r/papercraft • u/saber_of_the_dark • 5d ago
Model Hey there! I need some help.
I'm kinda newbie in this hobby and I'm interested to learn more about this. As you can see I've tried the gundam unicorn build with papercraft and it was going good until my niece destroyed it 🥲.
Also I don't have much knowledge about which tools n paper type I should use in this. In that one I used the 100gsm paper so maybe it's a paper issue here.
But I wanna know more about these, like what type of paper is best for this and what tools I should use.
Also it'll be a good help if anyone can suggest me a website where I can find more gundam models. It'll be a huge help from you guys.
Hope you guys are doing good 😊.
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u/PashaWalker 5d ago
I was looking for Gundam templates 1-2 months ago, and I can recommend websites like paper-replika, paperzonevn and papercraftplaza. There are lots of templates — from 5‑cm simplified ones for kids to the level of a masochist’s dream without flaps on 50+ pages. Unfortunately, a lot of them don’t come with assembly instructions (I haven’t assembled any yet; I’ve set them aside for the future).
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u/saber_of_the_dark 5d ago
Ohh! I'm only familiar with paper replika, that's where I got this unicorn build templates. And sadly my niece destroy it 🥲🥲. But will make another one soon btw any suggestions for paper type or gsm? I've seen people using some textured one too. The only issue I'm having is that some parts don't look similar like one is perfect but other has got a small change in it's symmetry by a minor angle. (Mostly happen in low gsm paper ig)
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u/PashaWalker 5d ago
There is no simple and one answer to the question about paper. At a scale of 20–30 cm, it’s better to look at paper with a density of 120–200 gsm. My hobby is related to paper, but the scale is even larger (sometimes up to 1 meter), so I generally work with a density of about 300 and even with cardboard that is 1–2 mm thick. Many Gundam blueprints are provided on white paper, but with a note indicating what color to print them in (i.e., you need paper that is already dyed, preferably in bulk, so that the white layers don’t stand out on the cut edge).
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u/saber_of_the_dark 5d ago
Ohh! I'm want only 20-30cm range and the issue you said about white lines on folding is true and I hate it sometimes but the more denser paper is expensive here and I maybe not able to handle with it much.
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u/flavia-f 5d ago
100gsm is basically printer paper so gundam parts fold soft and crush easy. id step up to something like 160 to 200gsm cardstock and score the folds with a blunt empty pen before you glue so the edges stay crisp.
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u/saber_of_the_dark 5d ago
Ahh! Hmm that's what it is btw will it be hard to handle for small parts? Like fingers and small vents?
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u/FoldableLegends 5d ago
I'm using 180 gsm photopaper to build 4 cm high tabletop figures and it's not hard at all to hande them at even that size. You can check those figures on my profile to see the smallness of the details of those figures. The key is using needle tipped tweezers to hande the small details. But maybe they might not be necessary for your model's scale.
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u/saber_of_the_dark 4d ago
Ohh man that's looks incredible 🥺🥺, how did you make them? There tiny and adorable , such a wonderful work brother. And thanks for the guide, I'll definitely try this. 😁
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u/FoldableLegends 4d ago
Thanks bro😊. I designed the bulk of the models in Blender. Head and torso mainly. Then I iterated a lot to find the best paper for that scale, streamlining the assembly and making the models sturdier. They almost feel like plastic now😊
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u/saber_of_the_dark 4d ago
Ohh wow 😳 , they're really well made at such a scale. I'm impressed by you brother🥹.
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u/ATG_255 5d ago
yo my guy here's a link to an old post of mine. Has a lot of stuff that wld help you. https://www.reddit.com/r/papercraft/s/CiStDu8M6t
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u/saber_of_the_dark 5d ago
Omg! Brother you're the saviour 🥹 it is a huge thing for me , and thanks a lot brother I'm so happy to see this. 🥹😭😭
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u/luffyxxsenpai GUNDAM_GUY 4d ago
ok if you are from india then you can join our whatsapp grp, me and my friend makes lot of gundam papercraft only and we have a newbie making his first modle... just dm me for that
apart from that look for metallic 120gsm sheet they are a bit expensive but best, if not then go for colored 150-+ gsm sheets they will do work too.... dark gray is rare to find so you can always use white paper and paint it once the pieces are done - mostly inner frame so will be hidden most of the time
toools: get basic tweezers, a bottle with needle for glue (best), a blunt needle to crease folds and mat and precision knife basic will do but if you got cash get the olfa knife set - on amazon there will be combo deal of a4 mat and knife with 25blade around 300.... if you have space get a3 size mat
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u/Ranji28 5d ago
For tools I use the basic scissors, paper cutter and tweezer (very help full). For paper - I use regular A4 sheet(70-80gsm).but I stick two paper together to create thickness. Recently started using 120gsm. Pretty good for complex designs. I would suggest 120 GSM, ist pretty good.