Making Sci-fi Buildings from Papier Mache.

[Roebeast45]

Here's an article that I wrote for Ravage Magazine US in 2013 about using Celluclay papier mache to mold sci-fi buildings. Enjoy!

http://roebeast.blogspot.com/2015/04/making-wargaming-buildings-from-papier.html

[Westfalia Chris]

Here's an article that I wrote for Ravage Magazine US in 2013 about using Celluclay papier mache to mold sci-fi buildings. Enjoy!

That approach fascinates me utterly. If I may ask, how rough is the surface after the material dries? Is it akin to the porous, 'pock-marked' stuff you occasionally get in electronics packaging, used as spacers instead of styrofoam?

I'm asking because I've been looking wide and far for a suitable way to build a large-ish flying saucer of a distinctive and complex shape. Shape-suitable dishes/bowls to use as a base are nowhere to be found or in a material that is unusable (e.g. polypropylene, polyethylene, glass) so I wonder if one could get such a dish and use it as a mould, but I would need to be able to smooth down the resulting pieces to a reasonably even finish (like cardboard would be fine, i.e. some fibres don't matter too much, but lots of small pits would be irritating).

[dijit]

Really nice work, I've been wondering about doing the same, but you've just gone and shown how well it works.
Thanks for sharing.

That approach fascinates me utterly. If I may ask, how rough is the surface after the material dries? Is it akin to the porous, 'pock-marked' stuff you occasionally get in electronics packaging, used as spacers instead of styrofoam?

I'm asking because I've been looking wide and far for a suitable way to build a large-ish flying saucer of a distinctive and complex shape. Shape-suitable dishes/bowls to use as a base are nowhere to be found or in a material that is unusable (e.g. polypropylene, polyethylene, glass) so I wonder if one could get such a dish and use it as a mould, but I would need to be able to smooth down the resulting pieces to a reasonably even finish (like cardboard would be fine, i.e. some fibres don't matter too much, but lots of small pits would be irritating).

I'd imagine thateven if it's quite rough, you could use car filler and sandpaper to smooth out the surface, these are techniques used by a lot of scratch builders.

[Roebeast45]

It is very similar to paper packing material but if you're using a plastic mold it actually comes out surprisingly smooth. I use Durham's Water Putty, which is a strengthened plaster, to fill surface pits and then spray varnish to coat the surface to make it more plastic-like. The only issue I could see with doing pieces like flying saucers would be a slight warping of the surface that happens as the shape dries. But this can be avoided somewhat by slower drying.

Like dijit said, car body filler and sandpaper can really work magic.

Years ago I was contacted about making large, 3'-4', flying saucers and started working on plans to build a hot-wire lathe to turn insulation foam. Depending on how big you need the final saucers to be you make look into something like that.

[ffrum]

"I've been looking wide and far for a suitable way to build a large-ish flying saucer of a distinctive and complex shape."

I have made large ships, mountains, abates, river sections from Styrofoam.  Give me an idea of the size of the saucer you want to build.  Should it have a lift off top and a detailed interior? 

If you would like, I will offer my ideas and  techniques to build your project.