PaperCraft or paperhammer models (home builds)

As another hobby i like to construct my own warhammer tanks etc this is normally called papercraft or paperhammer. i use Plastic card (ABS) normally 1mm or .38mm. Here i will put up pictures of my finished models.

  now that i own a laser cutter i am experimenting to see if i can use it to help cut out these models for me. As the laser cutter was bought for other reasons i am not to bothered if it is not viable

my first few tests yielded poor results wasting a fair amount of plastic card. the heat build up was just to much and a lot of the plastic just curled up like a crisp wrapper in a fire.

having spent a while messing around i decided that cutting .38mm card was just not going to work

Above is the best results i manage using .38mm card and a very simple turret design. from a distance the results look pretty good but a close up looks poor, the edges that should be 90degree are round and the edges have curled up from the heat. i used the lowest power settings and the fasts speed that allowed for accurate cuts to get these results. i may come back to .38mm but for now ill just stick to 1mm and hand cut .38

i am now building a Typhon heavy siege tank from 1mm using the laser cutter to see if it is viable

so far the results look promising pretty much all the corner seem to be in tacted with minimal curving and no curling up. there is however the usual raised edges around the cuts similar to what you get when you cut plastic with a scalpel and it just scrapes of. there is also a slight discolouration on the plastic where it is cut i think this is because a put a mdf board under the plastic when is being cut i will try swapping this for a sheet of metal or mount board next time i cut some.

i tried covering the mdf board in tin foil which was unmarked by the laser this had the effect of removing leaving no discolouration however as it dispersed the laser i reflected back upwards and outwards giving a very poor cut. 

after making one from mount board i have decided that the results are superior and will now make everything using mount board 

 Click on the name to get a construction log

Caestus Assault Ram (no log) jan 2013
hand cut plasticard

Caestus Assault Ram mark two (build log) jan 2014
laser cut mount board

Marauder Bomber and Destroyer (build log) jan 2013

hand cut plasticard

 

Storm Eagle (build log) feb 2013
hand cut plasticard

Thypon Siege tank (build log) march 2013
laser cut plasti card
Thypon tank mark 2 (build log) sep 2013
laser cut mount board

FellBlade super heavy tank (build log) may 2013
laser cut plasticard

build so far on hold got bored of it

thunderhawk (build log) May 2013
Thunderhawk mark 2 (build log) Aug 2013
Thunderhawk mark 3 (build log) Sep 2013
Painted Mark 3 Thunderhawk
all laser cut mountboard

Imperial guard Chimera (build log) may 2013
laser cut mount board

laser cut buildings etc

MDF versions

lightning strike fighter Aug 2013
laser cut mount board

wood tanks Sep 2013
laser cut mdf

Warhound titan (build log)  sep 2013
laser cut mdf