Paul's Corner

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Grats!

Fabulous system.

[Paul B]

Thanks, gents.

Pete, we need to get you, ed and I together again at a con. Good Times!!!

Redleg, not a laser cutter, but a craft cutter, like the Cricut. Picture a dot-matrix pinter with a swivel xacto blade instead of a print head. I have used it for cutting styrene to craft foam. Getting stuff labeled and stored in its really helps keep me focused and motivated to paint. I get to see what I have accomplished as each case gets put on the bookshelf.

[Paul B]

Here are some WIP of a Pz IV F2 company.

I started adding stowage to a platoon.

[Begemot]

Very nice. Very nice, indeed.


Begemot

[pmskaar]

Excellent work on those Panzer IVs, Paul! I love the little extra details you have added to them.

[redleg]

Those are beautiful Paul!

[chrisswim]

Those look sweet, Paul.

[Hoth_902]

Paul,

Nice work on your PzIVs. Where did you get the small turret numbers go under the side port? Also, can you give details on the tools and products you used to make the foam cutout for your storage boxes? Maybe even a mini tutorial on how you did it. I currently use Wood Card Boxes and then cut divides from bass wood. Its very time consuming and probably does not project as well as what you are using for dividers. I was thinking I could use the foam in my card boxes.

[foxbat]

Impressive tanks. Your panzer commander looks really convincing.

[Paul B]

Gentlemen, you all honor me with your words.

Hoth, The number set is https://www.ghqmodels.com/collections/d ... lack-white. I'm working on a mini tutorial as you requested regarding the foam cases.

Foxbat, the tank commander is part of an stl file set I got for 15mm ww2 figures. The ability of the 3d printer to shrink files, and to let me merge stuff opens many doors. BTW, nobody mentioned the case of Moselle in the back rack of the platoon commanders tank. I'll put it more prominently on future vehicles.

[Paul B]

As requested, here is a mini tutorial of the foam cases.

The items I use.

The white machine is Silhouette Cameo, a vinyl design cutter, The black sheets are craft foam sheets, which are about 2mm thick. Lastly, there is the VHS case. The foam is layered to make the case. The bottom layer is a full sheet, while all the subsequent layers have holes cut to the dimensions of the tank/vehicle.The layers are glued together with Aleene's tacky glue, allowed to dry, and then you have the case.

Here is a picture of the cutout for the Pz IV F2's

The seventeen cutouts are then arranged in one layer. and repeated. I can get 3 layers from one sheet of craft foam.


I then send it to the machine, and after 30 minutes, I have 9 layers of craft foam with holes cut out and aligned. One full sheet without holes (Base layer) and 8 with the holes. Here is a picture of the sheet coming out of the machine, followed by all the sheets cut and ready for glue. You have to pluck the cutouts from the sheet.


Each layers is glued to another, and stacked.


In the end, you get a custom case for your micro-armor.


BTW, I screwed up this one, and did not make the cutout for the barrel long enough. I'll use this tray for Pz IV e's instead. LOL!!

[redleg]

That is awesome Paul! I'm super impressed! Thank you for sharing your process and tools!

[Paul B]

Thanks, Redleg. The things you can do with that digital cutter is amazing, it is like an 'an alogue' laser cutter. in addition to foam carriers, I've used it making for scratchbuilding. It's cut .01 styrene sheets to convert epic scale terminators, shingles for n-scale roofs, bases for infantry. I lea4ned of its uses on a model railroad forum. I've even used the software to make decals.