Feeling discouraged

[fallow]

I printed out and assembled my first papercraft today and feel that maybe this isn't for me.

First of all I am very happy with Mech Attack, the rules are great and the price is right.

My problem seems to be papercraft in general.

After printing out mechs, infantry, terrain, buildings that's about $30 in ink plus $10 in paper.

It took quite some time to cut and glue just one infantry and one medium mech as well. I'm using scissors, xacto & cutting board, 110# cardstock, superglue and a marker for edging in black.

Aside from the long assembly time I also felt the mech mini was a bit flimsy. The arm weapons weren't at the right angles and kept tilting every time I moved the mech.

I also noticed that I couldn't see the details on the mech very well and could hardly see ANY detail on the infantry unit. This was due to the room lights being directly overhead shining down on the 2d side of the minis.

I guess you need good indirect lighting for papercraft minis?

What about storage? With AT-43 or Mechwarrior minis I can toss them in a box and they're fine but with the delicate paper minis what do I do? It would take quite a lot of storage boxes to keep them all in one safe layer.

Whiny aren't I?

I guess I just got my hopes up with the really cool rules and awesome pictures on the cover. My mech doesn't look nearly as nice.

Probably just me being impatient, having bad eyesight and not very skilled in cutting out details.

Feel like an idiot printing out EVERY SHEET in the Mech Attack bundle before trying it out.

Should I keep at it or move on?

Thanks!

[WaffleM]

Don't feel too discouraged. It takes some time to develop paper mini skills. It took me about a full week to make up a full tan army and several of the minis became rubble markers (mainly due to my edge marker slipping- go slowly).

The weapons being off may be due to the slots being cut too large.

I use matte photo paper for a crisper image. And even though the photo paper is thinner than cardstock, they are still really durable. I store mine in a plastic food container or tackle box. Since they don't "clink" like metal, there's no paint to chip.

As far as paper versus metal/plastic miniatures: even with the cutting and assembly time, I find them still faster and WAY cheaper than metals. But this is my personal preference. Several players here use Mechwarrior or other miniatures and that's totally fine. As long as your playing the game and having a good time, that's all that matters.

[tugunmojo]

Keep at it. As you go along, you will develop your own rhythm and cutting techniques that will speed your building process. Also, include a friend to help you out. However, if you later decide that papercraft isn't your thing, you can use other models--such as MechWarrior--and keep this awesome rules. However, don't quit yet. You've seen the photos, so you know that these models are possible to make. Just have some patience with it and keep at it.

Finally, let me give you a hint to a common mistake. Some people try to cut out the whole model, front and back, then glue. Instead, score (lightly cut, but not all the way through) where the front and back meet, then fold the two side together, and glue. After it dries a bit, cut out one side (I always cut the front). This way, both the front and back are cut out at the same time, saving me time.

The below picture isn't Mechs, but hopefully will give you an idea of what I am talking about.

[fallow]

The slots were hard to cut right. I'd probably do much better overall with an SD or robocutter but at $189 I'd need to have more jobs for it.

How thick a material can they handle?
Can they cut out wargame counters?

Thanks!

[fallow]

Mar 12, 2011 22:46:29 GMT -5 WaffleM said:

Several players here use Mechwarrior or other miniatures and that's totally fine.

I thought of that and I have minis from MW, AT-43, Grind I could use but I like your 'style' of art and most of all the interchangeable weaponry/equipment.

Grind tried doing something similar but used snap-in arms instead of rare earth magnets like I and many others suggested.

[fallow]

Can the SD cut plastic sheeting?

The website showed magnet paper that they sold but has anyone tried plastic?

Sandwiching a sheet of plastic between the folded paper would make the mechs stronger and reduce wear on the paper I would think. Foam would be too thick.

[WaffleM]

I've only ever used my cutter to cut paper, so I don't know if it can handle other materials. After I have my minis assembled, I usually hit them with a light coat of clear acrylic spray to protect them. I haven't found any problems with their durability and I don't think I've been overprotective with them. They wouldn't survive being stepped on, but then neither would metal or plastic minis...

[Dagger]

Ditto... it just takes a little practice to see what works best for you. I like to use a glue stick myself... then I use scissors for straight cuts and an xacto-type blade for detail work. Like Tugunmojo said, folding/gluing first and then cutting is the best way to do it.