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

Once the laminated parts have dried, it is time to start cutting.  Here's the complete set of hull framing parts cut from their sheets.
 

 
Right away you might wonder, do I cut on the line, outside the line, or inside the line?  This might seem like a silly question considering that this kit has very fine borders.  But not all kits have such fine artwork. Worse perhaps is that there is no consensus among designers about whether the line is part of a part or not.  And 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 lines.  So, how should we treat this kit?  Answer: I tend to cut along the inside edge of the line.  Be advised that if you use chipboard, it is like rock compared to ordinary card.  My #11 blade tip broke on only 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! The first step 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 bottom 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 apply a spot of rubber cement at the bow, midships, and stern.  The rubber cement will allow the hull to be easily removed later.
 

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

 
Some of the frames will need to be beveled where they meet curved portions of the hull.  The bow end of the longitudinal frame also needs beveling.
 
 
 
Once all the frames are correctly trimmed, they can be glued to the hull base plate, starting with the longitudinal frames (two parts), then adding the eight bulkheads.  It is more important that the bulkheads are flush with the edges of the base plate than perfectly sitting on their locator lines, but they should be close.  Once all the frames are glued in, add some extra weight to the hull so the finished model will have some 'heft'.  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. The red areas need to be cut or drilled out before assembly.  Don't worry too much about the drilling, because it can be done on the assembled hull.  But the cut-out portions definitely should be removed in advance.
 

 
Now's the time to discuss edge coloring.  As you can see, the cut-out parts have white edges. 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.  To the second school belong those that go to great lengths to find or mix watercolors, acrylics, or gouache to match the printed colors exactly.  These people may also fill and sand any gaps in the seams.  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, not necessarily invisible. For this model, most any shade of gray felt-tip marker will suffice for edge coloring. A gray edge on a gray model is far less conspicuous than a white edge on a gray model.  If you choose this option, test your markers to make sure they don't bleed too far into the paper fibers.
 
Once the deck edges are colored, the two halves can be glued and reinforced in the same manner as the base plate.
 

 
Once that's dry, we can then glue the main deck down onto the hull frames.  Apply glue to the tops of the frames, slip the deck over the two smokestack profiles. Note that the stack profiles fit through the slots we previously cut from the deck. Make sure the tops of the bulkheads are flush with the deck edges.
 

 
It helps to add some weight on top of the deck while the glue dries.  A couple of small but heavy books will do. 
 

 
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.

UPDATED JULY 2024
Only a few tools needed to get started in card modeling.  At the very least, you need a cutting tool and some glue.  Everything else is optional.
 
Here are 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. Most card modelers do not use scissors.  A garden-variety craft knife does the job nicely and with more precision. Some card modelers use scalpels. 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 work. Each has its own merits and drawbacks.  PVA glue, either white (e.g., Elmer's) or yellow (wood glue) are good general purpose glues. Lately I have grown fond of Evergreen's Canopy Glue, which is a PVA-type glue that grabs quickly and dries fast. Bear in mind that PVA glues are water-based, and card can absorb the glue and deform. PVA is therefore not a good choice for gluing large surfaces together.
 
Cyanoacrylate glue, or CA ('Super Glue'), has its uses.  Fast-cure CA can be wicked into card stock to stiffen it. 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. Contact cement sets rapidly, so repositioning of parts once they come in contact with each other is not possible.
 
Now, on to some optional items.
 

 
From left to right:
     blackened, annealed wire - an assortment of diameters is useful for making gun barrels, railings, etc.      styrene rod - card can be rolled into tubes, but styrene is often a better choice      assorted paint brushes - for painting and as aids for 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'll add other items if I remember them. Now, go get your supplies and let's build a model!
 
Back to Part III: Shopping for Card Models     On to Part V: Building V108 - The Hull

UPDATED 7/2024
 
This tutorial is based on a free kit. But supposing you wished to buy a paper model kit, where could you get one?
 
Let's start with The Big Question on everyone's mind: Who makes the 'best' kits? The first thing you must do is separate in your mind the concepts of best kit and best kit designer. They are not the same thing. Some designers publish their own models, but many don't. Their kits are printed by various publishing houses -- often more than one. This fact makes it difficult to generalize about this publisher versus that publisher. Your favorite designer might have his designs printed by multiple publishers.  The lesson here is that it pays to take note of who designed a particular kit you like. Then you look for that designer's work at various publishing houses.  Another thing to make note of is a kit's date of publication.  CAD designing did not become commonplace until about the turn of the new century. Prior to that, kits were hand drawn. Thus, the older a kit is, the more likely it is to be hand-drawn.  This doesn't mean that hand-drawn kits are necessarily bad. It just means that an older kit may not live up to the current standards detail, fit, and artwork.
 
With all that in mind, let's take a look at some of the major publishing firms.  This is by no means an exhaustive list. It's just to give you a sample of what's available. You can follow the embedded links to each publisher's website.
 
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. 
 
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. 
 
JSC:  JSC have an extensive line of ship models. They are one of the few Polish publishers to offer a large selection of models in scales 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.
 
Kartonowy Arsenal (KA):  Better known as Halinski, KA offer highly detailed models.  KA kits are best suited for advanced modelers.
 
Orel:  This Ukrainian publisher is prolific.  They offer a large selection of Czarist-era warships, sailing vessels, and Civil War ironclads, mostly in 1/200 scale. 
 
HMV:  The Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag is probably the premier German ship model source.  Their kits are published in 1/250 scale, the scale preferred in Germany.  They have a wide selection of warships, passenger ships, and merchantmen.  They also offer an extensive line of after-market detail sets.
 
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 older hand-drawn models, and this isn’t indicated in the product description.  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.
 
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: A publisher of sailing subjects in 1/72 and 1/96 scales. Shipyard kits are available in the US from Ages of Sail.
 
Seahorse: Sailing subjects in a variety of scales.
 
In addition to the publishers just listed, there are some e-commerce sites that sell card models in general. I'll list a few of them here.
 
Karton Modell Shop (Germany)
Marcle Models (UK)
E-Cardmodels (digital downloads only)
 
Have fun browsing!
 
Back to Part II: Start for FREE!     On to Pt. IV: Tools & Other Supplies

UPDATED 7/2024
 
This tutorial is based on a free kit. But supposing you wished to buy a paper model kit, where could you get one?
 
Let's start with The Big Question on everyone's mind: Who makes the 'best' kits? The first thing you must do is separate in your mind the concepts of best kit and best kit designer. They are not the same thing. Some designers publish their own models, but many don't. Their kits are printed by various publishing houses -- often more than one. This fact makes it difficult to generalize about this publisher versus that publisher. Your favorite designer might have his designs printed by multiple publishers.  The lesson here is that it pays to take note of who designed a particular kit you like. Then you look for that designer's work at various publishing houses.  Another thing to make note of is a kit's date of publication.  CAD designing did not become commonplace until about the turn of the new century. Prior to that, kits were hand drawn. Thus, the older a kit is, the more likely it is to be hand-drawn.  This doesn't mean that hand-drawn kits are necessarily bad. It just means that an older kit may not live up to the current standards detail, fit, and artwork.
 
With all that in mind, let's take a look at some of the major publishing firms.  This is by no means an exhaustive list. It's just to give you a sample of what's available. You can follow the embedded links to each publisher's website.
 
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. 
 
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. 
 
JSC:  JSC have an extensive line of ship models. They are one of the few Polish publishers to offer a large selection of models in scales 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.
 
Kartonowy Arsenal (KA):  Better known as Halinski, KA offer highly detailed models.  KA kits are best suited for advanced modelers.
 
Orel:  This Ukrainian publisher is prolific.  They offer a large selection of Czarist-era warships, sailing vessels, and Civil War ironclads, mostly in 1/200 scale. 
 
HMV:  The Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag is probably the premier German ship model source.  Their kits are published in 1/250 scale, the scale preferred in Germany.  They have a wide selection of warships, passenger ships, and merchantmen.  They also offer an extensive line of after-market detail sets.
 
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 older hand-drawn models, and this isn’t indicated in the product description.  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.
 
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: A publisher of sailing subjects in 1/72 and 1/96 scales. Shipyard kits are available in the US from Ages of Sail.
 
Seahorse: Sailing subjects in a variety of scales.
 
In addition to the publishers just listed, there are some e-commerce sites that sell card models in general. I'll list a few of them here.
 
Karton Modell Shop (Germany)
Marcle Models (UK)
E-Cardmodels (digital downloads only)
 
Have fun browsing!
 
Back to Part II: Start for FREE!     On to Pt. IV: Tools & Other Supplies

UPDATED 7/2024
 
This tutorial is based on a free kit. But supposing you wished to buy a paper model kit, where could you get one?
 
Let's start with The Big Question on everyone's mind: Who makes the 'best' kits? The first thing you must do is separate in your mind the concepts of best kit and best kit designer. They are not the same thing. Some designers publish their own models, but many don't. Their kits are printed by various publishing houses -- often more than one. This fact makes it difficult to generalize about this publisher versus that publisher. Your favorite designer might have his designs printed by multiple publishers.  The lesson here is that it pays to take note of who designed a particular kit you like. Then you look for that designer's work at various publishing houses.  Another thing to make note of is a kit's date of publication.  CAD designing did not become commonplace until about the turn of the new century. Prior to that, kits were hand drawn. Thus, the older a kit is, the more likely it is to be hand-drawn.  This doesn't mean that hand-drawn kits are necessarily bad. It just means that an older kit may not live up to the current standards detail, fit, and artwork.
 
With all that in mind, let's take a look at some of the major publishing firms.  This is by no means an exhaustive list. It's just to give you a sample of what's available. You can follow the embedded links to each publisher's website.
 
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. 
 
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. 
 
JSC:  JSC have an extensive line of ship models. They are one of the few Polish publishers to offer a large selection of models in scales 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.
 
Kartonowy Arsenal (KA):  Better known as Halinski, KA offer highly detailed models.  KA kits are best suited for advanced modelers.
 
Orel:  This Ukrainian publisher is prolific.  They offer a large selection of Czarist-era warships, sailing vessels, and Civil War ironclads, mostly in 1/200 scale. 
 
HMV:  The Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag is probably the premier German ship model source.  Their kits are published in 1/250 scale, the scale preferred in Germany.  They have a wide selection of warships, passenger ships, and merchantmen.  They also offer an extensive line of after-market detail sets.
 
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 older hand-drawn models, and this isn’t indicated in the product description.  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.
 
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: A publisher of sailing subjects in 1/72 and 1/96 scales. Shipyard kits are available in the US from Ages of Sail.
 
Seahorse: Sailing subjects in a variety of scales.
 
In addition to the publishers just listed, there are some e-commerce sites that sell card models in general. I'll list a few of them here.
 
Karton Modell Shop (Germany)
Marcle Models (UK)
E-Cardmodels (digital downloads only)
 
Have fun browsing!
 
Back to Part II: Start for FREE!     On to Pt. IV: Tools & Other Supplies

UPDATED JULY 2024
How would you like try building a model for free? Not only that, but how would you like to have as many attempts at completing it as you need without buying a replacement. 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 publishers offer one or more free model kits.  These usually come in the form of a downloadable PDF file.  You simply download the file and print the kit on appropriate card stock.  Technically the kit isn't completely free, since you supply the printer, paper, and ink, but you probably already have these on hand.
 
One thing to keep in mind when considering a downloadable model is that almost all designs from anywhere other than the U.S. are formatted for A4-size paper.  Occasionally designers will make their models available in 8.5" x 11" format, but this is the exception rather than the rule.  U.S. modelers will need to scale their models to fit 8.5" x 11" or print the full-size pages in multiple pieces. The latter option wastes some paper and ink on redundant parts. With a free model, 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 be right back in action.
 
A WORD OF CAUTION!!  Many unscrupulous vendors scan commercially available card model kits and then host the files at third party file sharing sites. Such are not 'free models'.  They've been stolen.  DO NOT PATRONIZE SUCH SITES!  Models obtained from such sites are pirated and thus violate MSW's site guidelines. Besides, designing card models isn't a lucrative business.  When you buy card models from legitimate sources, you help out our designer friends, who are often fellow modelers as well as designers.
 
So where can one 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.
 
Paper Shipwright:  Several free models of both warships and working boats.
 
Give them a visit!
 
Back to Part I: What is a card model?   On to Part III: Shopping for Card Models

UPDATED JULY, 2024
So what exactly is a “card model”?  A card model, or paper model, is simply a model made primarily out of paper.  Many modelers are surprised to learn that a ship model can be made from humble paper, but paper as a modeling medium has a long history.  During World War II, paper was one of the few resources not heavily regulated due to the war effort. As a result, paper models enjoyed a brief peak in popularity, even in America.  After the war, plastic model kits began to take over the market. Paper model kits eventually become scarce, except in the former East Bloc countries.  Communism didn't offer much as a system of government, but it did preserve card modeling as an art form, because plastic models were prohibitively expensive.  When the Cold War thawed, commerce started flowing between East and West, including CAD technology.  Our card modeling friends in Eastern Europe were quick to apply computer-aided drafting to the art of designing card models. As a result, an ever-increasing number of card models became available with better artwork, more detail, and tighter fit tolerances.  For the most part, the hobby is still dominated by designers and publishers from the East. Poland, in particular, is home to some of the preeminent publishing houses, including GPM, Modelik, JSC, Orlik, Maly Modelarz, and 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. Chief among these is that card kits are relatively cheap.  The fact that most paper kits can still be purchased for under $20 US, even in 2024, 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 US$16.  Of course, just as for wood or plastic kits, 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 US$100 is rare.  In addition to being inexpensive, paper is versatile. With careful manipulation it can be molded into almost any three-dimensional shape.  A third advantage of card models is that they are almost always pre-colored. The color of the finished model is printed right on the paper.  Modern graphic design programs allow designers to produce card model kits with exceptionally realistic weathering. Painting or coloring of a card model is usually limited to coloring the edges of cut parts to hide seams.  Finally, card models require very few tools to get started. Most people already have the basic cutting and gluing supplies in their house somewhere.
 
One of the most compelling reasons to try card modeling is the wow factor. A card model kit that starts as a set of flat, printed sheets can be transformed into a stunning finished model.  There is a learning curve, of course, but hearing someone say, “I can’t believe that’s made out of paper!” upon viewing your finished card model never gets old.
 
An excellent one-stop site to see a variety of completed card models is the gallery at kartonowki.pl. Enjoy!
 
Continue to Part II: Start for FREE!

UPDATED JULY, 2024
So what exactly is a “card model”?  A card model, or paper model, is simply a model made primarily out of paper.  Many modelers are surprised to learn that a ship model can be made from humble paper, but paper as a modeling medium has a long history.  During World War II, paper was one of the few resources not heavily regulated due to the war effort. As a result, paper models enjoyed a brief peak in popularity, even in America.  After the war, plastic model kits began to take over the market. Paper model kits eventually become scarce, except in the former East Bloc countries.  Communism didn't offer much as a system of government, but it did preserve card modeling as an art form, because plastic models were prohibitively expensive.  When the Cold War thawed, commerce started flowing between East and West, including CAD technology.  Our card modeling friends in Eastern Europe were quick to apply computer-aided drafting to the art of designing card models. As a result, an ever-increasing number of card models became available with better artwork, more detail, and tighter fit tolerances.  For the most part, the hobby is still dominated by designers and publishers from the East. Poland, in particular, is home to some of the preeminent publishing houses, including GPM, Modelik, JSC, Orlik, Maly Modelarz, and 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. Chief among these is that card kits are relatively cheap.  The fact that most paper kits can still be purchased for under $20 US, even in 2024, 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 US$16.  Of course, just as for wood or plastic kits, 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 US$100 is rare.  In addition to being inexpensive, paper is versatile. With careful manipulation it can be molded into almost any three-dimensional shape.  A third advantage of card models is that they are almost always pre-colored. The color of the finished model is printed right on the paper.  Modern graphic design programs allow designers to produce card model kits with exceptionally realistic weathering. Painting or coloring of a card model is usually limited to coloring the edges of cut parts to hide seams.  Finally, card models require very few tools to get started. Most people already have the basic cutting and gluing supplies in their house somewhere.
 
One of the most compelling reasons to try card modeling is the wow factor. A card model kit that starts as a set of flat, printed sheets can be transformed into a stunning finished model.  There is a learning curve, of course, but hearing someone say, “I can’t believe that’s made out of paper!” upon viewing your finished card model never gets old.
 
An excellent one-stop site to see a variety of completed card models is the gallery at kartonowki.pl. Enjoy!
 
Continue to Part II: Start for FREE!

That said, let's get this thread back on topic, shall we?  If anyone wishes to further pursue the discussion of 3D printing in the hobby, please start up a new thread.  Now, back to Chris and his updates!

That said, let's get this thread back on topic, shall we?  If anyone wishes to further pursue the discussion of 3D printing in the hobby, please start up a new thread.  Now, back to Chris and his updates!

That said, let's get this thread back on topic, shall we?  If anyone wishes to further pursue the discussion of 3D printing in the hobby, please start up a new thread.  Now, back to Chris and his updates!

That said, let's get this thread back on topic, shall we?  If anyone wishes to further pursue the discussion of 3D printing in the hobby, please start up a new thread.  Now, back to Chris and his updates!