laminating question

[seraphim]

hey up all
just your friendly question asker here
(coming from a complete newbie point of view) what process dyou guys use to laminate your card to increase thickness?
Ive got various gsm thickness of card that i (atm) essentially layer together to increase the thickness of a part - or use (x)mm thickness of greyboard - ive noticed that greyboard can tend to fray when cutting more complex parts, so I wondered if there were any tips for this process?

Cheers all lol

 

[mijob]

I use xx mm paper to get a thicker part and cardboard I use for (strong) constructions.

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

This is a very good question. To answer it properly, it all depends on the size and function of the part that you are laminating. If you are laminating an external parts that is small, thin, or elongated; you will want to layer the part to the desired thickness and go from there. If it is an internal former, I would suggest using thick cardboard and proceed as normal.
Essentially, the part in question will determine the type of laminating and cardstock/cardboard you need.

 

[seraphim]

This is a very good question. To answer it properly, it all depends on the size and function of the part that you are laminating. If you are laminating an external parts that is small, thin, or elongated; you will want to layer the part to the desired thickness and go from there. If it is an internal former, I would suggest using thick cardboard and proceed as normal.
Essentially, the part in question will determine the type of laminating and cardstock/cardboard you need.

in general do you use specific thicknesses of card? currently i buy mine from amazon in packs of 100 A4 sheets, from 160 gsm to 220 gsm. I know some people use what ever card they have to hand but i did wonder if when laminating sheets together do you laminate until you reach the desired thickness needed? (ie 5 layers of 2mm to make 10mm for example)

 

[Revell-Fan]

Yo, just FYI: "gsm" does not say anything about the thickness but only tells you how heavy the paper is. Heavier paper can be thicker than lighter paper but there is no guarantee that twice the gsm means twice the thickness. To determine the thickness of paper you may use a caliper or you take a ruler, measure the thickness of a block of paper and divide it by the number of sheets.

I use 160gsm paper which happens to be about 0.2 - 0.22 mm thick. It goes through my printer without issues and is a good size to make small tubes and bigger boxes. For laminations I use whatever paper or card I have at hand and add as many layers as necessary to reach a specific thickness. That is the most "fool-proof" way to do it.

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

in general do you use specific thicknesses of card? currently i buy mine from amazon in packs of 100 A4 sheets, from 160 gsm to 220 gsm. I know some people use what ever card they have to hand but i did wonder if when laminating sheets together do you laminate until you reach the desired thickness needed? (ie 5 layers of 2mm to make 10mm for example)

This is another very good question. When I was living in Europe, I used A4 180 gsm cardstock (that I got from Tesco). The cardstock was 0.33mm thick. Now, that I live in the US, I use letter 110 lbs cardstock (that I get from Walmart). The cardstock is 0.22 mm thick. I laminate the cardstock to the desired thickness of the part in question. If you have not done so already, I would suggest investing in a decent caliper (Preferably digital). This will help you make certain that you are at the correct thickness. I would also strongly recommend paying attention to what the designer suggests the desired thickness for the model as a whole. Case in point, many of UHU02's models recommend that 0.22 mm cardstock is used a the overall thickness for his templates.

 

[spaceagent-9]

I would only add to SCORE the cardboard before cutting to help with the fraying.

 

[seraphim]

I would only add to SCORE the cardboard before cutting to help with the fraying.

yep, that i DO do, but unfortunately on the part i was cutting (a ring for an ankle socket) it frayed as i was scoring round the part. I use a very sharp craft knife for my cutting and was scoring round carefully as i didnt want to tear/crease the board but during the score/cuts a small area frayed

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

yep, that i DO do, but unfortunately on the part i was cutting (a ring for an ankle socket) it frayed as i was scoring round the part. I use a very sharp craft knife for my cutting and was scoring round carefully as i didnt want to tear/crease the board but during the score/cuts a small area frayed

Once the part has be fully cut out, you can take some PVA glue on your finger (or an applicator) and work it into the frayed areas, and work that area back into proper shape.

 

[zathros]

I have laminated many times to achieve a desired thickness. If the pieces are that same size, I place a heavy book on them so that the glue really bonds them together. If the parts are curved, I curve both pieces beforehand, as you will have to do some trimming once dried.

 

[seraphim]

Once the part has be fully cut out, you can take some PVA glue on your finger (or an applicator) and work it into the frayed areas, and work that area back into proper shape.

luckily enough i did exactly that, and it seemed to work. I think this is one of those builds where Ill learn quite a few techniques that i havent yet, and maybe come up with a couple too lol, its definitely one slow and technical build that im sure you could go daft greeblying on. This will be a learning curve all of its own, but hopefully the process will give something my youngest would have loved

 

[zathros]

Depending on the glue you use, if the glue dries hard, you can end up with a very rigid part, or pliable one.