ccoyle

Figuerres:  You're right about the lantern. See below.
 
Thanks, Russ. If you do enough of those coils, you start to get the hang of it.
 
Final details and the finished model:  Although they weren't actually the very last items done, I'm treating the lantern, the anchors and the flagstaff as the final details. The lantern was made from an old street lamp that I found in my model railroad scrap box. The lamp portion was heavily reworked and the brackets were made from brass rod and brass strip. The anchors were made using the kit castings with the stocks made from boxwood. The cable was run back over the bitts back to the main hatch. The anchor bouys were made from pieces of tapered dowel and then rigged. The flag staff is shown on the plans, although it seems awkward with the boom. I chose to install it mostly because I liked the way it looked. 
 
Photos of the finished model follow the photos of the final detail work.
 
Bob

Building the skylights will introduce a couple of new techniques.  There are three skylights on the model, built using parts sets 39 and 40.

 
Parts 39 are two larger skylights located abaft the superstructure...

 
...and parts 40 are the skylight abaft the forward stack.

 
The only thing difficult about building the basic skylights is that the parts are now getting somewhat tiny and awkward to work with (tweezers, people, tweezers).  Parts 39a and 40a each have three fold lines to score, and the folds at the edges are almost 90 degrees, so the finished edge there will need some touch-up coloring (visible in the photos of the completed skylights).  Score the lines, cut out the parts, and make the folds.  When making the edge folds, it helps to grip the edge of the part with fine-tipped tweezers rather than pudgy fingers.  Parts 39b and 40b are designed to fit inside folded parts 39a and 40a; medium-cure CA is useful in this situation to get the tiny parts to grip quickly and hold securely.
 
Parts 39a and 40a have the skylight hatches printed on them, but you may choose to add optional doubled hatches (parts 39c and 40c).  These have tiny hinges, and the challenge here is how to cut the parts out without losing the hinges (if the challenge proves too difficult, just cut the hinges off - it won't make much difference).  When cutting out tiny parts like these, there are two techniques that will help greatly.  First, always cut away from inside corners, not towards them.  When cutting, the edge of your blade makes about a 45 degree angle to the cutting surface, and thus the heel of the blade finishes the cut at the top of the paper before the tip finishes at the bottom.  So, if you cut towards an inside corner of a part, the heel of the blade necessarily cuts into the printed area before the cut is completed all the way through the paper.
 
Second thing to be aware of is that as you draw your blade across a sheet of paper, you are actually pulling at the paper's layers of fiber.  As a result, the last layer of fiber at the bottom of the sheet of paper may actually tear rather than cut cleanly.  This isn't so bad on a large part, which can be trimmed, but it can be disastrous on ultra-tiny parts like the hatch hinges.
 
So how does one avoid this tendency to tear?  Simple - one doesn't pull the blade!  One pushes it instead, and here's what I mean:  In the following picture, I'm cutting out one of the 40c skylight hatches.  To cut the top edge of the hatch between the hinges, I start with the tip of my #11 blade right on the inside corner and push the blade down into my cutting mat.  This downward push actually cuts more than half the distance from the first hinge to the second.  To complete the cut, I reverse the part, and do the same thing starting at the opposite inside corner.  I use this same push-cut technique to do all the cuts along the hinge edges as well.

 
I cut all the hatches out rectangular to start with, but the corners are actually very slightly round, so the corners need to be removed.  The hatches are too small to effectively hold down with a fingertip while cutting, so I use the points of my tweezers instead.

 
Edge-coloring the tiny hinges can be troublesome, because the delicate hinges are easily damaged.  For these, I hold my marking pen lightly against the inside corners and allow the paper to wick the color into the edges.  Once all the hatches are cut out and colored, they are glued down to the skylights with PVA, and the finished skylights are mounted to the model.

That's certainly possible -- I downloaded mine years ago.  Makes me wonder what else may have been updated. 

Before starting the superstructure, take a few moments to study the diagram for that assembly.  The cover sheet artwork also has a nice view of that part of the ship.

 
Assembly of the superstructure starts with wrapping the walls (23b) around the deck piece (23a).  Score the fold tabs on 23b, along with the two fold lines where the wall wraps around the aft corners of 23a; after cutting it out, add the hatch door on the port side (part 55),  Now here's another tip - if you apply contact cement to only one surface to be joined, it doesn't grab as tightly as when both surfaces are coated, but it does allow a small amount of working time.  I glued 23a and 23b together with contact cement in the following order, applying the contact cement incrementally only to 23b:  starboard rear corner, starboard wall, front of the bridge, port wall, port rear corner.  When I got to the rear port corner, I discovered that the wall, 23b, was about 0.5 mm too long; if this happens to you, just trim the overage away from the end of the wall, crimp a new corner where the wall and corner meet, and then finish attaching the wall.  After the wall is completely attached, the superstructure roof (23c) can be added using PVA.  The finished assembly looks like this:

 
If you study the last image carefully, you can spot a minor error.  While I was dry-fitting 23b around 23a, the assembly slipped from my fingers.  It is a very rare person who can suppress the reflex to grasp at a dropped object, and I'm not that person!   As a result, there occurred a crease in the forward bridge wall (it runs down through the front porthole).  When card is creased like that, the crease is pretty much there forever.
 
Next, the superstructure assembly needs to be mounted to the main deck.  The kit supplies a couple of joiner strips for this task (parts 23d).

 
I happen to dislike such joiner strips for this job.  When paper is folded, the fibers in the paper have 'memory' - they want to return to their previous shape.  As a result, folded paper acts like a weak spring.  In this case, the folded joiner strips will have a tendency to push the superstructure assembly upward.  To avoid this, and to do a better job of positioning the superstructure walls, I prefer to add locator strips to the model.  These can be made from leftover chipboard or strip wood, if you have any lying around (what ship modeler doesn't?).  Here, I've sliced some ~1 mm wide strips from the edge of a chipboard sheet.

 
These are then cut to the appropriate length and glued down to the main deck just inside the superstructure outline.  The idea here is that the strips will position the walls exactly where they need to be, right on top of the outline.  Notice I've cut and shaped a piece for the curved forward bridge wall as well.  By the way, those colored patches on the deck are where I tested some markers for color matches to the kit.

 
I used ordinary white glue to mount the superstructure, because the fit with the locator strips is tight, and I wanted as much time as possible to get all the walls down over the locator strips.  The mounted superstructure should look like this, with nary a bit of white peeking from beneath the walls:

 
Back to Part V: Building V108 - The Hull

Next up is the conning tower.  The first thing to take note of is the parts are misnumbered.  This is not an uncommon error in card models, where the model, the diagrams, the parts sheets, and the instructions are often all produced by one person -- without the benefit of a proofreader and perhaps also without the hindsight of a beta build.  So, no big deal.  The misnumbered part is 27d, which should be 24a.  You'll also need 24b.  24c are the bridge wing support girders, which we won't need right away.

 
Normally, I would tell you to cut out 24b after scoring the fold lines and form it, but here's where you get the benefit of my building the model first.    There's a big error with part 24b -- once it is cut and folded properly, it doesn't fit!

 
So here's how I fixed the problem.  Cut part 24b apart along one of the rear fold lines.  Measure and remove the excess part of the rear panel.  We're going to put this excess colored panel to work.  Notice that at the back of the conning tower portion of the parts 23 sub-assembly, there are two glue tabs; those should actually be part of the conning tower wall.  Use the scrap piece from part 24b to make two rectangular panels to cover those glue tabs.  The finished task will look like this:

 
Part 24b is now in two pieces.  Glue the part with the rear wall to part 24a (the misnumbered '27d').  Now, use some scrap card to create a joiner tab for the two parts of 24b.  Attach it thus:

 
Add the rest of 24b (don't forget to color edges as you work!).

 
So -- problem fixed.  Next, add some joiner strips to the outline on top of the superstructure.

 
Glue the conning tower down with some white glue.

 
This assembly is a good example of the relative ease with which fit problems like this can fixed in the card medium.  I don't think plastic or resin would have been as easy!
 
One other thing to take note of in this section is what happens when you create a 90 degree fold in card:

The ink layer is only on the very surface of the paper; very sharp bends will tend to crack this layer.  Make sure to color the resulting exposed card fibers, either by painting or running a marker along the fold.

Next up is the conning tower.  The first thing to take note of is the parts are misnumbered.  This is not an uncommon error in card models, where the model, the diagrams, the parts sheets, and the instructions are often all produced by one person -- without the benefit of a proofreader and perhaps also without the hindsight of a beta build.  So, no big deal.  The misnumbered part is 27d, which should be 24a.  You'll also need 24b.  24c are the bridge wing support girders, which we won't need right away.

 
Normally, I would tell you to cut out 24b after scoring the fold lines and form it, but here's where you get the benefit of my building the model first.    There's a big error with part 24b -- once it is cut and folded properly, it doesn't fit!

 
So here's how I fixed the problem.  Cut part 24b apart along one of the rear fold lines.  Measure and remove the excess part of the rear panel.  We're going to put this excess colored panel to work.  Notice that at the back of the conning tower portion of the parts 23 sub-assembly, there are two glue tabs; those should actually be part of the conning tower wall.  Use the scrap piece from part 24b to make two rectangular panels to cover those glue tabs.  The finished task will look like this:

 
Part 24b is now in two pieces.  Glue the part with the rear wall to part 24a (the misnumbered '27d').  Now, use some scrap card to create a joiner tab for the two parts of 24b.  Attach it thus:

 
Add the rest of 24b (don't forget to color edges as you work!).

 
So -- problem fixed.  Next, add some joiner strips to the outline on top of the superstructure.

 
Glue the conning tower down with some white glue.

 
This assembly is a good example of the relative ease with which fit problems like this can fixed in the card medium.  I don't think plastic or resin would have been as easy!
 
One other thing to take note of in this section is what happens when you create a 90 degree fold in card:

The ink layer is only on the very surface of the paper; very sharp bends will tend to crack this layer.  Make sure to color the resulting exposed card fibers, either by painting or running a marker along the fold.

This really is a great tutorial Chris. The "warts and all" approach makes it seem that much more accessible to first timers.

Ack!  Almost forgot a few hull details.
 
Parts 21 are the propeller guards.  Small parts like these that have substantial cut-out areas are flimsy once removed from the sheet, so it helps to do some of the prep work while they're still on the sheet.  Start by coloring the reverse sides of the parts.  Then, cut out the inside white areas, but leave the outer edge attached.  You can then edge-color the interiors of the parts.  When the interiors are done, remove the parts from the sheet and color the outer edge.  Glue the guards to the hull with small amounts of PVA.  Note that the guards follow the curvature of the stern, so the left and right guards are not interchangeable.

 
The rudder (part 22) introduces a new kit feature, the two-sided part.

 
Score the fold line, then cut out the entire rectangle containing the part.  Apply glue to one-half of the back side of the part, then fold the rectangle in half.  You now have a rudder colored on both sides!  Remember, though, we're only using the part above the waterline, so go ahead and remove the red portion.  Color the trailing edge and then glue the rudder to the stern; there's a locator mark there to help you.  The rudder post will stick up above the deck just a little.
 
Here's the guards and rudder installed:

 
Okay, now we can move on to deck structures!
 
On to Part VI: Building V108 - The Superstructure

Very interesting.....Going to have to get my printer up and going so I can get in on this...
 
will be downloading the post and saving them on my computer...
 
Thanks very much....very nice and detailed tutorial

Ahoy Chris
 
Great build log. Thanks for taking the time to share. I will put one of these in my bucket.

Me too! A new experience for me and I'm really enjoying following this. Definitely going on my bucket list!

So am I!
 
Jan

Chris,
 
This is a superb tutorial both as excellent guidance and as a good read. I am looking forward to the next installment.

Thanks for your comments, guys!  It just so happens I have the next installment ready to go.
 
Once the laminated parts have had adequate time to dry, it is time to start cutting.  Here's the complete set of hull framing parts cut from their sheets.

Cutting leads right away to a serious question:  Do I cut on the line, outside the line, or inside the line?  This might seem like a silly question, especially considering that this kit has very fine line borders.  However, not all kits have such fine artwork, and (worse perhaps) there is no consensus among designers about whether the line is part of the part or not.  Moreover, if you use headband magnifiers while cutting, which I do because of my bad eyesight, you'll discover that even with very fine lines it is possible to cut on, outside, or inside.  So, how am I treating this particular kit, you ask?  Answer: I tend to cut along the inside edge of the line.  Be advised that if you use chipboard, the stuff is like rock compared to ordinary card.  My #11 blade tip broke on the second part, but have no fear - the remainder of the blade actually cuts chipboard better without the missing tip (the tip is essential for controlled cutting on plain card, though).  In fact, I only needed one blade to cut out all the 1 mm parts.
 
And now we can start gluing!  First thing to do is to glue the two halves of the hull base plate together.  I'm using Elmer's yellow wood glue -- it grabs pretty fast.  Glue the butt joint first, then use two pieces of scrap chipboard to reinforce the joint.

 
Once this is done, it's time to fix the hull base former to a temporary working base -- something rigid that will keep the hull from warping during construction.  I use a small piece of plate glass.  I used a spot of rubber cement at the bow, midships, and stern.  The rubber cement should allow the hull to be easily removed later (hopefully).

 
Next, start dry fitting the hull formers.  Remember -- fit twice, glue once!  It is important that the bulkhead formers sit flush with the longitudinal former.  Trim where necessary.

 
Some of the formers will need to be beveled where they meet curved portions of the hull.  The bow end of the longitudinal former will also need beveling.
 
 
Once all the formers are correctly trimmed, they can be glued to the hull base plate, starting with the longitudinal formers (two parts), then adding the eight bulkhead formers.  It is more important that the bulkhead formers are flush with the edges of the base plate than perfectly sitting on the locator lines, but they should be close.  Once all the formers are glued in, I add some extra weight to the hull so the finished model will have some 'heft' to it.  Here you can see where I've glued in some lead fishing weights.

 
Next comes the main deck.  Note that there are some red portions on these pieces -- these are to be cut or drilled out before assembly.  I don't worry too much about the drilling, because that is easily done on the assembled hull and isn't always necessary in any case.  The cut-out portions, however, should definitely be removed in advance.

 
At this point we may as well talk about edge coloring.  Cut paper has edges, obviously, and there are three schools of thought on how to treat these.  Some modelers don't color edges; to them, it's a badge of honor of sorts that indicates the model is made from card.  Personally, I find uncolored edges ghastly.  The second school are those that go to any length to find or mix watercolors, acrylics, or gouache that match the printed colors exactly.  These people will also fill and sand any gaps in the seams where necessary.  The Poles are masters at this technique, but it is a lot of work.  If that floats your boat, go for it.  I subscribe to the third school, the one that believes edges should be visually minimized.  The idea is to make the seams and exposed edges less obvious but not necessarily completely unnoticeable.  Thus, for this model, most any shade of gray felt-tip marker will suffice for edge coloring, since a gray edge on a gray model is far less obvious than a white edge on a gray model.  If you go this route, test your markers to make sure they don't bleed excessively into the paper fibers.
 
Once the deck edges are colored, the two halves are glued and reinforced in the same manner as the base plate.

 
Once that's dry, we can then glue the main deck down on the hull formers.  Apply glue to the tops of the formers, slip the deck over the two stack profiles that fit through the previously cut out slots, and make sure the tops of the formers are flush with the edges of the deck.

Ta-daaaa!
 
Finally, it helps to add some weight on top of the deck while the glue is drying.  Here I've added a couple of small but heavy books.  That's Ships of the Royal Navy on the right, a perfectly useless book in my opinion, and Retribution by Max Hastings on the left, a much more enjoyable volume chronicling the final year of the allied war against Japan.

 
Till next time!

First of all, never download a model from a third party file sharing site.  Always download models from the designer's own web site or a site authorized to host them.  Second, never buy CD's claiming to have "hundreds of models" from auction sites like eBay  -- these are inevitably scans of commercial kits.  If you shop at eBay or somewhere similar on-line, make sure the seller displays a photo of the printed kit booklet; it should have an artwork cover with the publisher's name plainly visible.

First of all, never download a model from a third party file sharing site.  Always download models from the designer's own web site or a site authorized to host them.  Second, never buy CD's claiming to have "hundreds of models" from auction sites like eBay  -- these are inevitably scans of commercial kits.  If you shop at eBay or somewhere similar on-line, make sure the seller displays a photo of the printed kit booklet; it should have an artwork cover with the publisher's name plainly visible.

First of all, never download a model from a third party file sharing site.  Always download models from the designer's own web site or a site authorized to host them.  Second, never buy CD's claiming to have "hundreds of models" from auction sites like eBay  -- these are inevitably scans of commercial kits.  If you shop at eBay or somewhere similar on-line, make sure the seller displays a photo of the printed kit booklet; it should have an artwork cover with the publisher's name plainly visible.

First of all, never download a model from a third party file sharing site.  Always download models from the designer's own web site or a site authorized to host them.  Second, never buy CD's claiming to have "hundreds of models" from auction sites like eBay  -- these are inevitably scans of commercial kits.  If you shop at eBay or somewhere similar on-line, make sure the seller displays a photo of the printed kit booklet; it should have an artwork cover with the publisher's name plainly visible.

The tools needed to get started in card modeling are ridiculously few.  Basically, you need a cutting tool and some glue.  Everything else is optional.
 
Here's some basic tools:

 
You'll need a self-healing cutting mat, available from most office supply or crafts stores.  Next, you need something to cut with.  Notice the lack of scissors in the picture.  Most card modelers rarely use them.  Instead, your garden-variety craft knife will do the job nicely and with more precision.  Get a good supply of #11 blades -- card can be surprisingly hard on them.  A steel rule is a must, not just for measuring, but more importantly for cutting straight lines.
 
Glue is, of course, essential.  A variety of glues will do the job, and each has merits and drawbacks.  Good ol' PVA glue, either white (such as Elmer's) or yellow (wood glue -- hey, paper is wood, you know) are good general purpose glues with one proviso: it must be remembered that PVA glues are water-based, and card or paper will absorb the glue and deform.  Thus, PVA is not good for gluing large surfaces together.
 
Cyanoacrylate glue, or CA (commonly known as 'Super Glue', which is a brand name), has its uses in card modeling.  Fast-cure CA can be wicked into card stock to stiffen it, and medium-cure CA is useful for gluing parts made of different media together, as well as for paper-to-paper bonds.
 
Contact cement (not to be confused with rubber cement) is a non-water-based glue and thus good for gluing large surfaces together where severe warping would occur with a PVA glue.  Contact cement sets rapidly, so repositioning of parts once they come in contact with each other is iffy at best.
 
Modelers in Europe have access to UHU-brand glues that some modelers swear by.  I haven't come across any myself, so I haven't had a chance to try them out.  Polish modelers, who seem to be born with a master card modeler gene in their DNA, use something called 'butapren'; I'm not a chemist, so I'm not familiar with what exactly butapren glue is, and it doesn't seem to be easily available in the US, possibly because it is a favorite of glue sniffers.  Perhaps someone with knowledge of this substance can fill us in.
 
Now, on to some optional stuff that you'll probably want to have on hand:

 
From left to right we have:
     blackened, annealed wire - an assortment of diameters is useful for making gun barrels, railings, etc.      styrene rod - card can be rolled into tubes, but for tiny tubes, styrene is often a better choice      assorted paint brushes - for painting, but also for aids in rolling tubes      tweezers      paint, marking pens, or other media for coloring cut edges (more on this later)      calipers - for measuring card stock thickness, especially when laminating sheets together      hobby pliers (not pictured) - for cutting and forming wire (end nippers, needle nose, round nose)  
Some other useful items to have are thin, flexible, clear acetate sheets (for glazing windows), matte clear spray varnish (for prepping parts sheets), and 3M spray adhesive (for laminating card and/or paper sheets together).  3M costs more than other brands, but take my advice, it's worth the money.  Cheaper brands don't coat as evenly and produce clumpier spray patterns.  Trust me -- I learned this the hard way.
 
I'm sure there's some other stuff I forgot to list, but I'll add those if and when I remember them.  Now, go get your supplies, and we'll move on to the model!
 
Back to Part III: Shopping for Card Models     On to Part V: Building V108 - The Hull

UPDATED 12/2022
 
The tutorial I will be writing will use a free kit as its subject, but supposing you wished to buy a paper model kit, where could you get one, and who makes the best kits?
 
The first question is rather easier to answer than the second, so we'll start by discussing the various publishing houses.  Few card model designers run their own publishing outfit; usually the designers farm their kits out to one or more publishing houses.  This makes it a little difficult to generalize about Publisher A versus Publisher B, because a designer might have his or her design published at both places.  Lesson: It pays to take note of who designed a particular kit you like, then look for that designer's work at different sites.  Something else to make note of is the date of publication.  CAD designing did not become commonplace until about the turn of the new century -- the earlier a kit is published prior to 2000, the more likely it is to be hand-drawn.  This is not to say that all hand-drawn kits are bad (they aren't) or that CAD-drawn kits are always preferable (they aren't either), but CAD-drawn kits usually have more and finer detail.
 
With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the major publishing firms.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, because due to the nature of the product and the fact that it can easily be electronically distributed, there are dozens of Mom and Pop sites that may have a limited offering available.  Here's a few of the better-known outfits:
 
WAK: This is currently my favorite Polish publisher and shop, as they have the best shipping rates to the US.
 
GPM:  GPM are one of the largest card model publishers in Poland.  They have a large selection of ship models in many scales, both in their own line and from many other publishers as well.  They also have an extensive inventory of after-market accessories.  Ordering by mail from Poland is usually not terribly expensive.  GPM's listed postage rates are steep, but according to reports from other modelers, GPM will calculate the actual postage charge and refund the difference between that and the rate calculated at their website.
 
Modelik:  Modelik carries only their own line of models, but as discussed previously, these are not all the work of one designer.  Modelik kits are generally well-regarded in the hobby.  Modelik charges a flat shipping rate of 15 EUR per order.
 
JSC:  JSC have an extensive line of ship models and are one of the few Polish publishers to offer a large selection of models in a scale other than the usual 1/200 favored in that country; JSC kits are normally either 1/250 or 1/400.  Many of JSC's kits are older hand-drawn designs.  JSC sells directly to the public and through other on-line retailers.
 
Kartonowy Arsenal (KA):  Better known by the surname of its owner and chief designer, Halinski, KA offer highly detailed models of mostly WWII warships.  Though often considered suited only for advanced modelers, the fact that they usually fit together so well eliminates some of the problems found in less well designed kits.  KA does not sell directly to the public. (EDIT (2022): KA does now sell directly from their site, although the ordering process is not what you might expect. You send an email specifying the products you wish to order, and then KA sends you a quote.)
 
Orel:  This Ukrainian publisher is relatively new to the scene, but they have been prolific.  They offer a large selection of mainly Czarist-era Russian vessels, including torpedo boats, destroyers, cruisers, and pre-Dreadnoughts in 1/200 scale.  Orel sells directly to the public as well as through larger firms like GPM. (UPDATE (Dec. 2022): Due to the current hostilities in Ukraine, Orel is not currently accepting orders.)
 
HMV:  The Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag is probably the premier German ship model publishing house.  Like other German publishers, their kits come in the 1/250 scale preferred in Germany.  They have a wide selection of mostly German warships, passenger ships, and merchantmen.  They also offer an extensive line of after-market detail sets.  HMV have been good about upgrading their designs, and several of their older hand-drawn models are currently being reworked as CAD models.  HMV does not sell directly to the public from their website.
 
Moewe Verlag:  Also known as Wilhelmshavener, this publisher has an extensive line of warships, passenger ships, and merchantmen in 1/250.  Ordering from them can be kind of tricky, since many of their kits are hand-drawn models dating as far back as the 1960’s, and this isn’t always obvious when browsing their website.  MV kits tend to be less detailed than HMV kits, but they have a broader selection and somewhat lower prices.  They don’t offer after-market detail sets.  Moewe kits can be purchased on-line from their website.
 
J F Schreiber:  Schreiber are the third major German publisher.  Their kits are, as a rule, less detailed than either HMV or Moewe, but they offer more kits of simpler subjects suited to beginning modelers.  They also offer more kits in 1/100 scale than other publishers.  Schreiber operates an on-line store.
 
Paper Shipwright:  Designer David Hathaway’s line of kits is unique in its extensive offering of monitors.  David also designs small passenger craft and working vessels.  These are generally very good kits and also reasonably priced, with a fair but not overwhelming amount of detail.  Paper Shipwright kits can be ordered directly from their website.
 
Shipyard: The premier publisher of card model sailing subjects. Shipyard kits are distributed in the US by Ages of Sail.
 
In addition to the aforementioned publishers, many excellent designs are available from smaller outfits, some notable ones of which include Digital Navy and Answer (perhaps not exactly 'small outfits', but their ship model selections are limited).  As noted, some of these publishers sell directly to the public, and some don’t.  Finding a retailer that carries the kits you want can sometimes be a taxing ordeal, but here are some of the more popular sites:
 
GPM, Orlik, and Model-Hobby are three of the larger Polish retailers, each carrying their own in-house models as well as designs from other firms.
Karton Modell Shop is a German retailer with a good selection from a variety of designers.
Marcle Models are one of the larger distributors in the UK.
Paper Model Store is practically the only US retailer with a broad selection of Polish kits.  None from Germany, though. (UPDATE: The PMS website has been inactive for years now, and the seller appears to selling on eBay these days.)
E-Cardmodels is a retail venue for a slew of small designers -- a lot of variety of subjects, scales, and degree of difficulty.
HMV are sold through Fentens Paper Models. As of December, 2022, HMV is looking for a new US distributor.
 
There are many, many other places to buy kits on-line, but these should get you started.  Have fun browsing!
 
Back to Part II: Start for FREE!     On to Pt. IV: Tools & Other Supplies

UPDATED 12/2022
 
The tutorial I will be writing will use a free kit as its subject, but supposing you wished to buy a paper model kit, where could you get one, and who makes the best kits?
 
The first question is rather easier to answer than the second, so we'll start by discussing the various publishing houses.  Few card model designers run their own publishing outfit; usually the designers farm their kits out to one or more publishing houses.  This makes it a little difficult to generalize about Publisher A versus Publisher B, because a designer might have his or her design published at both places.  Lesson: It pays to take note of who designed a particular kit you like, then look for that designer's work at different sites.  Something else to make note of is the date of publication.  CAD designing did not become commonplace until about the turn of the new century -- the earlier a kit is published prior to 2000, the more likely it is to be hand-drawn.  This is not to say that all hand-drawn kits are bad (they aren't) or that CAD-drawn kits are always preferable (they aren't either), but CAD-drawn kits usually have more and finer detail.
 
With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the major publishing firms.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, because due to the nature of the product and the fact that it can easily be electronically distributed, there are dozens of Mom and Pop sites that may have a limited offering available.  Here's a few of the better-known outfits:
 
WAK: This is currently my favorite Polish publisher and shop, as they have the best shipping rates to the US.
 
GPM:  GPM are one of the largest card model publishers in Poland.  They have a large selection of ship models in many scales, both in their own line and from many other publishers as well.  They also have an extensive inventory of after-market accessories.  Ordering by mail from Poland is usually not terribly expensive.  GPM's listed postage rates are steep, but according to reports from other modelers, GPM will calculate the actual postage charge and refund the difference between that and the rate calculated at their website.
 
Modelik:  Modelik carries only their own line of models, but as discussed previously, these are not all the work of one designer.  Modelik kits are generally well-regarded in the hobby.  Modelik charges a flat shipping rate of 15 EUR per order.
 
JSC:  JSC have an extensive line of ship models and are one of the few Polish publishers to offer a large selection of models in a scale other than the usual 1/200 favored in that country; JSC kits are normally either 1/250 or 1/400.  Many of JSC's kits are older hand-drawn designs.  JSC sells directly to the public and through other on-line retailers.
 
Kartonowy Arsenal (KA):  Better known by the surname of its owner and chief designer, Halinski, KA offer highly detailed models of mostly WWII warships.  Though often considered suited only for advanced modelers, the fact that they usually fit together so well eliminates some of the problems found in less well designed kits.  KA does not sell directly to the public. (EDIT (2022): KA does now sell directly from their site, although the ordering process is not what you might expect. You send an email specifying the products you wish to order, and then KA sends you a quote.)
 
Orel:  This Ukrainian publisher is relatively new to the scene, but they have been prolific.  They offer a large selection of mainly Czarist-era Russian vessels, including torpedo boats, destroyers, cruisers, and pre-Dreadnoughts in 1/200 scale.  Orel sells directly to the public as well as through larger firms like GPM. (UPDATE (Dec. 2022): Due to the current hostilities in Ukraine, Orel is not currently accepting orders.)
 
HMV:  The Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag is probably the premier German ship model publishing house.  Like other German publishers, their kits come in the 1/250 scale preferred in Germany.  They have a wide selection of mostly German warships, passenger ships, and merchantmen.  They also offer an extensive line of after-market detail sets.  HMV have been good about upgrading their designs, and several of their older hand-drawn models are currently being reworked as CAD models.  HMV does not sell directly to the public from their website.
 
Moewe Verlag:  Also known as Wilhelmshavener, this publisher has an extensive line of warships, passenger ships, and merchantmen in 1/250.  Ordering from them can be kind of tricky, since many of their kits are hand-drawn models dating as far back as the 1960’s, and this isn’t always obvious when browsing their website.  MV kits tend to be less detailed than HMV kits, but they have a broader selection and somewhat lower prices.  They don’t offer after-market detail sets.  Moewe kits can be purchased on-line from their website.
 
J F Schreiber:  Schreiber are the third major German publisher.  Their kits are, as a rule, less detailed than either HMV or Moewe, but they offer more kits of simpler subjects suited to beginning modelers.  They also offer more kits in 1/100 scale than other publishers.  Schreiber operates an on-line store.
 
Paper Shipwright:  Designer David Hathaway’s line of kits is unique in its extensive offering of monitors.  David also designs small passenger craft and working vessels.  These are generally very good kits and also reasonably priced, with a fair but not overwhelming amount of detail.  Paper Shipwright kits can be ordered directly from their website.
 
Shipyard: The premier publisher of card model sailing subjects. Shipyard kits are distributed in the US by Ages of Sail.
 
In addition to the aforementioned publishers, many excellent designs are available from smaller outfits, some notable ones of which include Digital Navy and Answer (perhaps not exactly 'small outfits', but their ship model selections are limited).  As noted, some of these publishers sell directly to the public, and some don’t.  Finding a retailer that carries the kits you want can sometimes be a taxing ordeal, but here are some of the more popular sites:
 
GPM, Orlik, and Model-Hobby are three of the larger Polish retailers, each carrying their own in-house models as well as designs from other firms.
Karton Modell Shop is a German retailer with a good selection from a variety of designers.
Marcle Models are one of the larger distributors in the UK.
Paper Model Store is practically the only US retailer with a broad selection of Polish kits.  None from Germany, though. (UPDATE: The PMS website has been inactive for years now, and the seller appears to selling on eBay these days.)
E-Cardmodels is a retail venue for a slew of small designers -- a lot of variety of subjects, scales, and degree of difficulty.
HMV are sold through Fentens Paper Models. As of December, 2022, HMV is looking for a new US distributor.
 
There are many, many other places to buy kits on-line, but these should get you started.  Have fun browsing!
 
Back to Part II: Start for FREE!     On to Pt. IV: Tools & Other Supplies

UPDATED 12/2022
 
The tutorial I will be writing will use a free kit as its subject, but supposing you wished to buy a paper model kit, where could you get one, and who makes the best kits?
 
The first question is rather easier to answer than the second, so we'll start by discussing the various publishing houses.  Few card model designers run their own publishing outfit; usually the designers farm their kits out to one or more publishing houses.  This makes it a little difficult to generalize about Publisher A versus Publisher B, because a designer might have his or her design published at both places.  Lesson: It pays to take note of who designed a particular kit you like, then look for that designer's work at different sites.  Something else to make note of is the date of publication.  CAD designing did not become commonplace until about the turn of the new century -- the earlier a kit is published prior to 2000, the more likely it is to be hand-drawn.  This is not to say that all hand-drawn kits are bad (they aren't) or that CAD-drawn kits are always preferable (they aren't either), but CAD-drawn kits usually have more and finer detail.
 
With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the major publishing firms.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, because due to the nature of the product and the fact that it can easily be electronically distributed, there are dozens of Mom and Pop sites that may have a limited offering available.  Here's a few of the better-known outfits:
 
WAK: This is currently my favorite Polish publisher and shop, as they have the best shipping rates to the US.
 
GPM:  GPM are one of the largest card model publishers in Poland.  They have a large selection of ship models in many scales, both in their own line and from many other publishers as well.  They also have an extensive inventory of after-market accessories.  Ordering by mail from Poland is usually not terribly expensive.  GPM's listed postage rates are steep, but according to reports from other modelers, GPM will calculate the actual postage charge and refund the difference between that and the rate calculated at their website.
 
Modelik:  Modelik carries only their own line of models, but as discussed previously, these are not all the work of one designer.  Modelik kits are generally well-regarded in the hobby.  Modelik charges a flat shipping rate of 15 EUR per order.
 
JSC:  JSC have an extensive line of ship models and are one of the few Polish publishers to offer a large selection of models in a scale other than the usual 1/200 favored in that country; JSC kits are normally either 1/250 or 1/400.  Many of JSC's kits are older hand-drawn designs.  JSC sells directly to the public and through other on-line retailers.
 
Kartonowy Arsenal (KA):  Better known by the surname of its owner and chief designer, Halinski, KA offer highly detailed models of mostly WWII warships.  Though often considered suited only for advanced modelers, the fact that they usually fit together so well eliminates some of the problems found in less well designed kits.  KA does not sell directly to the public. (EDIT (2022): KA does now sell directly from their site, although the ordering process is not what you might expect. You send an email specifying the products you wish to order, and then KA sends you a quote.)
 
Orel:  This Ukrainian publisher is relatively new to the scene, but they have been prolific.  They offer a large selection of mainly Czarist-era Russian vessels, including torpedo boats, destroyers, cruisers, and pre-Dreadnoughts in 1/200 scale.  Orel sells directly to the public as well as through larger firms like GPM. (UPDATE (Dec. 2022): Due to the current hostilities in Ukraine, Orel is not currently accepting orders.)
 
HMV:  The Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag is probably the premier German ship model publishing house.  Like other German publishers, their kits come in the 1/250 scale preferred in Germany.  They have a wide selection of mostly German warships, passenger ships, and merchantmen.  They also offer an extensive line of after-market detail sets.  HMV have been good about upgrading their designs, and several of their older hand-drawn models are currently being reworked as CAD models.  HMV does not sell directly to the public from their website.
 
Moewe Verlag:  Also known as Wilhelmshavener, this publisher has an extensive line of warships, passenger ships, and merchantmen in 1/250.  Ordering from them can be kind of tricky, since many of their kits are hand-drawn models dating as far back as the 1960’s, and this isn’t always obvious when browsing their website.  MV kits tend to be less detailed than HMV kits, but they have a broader selection and somewhat lower prices.  They don’t offer after-market detail sets.  Moewe kits can be purchased on-line from their website.
 
J F Schreiber:  Schreiber are the third major German publisher.  Their kits are, as a rule, less detailed than either HMV or Moewe, but they offer more kits of simpler subjects suited to beginning modelers.  They also offer more kits in 1/100 scale than other publishers.  Schreiber operates an on-line store.
 
Paper Shipwright:  Designer David Hathaway’s line of kits is unique in its extensive offering of monitors.  David also designs small passenger craft and working vessels.  These are generally very good kits and also reasonably priced, with a fair but not overwhelming amount of detail.  Paper Shipwright kits can be ordered directly from their website.
 
Shipyard: The premier publisher of card model sailing subjects. Shipyard kits are distributed in the US by Ages of Sail.
 
In addition to the aforementioned publishers, many excellent designs are available from smaller outfits, some notable ones of which include Digital Navy and Answer (perhaps not exactly 'small outfits', but their ship model selections are limited).  As noted, some of these publishers sell directly to the public, and some don’t.  Finding a retailer that carries the kits you want can sometimes be a taxing ordeal, but here are some of the more popular sites:
 
GPM, Orlik, and Model-Hobby are three of the larger Polish retailers, each carrying their own in-house models as well as designs from other firms.
Karton Modell Shop is a German retailer with a good selection from a variety of designers.
Marcle Models are one of the larger distributors in the UK.
Paper Model Store is practically the only US retailer with a broad selection of Polish kits.  None from Germany, though. (UPDATE: The PMS website has been inactive for years now, and the seller appears to selling on eBay these days.)
E-Cardmodels is a retail venue for a slew of small designers -- a lot of variety of subjects, scales, and degree of difficulty.
HMV are sold through Fentens Paper Models. As of December, 2022, HMV is looking for a new US distributor.
 
There are many, many other places to buy kits on-line, but these should get you started.  Have fun browsing!
 
Back to Part II: Start for FREE!     On to Pt. IV: Tools & Other Supplies

How would you like to have had the opportunity to build your first wooden or plastic model ship having spent nothing for the kit and knowing that you will have as many chances as you need to get it right without ever having to purchase the kit over again?  Uh-huh -- good luck with that!  But one of the beauties of card modeling is that you can do exactly that -- build your first model for free.  Or at least pretty close to free.
 
Many card model designers and/or publishers offer one or more free model kits.  These come in the form of a downloadable file, usually in PDF format.  You simply download the file, print out the kit on your printer using appropriate card stock, and you're off to the races!  So, technically the kit isn't completely free, since you have to buy the paper and supply the printer and ink, but you get the idea.
 
One thing to keep in mind when considering a downloadable model is that almost all designs from anywhere other than the U.S. are designed to be printed on A4 size paper.  Occasionally designers will make their designs optionally available in 8.5" by 11" format, but this is the exception rather than the rule.  U.S. modelers will need to scale their models to fit 8.5" by 11", or else print the full-size pages in multiple pieces, which wastes some paper and ink on redundant parts.
 
The nice thing about a free model is that if you ruin it during construction, you're not out of a lot of money, plus you can simply reprint one or more pages and you're back in action.
 
A WORD OF CAUTION!!  Many unscrupulous persons scan commercially available card model kits and then host them at third party file sharing sites -- these are not 'free models'.  They've been stolen.  DO NOT PATRONIZE SUCH SITES!  Not only are models obtained from such sites pirated and thus not welcome at MSW, but designing card models isn't exactly a lucrative business.  Buying card models from legitimate sources helps out our designer friends, who are very often fellow modelers as well as designers.
 
OK, so where can you download some free models?  Here are some sites to check out:
 
Models 'n' Moore:   This site offers a number of designs by the late Magnus Morck, mostly American Civil War gunboats.
Digital Navy:  The Admirable-class minesweeper has introduced many card modelers to the hobby.  A lightship, torpedo boat, and 1/700 scale HMS Dreadnought are also available.  Don't try 1/700 scale as a first card model, unless you are a masochist.
Paper Shipwright:  Several free models, of which the most detailed is the river monitor SMS Rhein.
Zioprudenzio:  Mostly Italian naval vessels in 1/400 and 1/200 scale.  Some of the smaller 1/200 models might be a first good project (no experience with them myself).  (EDIT:  Zio Prudenziati passed away in 2014, and the link to his old site no longer works.  I have been unable to find his models hosted elsewhere.)
 
There's others, but these are some of the most commonly used resources.  Give them a visit!
 
Back to Part I: What is a card model?   On to Part III: Shopping for Card Models

So what exactly is a “card model”?  A card model (more properly a paper model, since card is only one of many kinds of paper, though the terms card and paper are frequently used interchangeably) is simply a model made primarily out of paper.  Many modelers are surprised when they hear for the first time that a ship model can be made from humble paper, but paper as a modeling medium has a long history dating back to the early 20th century.  During World War II, paper was one of the few resources not heavily regulated due to the war effort, and paper models enjoyed a brief peak in popularity, even in America.  After the war, though, plastic model kits began to take over the market, and paper model kits eventually become so scarce that most modelers have never heard of them, except in the countries that formerly made up the East Bloc.  Communism may not have had much going for it as a system of government, but what it did do is preserve card modeling as an art form.  Because plastic models were prohibitively expensive in Eastern Europe, card modeling remained a popular hobby there.  Once the Cold War thawed, commerce started flowing between East and West, and one item in particular had a huge influence on card modeling: CAD technology.  Our card modeling friends in Eastern Europe were quick to apply computer-aided drafting to the art of designing card models, and as a result an ever-increasing number of card model designs became available with better artwork, more detail, and closer fit tolerances.  Although the number of Western designs is also increasing, for the most part the hobby is still dominated by designers and publishers from the East, particularly Poland, home to some of the preeminent publishing houses, including GPM, Modelik, JSC, Orlik, Maly Modelarz, and the company considered by many to be the gold standard of card modeling, Kartonowy Arsenal.  Germany is another leading producer of card models, with HMV, Moewe-Verlag, and J. F. Schreiber being some of the better-known publishers.
 
Paper has a number of selling points as a modeling medium, probably the most important of which is that it is relatively cheap.  With the prices of wooden and plastic kits exploding in recent years, the fact that most paper kits can still be purchased for under $20 US makes them attractive candidates for modelers with small budgets.  Paper Shipwright of the UK, for example, offer 44 ship designs in their catalog, none of which has a price tag greater than $16 US.  Of course, just like with wood or plastic, after-market additions can push the price of a card model project up considerably, but even with the cost of laser-cut or photo-etched details thrown in, a card model costing over $100 US is rare.  In addition to being inexpensive, paper is also versatile, and with careful manipulation can be molded into almost any three-dimensional shape.  A third advantage of card models is that they are, with very few exceptions, pre-colored, meaning that the color of the finished model is printed on the paper.  Modern graphic design programs allow designers to produce card model kits with exceptionally realistic weathering already printed on the model.  In most cases, painting or coloring of a card model is limited to the need to obscure the seams between adjacent parts.  And finally, card models require very few tools to get started – most people probably already have the basic cutting and gluing supplies in their house somewhere.
 
One of the most compelling reasons to try card modeling is that a card model kit that starts as a set of flat, printed sheets can be transformed into a stunning finished product.  There is a learning curve, of course, but hearing someone say, “I can’t believe that’s made out of paper!” upon viewing one of your finished card models never gets old.
 
An excellent one-stop site to see a variety of completed card ship models is the website for Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag, better known as HMV.  Their site is available in both German and English.  Enjoy!
 
Continue to Part II: Start for FREE!

So what exactly is a “card model”?  A card model (more properly a paper model, since card is only one of many kinds of paper, though the terms card and paper are frequently used interchangeably) is simply a model made primarily out of paper.  Many modelers are surprised when they hear for the first time that a ship model can be made from humble paper, but paper as a modeling medium has a long history dating back to the early 20th century.  During World War II, paper was one of the few resources not heavily regulated due to the war effort, and paper models enjoyed a brief peak in popularity, even in America.  After the war, though, plastic model kits began to take over the market, and paper model kits eventually become so scarce that most modelers have never heard of them, except in the countries that formerly made up the East Bloc.  Communism may not have had much going for it as a system of government, but what it did do is preserve card modeling as an art form.  Because plastic models were prohibitively expensive in Eastern Europe, card modeling remained a popular hobby there.  Once the Cold War thawed, commerce started flowing between East and West, and one item in particular had a huge influence on card modeling: CAD technology.  Our card modeling friends in Eastern Europe were quick to apply computer-aided drafting to the art of designing card models, and as a result an ever-increasing number of card model designs became available with better artwork, more detail, and closer fit tolerances.  Although the number of Western designs is also increasing, for the most part the hobby is still dominated by designers and publishers from the East, particularly Poland, home to some of the preeminent publishing houses, including GPM, Modelik, JSC, Orlik, Maly Modelarz, and the company considered by many to be the gold standard of card modeling, Kartonowy Arsenal.  Germany is another leading producer of card models, with HMV, Moewe-Verlag, and J. F. Schreiber being some of the better-known publishers.
 
Paper has a number of selling points as a modeling medium, probably the most important of which is that it is relatively cheap.  With the prices of wooden and plastic kits exploding in recent years, the fact that most paper kits can still be purchased for under $20 US makes them attractive candidates for modelers with small budgets.  Paper Shipwright of the UK, for example, offer 44 ship designs in their catalog, none of which has a price tag greater than $16 US.  Of course, just like with wood or plastic, after-market additions can push the price of a card model project up considerably, but even with the cost of laser-cut or photo-etched details thrown in, a card model costing over $100 US is rare.  In addition to being inexpensive, paper is also versatile, and with careful manipulation can be molded into almost any three-dimensional shape.  A third advantage of card models is that they are, with very few exceptions, pre-colored, meaning that the color of the finished model is printed on the paper.  Modern graphic design programs allow designers to produce card model kits with exceptionally realistic weathering already printed on the model.  In most cases, painting or coloring of a card model is limited to the need to obscure the seams between adjacent parts.  And finally, card models require very few tools to get started – most people probably already have the basic cutting and gluing supplies in their house somewhere.
 
One of the most compelling reasons to try card modeling is that a card model kit that starts as a set of flat, printed sheets can be transformed into a stunning finished product.  There is a learning curve, of course, but hearing someone say, “I can’t believe that’s made out of paper!” upon viewing one of your finished card models never gets old.
 
An excellent one-stop site to see a variety of completed card ship models is the website for Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag, better known as HMV.  Their site is available in both German and English.  Enjoy!
 
Continue to Part II: Start for FREE!