Predator Mask - Part 3 Getting the pieces together.

So by now, you've printed and cut out all the pieces. You've even taken the little pointy tool and scored them all nicely with a ruler. If your hand is extremely tired and slightly sore, that means you've done a good job.

The next step is to start gluing that monster together.

Like I stated earlier, I use plain old super glue for the job. It's dries in seconds, so just make sure you line the pieces up properly.

Remember when you labeled all the pieces into sections? (Right forehead, left cheek, etc...)  That's where you start to appreciate your efforts. Sort all the pieces into their respective little piles.  Really, you can start gluing any pieces together that you like, but some pieces will be easier to handle before they're all glued to another piece.

There are a lot of tabs to fold and glue. Just keep at it.

You'll get one piece done, then the next, and you'll feel better with each one.

NOTE:
Something I learned while putting this together was that you should probably start on the most detailed parts. For instance, on this predator mask I assembled all the main parts, and built them around the visor piece last. This made it hard to fit properly to the visor. I should have started by gluing the face together first, ending with the easy large pieces.

Sometimes as your putting it together, you might wonder why it doesn't look quite right. Just keep going. There will be a point when you connect two pieces and it suddenly comes to life. Just keep plugging away.

Notice how the left jaw is a bit wider than the right. That's because I missed one little tab. After I glued that one...

Ah... Nice and symmetrical. 

Now that it's all done, take a minute to enjoy your hard work. The next step will be to make this thing permanent. 

Predator Mask - Part 2 Cutting out and prepping the pieces.

Putting together a pepakura file isn't difficult, so much as time-consuming. Especially the more detailed the piece, there more parts it's going to have. And you're going to have to cut out and fold all those little pieces.

I started by printing off all the parts using heavy card stock. The thicker the paper, the more rigid and durable the final model will be. Just keep in mind that the thicker the paper, the harder cutting and folding will be too.

I also hold onto large pieces of scrap that are left. You can use this to reinforce areas with extremely small tabs (you'll find a few of those), and to do resin and glue tests on.

I started out by labeling all the parts into groups; "right cheek", "Left brow", etc. This way, you can keep the parts in small bundles, and they'll be easier to find.  Then all there is to do is to cut them out. If you like, you can cut and assemble different parts at a time, but I like being able to test-fit pieces together, so I cut them all out at once, and then start assembling individual areas.

*A TIP ABOUT CUTTING OUT PIECES
Small parts are easy enough to cut out accurately by eye, but when you get to straight lines over an inch, you should use your ruler to make sure the lines don't become crooked. It's not such a big deal on tabs, since they don't affect the shape of the piece, but when you're cutting out edges, a crooked piece can affect the final shape of the model.

Now that all the parts are cut out, it's time to get in there and start scoring them with your awl (or compass needle or anything sharp and pointy that won't cut through the paper). Since these are the fold lines, I recommend using your ruler on EVERY score line, even small tabs. Crooked score lines don't fold easily.

Also, keep in mind:


Also, keep in mind:

Cut lines are what you cut through (of course). Peak folds should end up with the printed line on top of the fold, while valley folds should end up with the printed lines in the bottom of the fold.

Next time, we'll be gluing this together.

Predator Mask - Part 1 What is Pepakura, and the tools to use.

I'm pretty new to Pepakura. I've only made three or four things with it so far, but I wanted to make something more permanent than just a paper model. So I chose the Predator mask, as it seemed pretty simple and it was only a face mask, not a full helmet.

Here are some of the basic things I used to make it:

• Cutting mat. Indispensable if you want to protect your dining room table.
• Exacto knives. Get whatever kind you like, and something that is comfortable to hold, because you're going to be using it a lot.
• Straight edge. Make sure you get a metal one. I had a plastic one, which sucked when my knife sliced into it. Metal is the way to go.
• Pen/Pencil. This is to mark pieces so putting it together won't be a too much of a mystery.
• Awl. The small pointy thing. Before folding your pieces, it helps a lot to score them so they bend easily. This little thing will make your life easier.
• Glue. I used superglue, because it dries fast and is strong. You can use whatever glue will hold paper together. You can even use scotch tape if you like.

There's not much to know. I used the paid version of pepakura, but you can open and print a pepakura  file using the free version.  I made a predator mask, but you can make whatever you want to. I'd start with something not too hard though.