making cross sections in Adobe Illustrator and cutting the cardboard using the laser cutter we have at school and then
detailing and smoothing it with bondo.
 
Well, I won't have to worry about cutting since the laser will do that for me. Clean and crisp. :)

After I finish my helmet I might give it a try.
 
Yup ive been layerig on my AR. Check my thread (below this ATM). I used about 6 layers in one place to get the detail. Its the easiest way to get the detail to.
 
This is what I did too. For most of the parts I used matboard as a base layer for its strength, then I layered thin and corrugated cardboard until I got the effect that I wanted. It really does work well and it's easy to boot.
 
Laser cutting cardboard ? Where do you work :p Sounds like it would work though. Youll just have to mentally draw out all the different layers to make the approriate details.
 
drgon47 said:
Laser cutting cardboard ? Where do you work :p Sounds like it would work though. Youll just have to mentally draw out all the different layers to make the approriate details.

I work at Arizona State University and in the College of Design we have 2 small laser cutters for styrene and cardboard. And a 3D printer. The 3D printer would be perfect to use but just the helmet would cost $600 to print...

If I can find a software that can make cross sections I won't have to mentally do it myself. So far I haven't found an easy way to do it though.
 
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smilie120 said:
w8! wouldent lazer cuttig cardboard be a fire hazard? would it cut or just burn?

It will smoke a little and the edges will be darkened by the laser but it won't catch fire.

The Architecture students use it all the time to make their landscaping models.
 
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fascinating toy there ensamvarg. :cool:

I thought of buying a 4x8 sheet of blue styrene foam at lowe's for $10 and chopping it into smaller pcs then laminate them together into a block to cut (hot wire) a weapon. Railroad hobby folks make mountain lanscapes using the same techniques.

-dwoo
 
ensamvarg said:
I work at Arizona State University and in the College of Design we have 2 small laser cutters for styrene and cardboard. And a 3D printer. The 3D printer would be perfect to use but just the helmet would cost $600 to print...

If I can find a software that can make cross sections I won't have to mentally do it myself. So far I haven't found an easy way to do it though.

They've got laser cutters at ASU? Awesome.
 
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haha, that was my original plan, but i decided to go with resining a cardstock model since i'm extremely lazy.

i donno if you've found the software yet, but i got a great idea which i just might try.

get the 3ds or kmz for the piece you want to make and open it in google sketchup. then just run horizontal or vertical lines through it and around, then separate the pieces. you should be able to unfold it in pepakura after you've saved it as a kmz ver4.

may not be the best idea ever, but its a start.
 
Solidworks has an automatic cross-section feature.

You could also import a model of the gun you want to make, and do a sketch at each cross-section plane so you can get an idea of what it'd look like. Or, if you can laser soft plastic, oversize each layer and sand or machine it to shape.

Balsa might also be good for this, too- just put a hard coating of paint on it.
 
I very much reccomend not doing that. VERY MUCH.
Simply because it wastes alot of cardboard and time, I tried that with a Non-Linear Gallien rifle, and didnt turn out that well. It still kicked butt, but not as great as it should.

Just make it like this:
|_|, where its hollow in the middle.
 
CemreTas said:
I very much reccomend not doing that. VERY MUCH.
Simply because it wastes alot of cardboard and time, I tried that with a Non-Linear Gallien rifle, and didnt turn out that well. It still kicked butt, but not as great as it should.

Just make it like this:
|_|, where its hollow in the middle.
agreed , thats how i built my spartan lazer (like this l_l) and i used solid foam in some parts on the inside to make it nice and sturdy
 
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