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RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:35 am
by RAM_Doubler
Thought I'd take a break from sanding and start a pepakura build post.

This build is based on the awesome templates created by BazookaJo - located here - http://www.bazookajo.me.uk/PaperModels/Cylon/Cylon.htm. I had no appreciation for the amount of work that must have gone into these templates until I actually built it. It's a kick @$$ resource for any aspiring toaster.

Notes:
  • Before you start, do some reading about pepakura, and watch some youtube videos. There's tons of helpful info out there from other builders.
  • I used 110lb (199 g/m2) paper, it took maybe 50 sheets or 60 sheets?
  • I used wood glue, which dries a little slower than hot glue, but once it dries, it holds really well.
  • All the parts are numbers - assemble them in numerical order.
  • Lay out the pieces so you understand how everything goes together before you start assembly. Stopping to search for pieces or reference photos while you're covered in glue will get old fast.
  • Keep reference photos handy - you'll use them a lot. I used the BYC gallery extensively for photos like this - http://www.byyourcommand.net/cylongalle ... play_media, plus kropserkel's http://www.kropserkel.com/cylon.htm, and this page as well http://www.cylonempire.com/centurion.html
  • Use a sharp blade to cut with. Sharp tools are safe tools, and they'll make cleaner cuts
  • Label each piece - some pieces have their part "number" next to the piece instead of on the piece, due to its size. If you don't make sure every piece has it's identifying number, you'll have a harder time during assembly
  • Score all lines before you start assembly. Really. Do it. You'll be thankful for the sharp folds. This is especially helpful on small pieces and long folds.
  • Don't forget about scale! I'll try to remember to edit this post with finished measurements so you can make an educated guess at scaling the templates. Most every piece, including the helmet, fit me pretty well. I'm 5'9", 195lbs, and my tiny head is about 6" across. I'm not good at metric conversion, but I think that translates to height = 87 meters, weight = 62 stone, and head width is maybe 6 furlongs.
Mistakes I made:
  • The BazookaJo templates were created to be printed on the back side of mirror stock. If you print them on paper with the goal of resin-hardening and painting, remember that unless you print on the back side (putting the printing on the inside of your pieces), you are building a mirror image of how the templates were designed. What does this mean? You'll see that my gauntlets are MIRROR IMAGES of what they should be :frack: . Whoops - haha. I caught it in time to keep the backpack from being backwards, though
  • Precision cuts matter. You can make up for mistakes later, but the smaller the mistake, the less time you'll spend fixing it.
  • Precision gluing matters. Glue on the lines, and don't try to do too big of an area at once. If an area you just glued isn't set before you move on, it might slide out of position. Removing a mislaid piece is a pain in the @$$.

Let's get started!

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:44 am
by RAM_Doubler
Here's the tools I used:
- Pen
- Sharpie
- Xacto knife
- Brush
- Dotting tool
- Wood glue

I used a brush to apply the glue, so I could apply it easily to all the tabs and control how much glue I was putting down. The downside is that you have to clean the brush every 30 min or so, and you waste some glue (I made a small pool of glue on some aluminum foil and used that to load the brush as needed).

The dotting tool was stolen from my wife's fingernail polishing supplies. It's perfect for scoring lines before folding and gluing.

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:01 am
by RAM_Doubler
Build the helmet first.

Why? Because the helmet is awesome, and you can wear it around the house. You know want to, that's why you're building this, right? It's ok...you're among friends. :cylon: :cylon: :cylon:

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:14 am
by RAM_Doubler
Start to take note of the shape of the curves. Do your best to keep things as square and true as possible.

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:18 am
by RAM_Doubler
The overlap here took me a second to figure out. Take your time and be as precise as you can. The smoother you can make these pieces marry up, the less sanding and filling you'll have to do later (if your goal is to harden/paint your finished piece).

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:22 am
by RAM_Doubler
Here are the formers and their location. Not too proud to admit I first read "former" as meaning "previous" instead of "to help the piece keep its form"... that was really confusing for a few minutes. :bsglol:

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:28 am
by RAM_Doubler
It's starting to take shape, which is awesome.

Couple tips here.
- Trust the lines that show you where the bends should be.
- Make sure you get those tight corners glued down well before moving on
- You can see where I boogered up a corner that curves around the eye opening. I couldn't figure out how to bend the paper, get it glued down, and keep the paper from creasing.
- Binder clips are handy if you don't have enough hands to keep a piece in place while you glue it down.

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:36 am
by RAM_Doubler
Here you can see I've somehow gotten the back of the helmet ridge out of square. No idea how that happened, but I was able to get it mostly back into square as I added pieces later in the build.

Also note some of the dents and rough seams. It's going to happen, and it's not the end of the world. But you will have to deal with these later in the build as you sand and smooth out the pieces.

Also, putting your helmet on a lamp is a great way to visualize all of the seam work! Looks pretty awesome, huh?

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:44 am
by RAM_Doubler
- Note here that I'm doing my best to line up the black lines on the seams.
- I had a bit of overlap that I had to trim around the "cheek" bend
- Ugh, I really frakked up the ridge on the back of the head.

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:46 am
by RAM_Doubler
Looking good!

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:53 am
by RAM_Doubler
I used 2 layers of 3/16" foam core (.5mm?) on the mouthpiece. It was tough to figure how to get my fingers into the right spot to glue and hold the piece until the glue firmed its grip.

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:58 am
by RAM_Doubler
I didn't get my spacing very uniform on the mouth grill. I'm doing my best to shape it up with sanding and filing after applying resin. This is a prominent feature of the helmet, so my best advice is to take your time and get it looking as good as you can.

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:01 am
by RAM_Doubler
What are you waiting for? Put on your Cylon helmet already!

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:02 am
by RAM_Doubler
Centurian RAM_Doubler wonders what his wife does with all that nail polish...

Re: RAM_Doubler's Cylon Centurian - complete pepakura build

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:06 am
by RAM_Doubler
Made a couple mistakes here as I attached this piece to the eye opening:
- Used too much glue and oversaturated a few areas, which makes the paper fall apart and get wavy
- Didn't smooth the paper as I pulled it and held it down as the glue dried.