Getting those important folds sharp and square

[Chubber]

This is how I make tight neat folds in Scalescenes texture papers in order to give a good impression of solidity and neatness. Two essential tools, a sandpaper 'plane' and a stiletto are easy to make or buy. Without these you will be lucky to achieve the desired objective of square edged forms, tightly wrapped in a clean 90 degree fold. The sandpaper plane is just a convenient way of holding a strip of sandpaper at 90 degrees to the work surface. The piece of wood from which it is made MUST be square in section to start with. [The cutting mat squares are at 1 cm spacing] The stiletto can, at its simplest be a large darning needle. The important point to notice [pun intended] is that the point is needle sharp, yet very smoothly formed. Dragged over your thumb-nail there should be no scratchy hook or roughness to the point. This I achieve by working it over 1000 grit wet and dry paper. It is that important, because you will use it to score halfway through printed texture papers without snagging them, even when damp from glue.

 

Rule 1. No round edged former will ever wrap up to make a square edged component. Rule 2. There is only Rule 1.

 

Rub all 4 sides to get a smooth square edged block. Then lightly sand off any raised rough corners.

 

 

Cut a piece of paper that wraps all round plus about 1/4"

 

 

Smear with stick-type adhesive and place the component on top, in the centre. Either prick two holes from the pattern the othervside to line up on or draw a guide line. Now, with the stiletto gently scribe/score down the side of the work so as to rupture only the top surface layers. Too hard and you have cut it, too soft and the fold won't be crisp.

 

 

Fold this edge over. Notice the sharp fold, and we haven't started to flatten it out yet?

 

 

Repeat this all round, pressing the first and second sides firmly against the cardboard, but just lightly pressing down the 'closing' folds.

 

 

A wallpaper seam roller is perfect for the job of maintaining sharp corners.

 

 

Now you should have a wrapped up component, with three sides firmly pressed down, and an overlapping side, just lightly stuck down together.

 

 

Now, on the overlapped side, cut down the length of the overlap, being sure to cut through BOTH layers. This needs a very sharp, preferably new blade, or the paper, weakened by the glue will tear and drag. Immediately after cutting through, peel back these layers, remove the outer strip, pick off the inner strip and lay down the wrapped layers where they will miraculously match perfectly. I have shown a straight edge in use, it isn't really necessary. Roll all round and you should, with a little attention to details have a near invisible joint, like that below.

 

 

Now the finishing touch. Burnish with your knife handle or similar dead smooth tool to create an even sharper edge. Anyone who has ever put an edge on a cabinet scraper will know exactly the way to do it!

 

 

 

With any luck you will have a convincing column of brickwork with sharp right angled corners. I hope this helps some one. Doug

[pewky]

HI Doug,

 

 

nice piece of advice.

Thank you

 

 

luc

[Ramblin Rich]

Thanks Doug - just the sort of tutorial that a forum is good for

I must admit the colouration of the paper is convincing & makes up for the lack of relief in the mortaring - I don't think I could paint embossed plasticard as good as this - although older walls tend to have less indented motar lines anyway (well, that's my impression....)

[Scalescenes]

Brilliant Doug! Many thanks for adding this guide. Out with my modeller's sanding pads, I'm building myself one of Doug's excellent sanding planes, a much better way to tidy up the sides of base layer blocks!

 

If I can also add... To glue the initial block squarely I place it on flat surface and butt it against an engineer's square or even a small piece of steel angle.

 

 

 

I also find this jig very useful for similar tasks (combination of two cheap adjustable combination squares on to a single ruler - an idea from Fine Scale Modeler magazine).

 

[Guest stuartp]

Sandpaper plane - brilliant ! Useful for so much more than getting square corners on chimneys too, my current sanding thing is a bit of stripwood with some 80 grit stuck to it with double-sided tape, it gets more use than any of my files.

 

Thanks !

[Campaman]

Sanding plane looks execllent, now wheres that old Jenga game I had, as I recon those wooden blocks are going to make a good sanding plane. Could also have other uses.

[Tel2010]

Hi Doug

Great Stuff !!, got to make me one of those sandpaper planes,my thanks also for sharing these tips ,anything to make life easier gets my vote.Terry

[Chubber]

Thank you for your replies, John, that is a great idea about the back to back squares!

 

Doug

[Dr.Glum]

Hello Doug,

 

Content like you've given is just what I hope to see in RMweb - the basics that make or break a model. Thank you for the service.

 

In case anyone is wondering where they'll get the stiletto or darning needle, may I offer an alternative reliable scoring item? I use a worn Stanley knife blade which has become too blunt for continued general use around the house or for DIY or garden. Typically the last mm of the point has 'dissappeared' and become rounded in use, and does not feel sharp to a fingertip rubbed across it. A couple of tests with the typical paper that you print on and you'll get the feel of how hard gives you a sharp crease without cutting through. Mine takes two medium strokes along the fold to get what I need. The thinness of the blade allows you to create the score really close to the apex of the corner.

 

I'd qualify the above to say that it matters whether the paper will be wet or dry when you score and this is down to the glue you're using and which surface you apply it to (glue stick, PVA, spraymount, etc). Obviously, damp paper is more prone to snagging or ripping and you'll have to learn what is right for you.

 

I don't bother keeping the blade in a knife, but then, there are no children around. If you're concerned about accidents, wrap most of it with duct tape - it's probably only the middle that's still sharp. I also write the word "scorer" on it with OHP pen/felt tip, so that it doesn't get discarded.

 

Cheers, Tony

[dasatcopthorne]

Hello Doug,

 

Content like you've given is just what I hope to see in RMweb - the basics that make or break a model. Thank you for the service.

 

In case anyone is wondering where they'll get the stiletto or darning needle, may I offer an alternative reliable scoring item? I use a worn Stanley knife blade which has become too blunt for continued general use around the house or for DIY or garden. Typically the last mm of the point has 'dissappeared' and become rounded in use, and does not feel sharp to a fingertip rubbed across it. A couple of tests with the typical paper that you print on and you'll get the feel of how hard gives you a sharp crease without cutting through. Mine takes two medium strokes along the fold to get what I need. The thinness of the blade allows you to create the score really close to the apex of the corner.

 

I'd qualify the above to say that it matters whether the paper will be wet or dry when you score and this is down to the glue you're using and which surface you apply it to (glue stick, PVA, spraymount, etc). Obviously, damp paper is more prone to snagging or ripping and you'll have to learn what is right for you.

 

I don't bother keeping the blade in a knife, but then, there are no children around. If you're concerned about accidents, wrap most of it with duct tape - it's probably only the middle that's still sharp. I also write the word "scorer" on it with OHP pen/felt tip, so that it doesn't get discarded.

 

Cheers, Tony

 

 

 

 

I must say, I've now given up trying to uses layers of cut card to make butresses etc. and have turned to strip wood of the same size. I get ti either from DIY stores of model aircraft dealers. Dead easy to use.

[bertiedog]

As I once worked for Hamblings I had to make up showroom samples for the Biltizzi range of card model buildings that they marketed, they were on a grade of cartridge paper just bordering on card. They are still marketed.

 

 

To fold, I used a "bone", an old ivory paperknife which was sanded down to a fine blade tip, and polished with brasso to make it very slick indeed.

 

This is used to pre-score cuts, as well as folding, and was used to raise details on the stonework, and around windows. To work up raised areas from the inside I also use old bic ball point pens, very useful indeed on stone walls.

 

To get the best effects several printed sheets were used, same as multi printing Scalescenes, and window frames would be double, lintels trebled and so on, with white edges touched in with water colours.

 

Doors were recessed, or left open, window sashes half dropped etc., all these details make or break printed paper models.

 

Brick courses were scored from the outside, and roofs have alternate lines of scoring inside and out along tile courses to get the correct relief patterns.

 

The side of the ivory knife was smooth enough to run as a planisher over the corners of brick columns and corners to sharpen them, and polished ivory will not mark the printing.

 

If the art work is good then the whole thing can out do a more scratch built version, and in half the time.

 

Now it is not legal to use new ivory, and un-ethical, but if you find an old paperknife in a sale, then use it after restoring the blade. Obviously steel can substitute, but the ivory has advantages.

 

The main complaint I got was from Hamblings, that the samples were too good, as average assembly could not approach the samples, but anybody with care can get the same results from card.

 

Stephen.

[Chubber]

As I once worked for Hamblings I had to make up showroom samples for the Biltizzi range of card model buildings that they marketed, they were on a grade of cartridge paper just bordering on card. They are still marketed.

 

 

To fold, I used a "bone", an old ivory paperknife which was sanded down to a fine blade tip, and polished with brasso to make it very slick indeed.

 

This is used to pre-score cuts, as well as folding, and was used to raise details on the stonework, and around windows. To work up raised areas from the inside I also use old bic ball point pens, very useful indeed on stone walls.

 

To get the best effects several printed sheets were used, same as multi printing Scalescenes, and window frames would be double, lintels trebled and so on, with white edges touched in with water colours.

 

Doors were recessed, or left open, window sashes half dropped etc., all these details make or break printed paper models.

 

Brick courses were scored from the outside, and roofs have alternate lines of scoring inside and out along tile courses to get the correct relief patterns.

 

The side of the ivory knife was smooth enough to run as a planisher over the corners of brick columns and corners to sharpen them, and polished ivory will not mark the printing.

 

If the art work is good then the whole thing can out do a more scratch built version, and in half the time.

 

Now it is not legal to use new ivory, and un-ethical, but if you find an old paperknife in a sale, then use it after restoring the blade. Obviously steel can substitute, but the ivory has advantages.

 

The main complaint I got was from Hamblings, that the samples were too good, as average assembly could not approach the samples, but anybody with care can get the same results from card.

 

Stephen.

 

 

That is interesting, Stephen. I used to have an agate burnisher which sounds much like your ivory tool. It had a pen-knife like end and a ball shaped end joined by a 4-5" mahogany handle, and I used it in decoupage and modelling for years until it went, together with my Pa's 'Lambsfoot' penknife and other irreplaceables when the boot of my car was forced. No doubt about it, burnishing edges can result in great improvements to card work.

 

Doug

[Captain Kernow]

I do like the idea of the sandpaper plane, although I've had satisfactory results using a large file on sections of laminated card.

 

I've used a brass pin in a pin vice to score the back of the brick paper, very similar effect, but the principle is sound and it's very good advice to someone who might not have thought of this.

 

All in all, a very useful thread indeed!

[Chubber]

I do like the idea of the sandpaper plane, although I've had satisfactory results using a large file on sections of laminated card.

 

I've used a brass pin in a pin vice to score the back of the brick paper, very similar effect, but the principle is sound and it's very good advice to someone who might not have thought of this.

 

All in all, a very useful thread indeed!

 

Thank you, looking at your excellent cottages the brass pin clearly works very well for you! Lovely stuff.

 

I find the long fine point of my needly thing useful for all sorts of jobs, from picking up small gluey pieces to place them in position to helping to cut window frames etc in thicker card.

 

For this job I pierce the card in the corners of the cut outs, holding the device vertically to do so. This allows me to turn the card over halfway through, and using the needle holes, accurately line up the steel rule on the unprinted side to complete a cut without straining. As traditional 9" walls scale up to 3mm, it means I can use 3mm card for walls in one go, instead of laminating.

 

Doug

[autocoach]

For the stiletto, just use a large sewing needle in a pin vise. mine is an invaluable tool for all model building.