Browsing Metafilter today, I found some links to papercraft websites. I used to like making model kits as a kid, and I still have some of them lying around the place, but I haven't done any new modelling in years.
Card modelling has always held appeal for me for several reasons:
- it runs the gamut from straightforward to highly challenging
- it doesn't require a vast array of tools
- it's very inexpensive
While looking through the papercraft links posted to Metafilter, I found two other reasons:
- there are tons of free paper models on the Web that can be downloaded and printed
- the quality of some of these models is amazing
Which was enough to motivate me to investigate further, which led me here, a site with a freely downloadable Piper Cub model, highly recommended for beginners.
Well it took me 7 hours and I made some mistakes, but the result is now hanging from the ceiling.
Total cost: 7 hours of time, 2 sheets of card, some printer ink and a little PVA glue. I think it was worth it.
Time permitting, I'd like to get more practiced at this so that I can attempt some of the more complex models out there. Just look at some of these awesome models, all freely downloadable.
- Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial
- AT-ST from Return of the Jedi
- Yamaha Motorcycles
- Lens Head Recon Robot
- USS Grissom from Star Trek III
- Lightcycle from Tron
- USS Reliant from Star Trek II
There are many more. I'd love to have some of them on display. It's tempting to think that, with effort and patience, maybe I could.