Pcharlebois wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am looking for suggestions on any good books on paper modeling,
> engineering and or crafting.
>
> All suggestions most welcome
>
> Cheers
>
> Paul C.
>
>
>
Paul - I've been away for a week or so and only now just catching up
with my e-mails. If by 'books on paper modelling' you mean descriptive
texts on how to do it then there are three or four very good ones out there.
Many years ago I wrote a short review for the old, original Cardmodel
FAQ. I imagine it is still out there in etherland. But I've pulled up a
copy of what I produced then and updated it with a couple of additions.
* Simple Cardboard Models, Revised ed., Geoffrey Deason, Model &
Allied Publications, Hemel Hempstead, 1970. ISBN 0853440298. Previous
edition (1958) published as Cardboard Engineering with Scissors and Paste.
* Cardboard Engineering with Scissors and Paste, Geoffrey Deason,
Model Aeronautical Press, 1958.
* Cardboard Ship Models, Geoffrey Deason, Model and Allied
Publications, Hemel Hempstead, 1972. ISBN 0852423349.
Geoffrey Deason was among the doyen of card modelers. His interest
stretches back to his boyhood, and over the ensuing years he had a great
influence on card modeling both as a practitioner and a promoter. Deason
was a regular contributor to a wide range of British modeling magazines,
principally those of the old Model and Allied Publications (MAP) stable,
and especially "Scale Models". At one time he was editor of the
company's "Model Cars" magazine, and I certainly recall his articles in
"Model Boats".
His major work was a book published in 1958 called "Cardboard
Engineering with Scissors and Paste", which was reprinted a couple of
years later under the title "Simple Cardboard Models". Ninety per cent
of the book is devoted to scratch building and covers road and rail
vehicles, ships, etc, and usually also dealt with motorising the models,
where this was feasible. Curiously, there is no mention of aircraft.
Deason was a contemporary of Micromodels' Geoffrey Heighway -- indeed,
in the book he has a photograph of a small car model made from three
business cards and "which was the prototype for a Micromodels model".
His scratch modeling tips were brilliant. I have never found
anything to match his method of producing wire-spoked wheels for sports
and racing car models. Deason was also a great advocate of jigs - for
all sorts of jobs. His construction guide for the wheels, great and
small, of a traction engine is particularly impressive. While he was not
a 'rivet counter' in terms of absolute accuracy, he was very much of the
school that the finished product should be as accurate as YOUR SKILL
LEVEL PERMITS IT TO BE. In other words, the end result should be
satisfying for the constructor in terms of his or her ability at that
time. He did not condemn the neophyte whose skills did not match a more
advanced builder.
But he always encouraged builders to learn more. And this is
the great advantage of the book: no matter what your skill level, there
is sure to be something in it that you will learn. For example, the
gum-strip technique for shaping the very complex hull shape of the
Paddle Tug "Anglia" is not something a first-time builder would be wise
to undertake, yet would be a very appealing new method for compound
curve shapes for someone with reasonably advanced skills to try.
Deason did not like the simple 'cut-out'. If the original of
the component being modeled was three-dimensional, then insofar as it
was possible for it to be so, the model must be, too. Yet sometimes his
modeling instructions seem to say the opposite. It was really a clever
inspirational ploy. YOU were encouraged to try adding a bit more. In the
instructions for his model River Clyde puffer, the deckhouse has only
card cut-out windows. However, a builder, having reached that stage, and
having developed a level of self confidence, would hardly resist adding
clear plastic or cellophane "window panes" (this modeler included).
Deason seemed content to model almost anything but equally it
is clear that ships were a great love. In 1972 he released "Cardboard
Ship Models" which details construction methods for three model boats
that ranged from a very simple destroyer to a reasonably complex coastal
ferry.
Indeed, I recall an article in "Model Boats" (July 1975) in
which he outlined construction of a model boat (SY Cardella) in
cardboard which then was fitted with a live steam engine. His goal was
to sail the boat across the particular lake, and as I recall the venture
succeeded.
I do not know if Geoffrey Deason is still alive. Given that he
was a contemporary of Heighway, he must be getting on in years.
Certainly, in "Cardboard Ship Models" there is a photograph of him. It
shows a slight, balding figure, whose age I'd put at about late 50s or
early 60s. If that was in, say, 1971, just before the book was
published, he would now be well into his 90s.
Model and Allied Publications either changed owners or names
(or both) in the early 90s and traded under the name of Nexus
Publications. I do not know if any of Deason's books are still in print,
but they do come up from time to time in the second hand market.
Deason's books are absolutely the best thing for a card modeler to find.
I have a reasonably comprehensive library of card modeling books, but
none approach the craft with the seriousness and intent of purpose of
Geoffrey Deason's.
* Model Making, Herbert Lozier, Chilton Book Company,
Radnor, Pennsylvania, 1967.
Lozier also deals with models in plastic and balsa, but only in a
half-hearted way. Card is clearly his preferred medium. The car models
he describes are very good, and feature a lot of useful ideas, but his
boat and locomotive models are poor by comparison. Lozier is not a
purist when it comes to card modeling - he happily includes the odd bit
of wood or plastic if that helps make the model better, but nevertheless
he IS on the right track.
* Model Making in Cardboard, Thomas Bayley, Dryad Press, Leicester,
1958.
I very nearly passed this book up. It was 'only' architectural models,
and not what I was interested in at the time. But since I bought it
nearly 30 years ago, it has become a well-used reference. Essentially it
is an introduction to architectural model making. In his preface, Bayley
says: 'The purpose of this book is to make a clear and constructive
approach to cardboard model making, which is a craft of considerable
importance and is extensively used by professional model makers,
architects and display artists'. The introductory chapter outlines a
range of easily made jigs that will help the model maker, and then,
through a series of graded exercises, the model maker takes on
increasingly difficult tasks. The first model is a simple four-sided,
flat-roofed building; the last is a modern church. Along the way we
build a Cotswold cottage, a medieval gatehouse, a Norman keep, and
several other interesting (constructionally) models. For those who
aspire to build architecturally accurate models from original plans,
either as a hobby or for a living, this book is an excellent introduction.
* Tin Lizzie, Frank Ross Jr, Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books, New
York, 1980.
If Mr Ford's Model T is your idea of a great thing to model,
this is a great book. Lots of diagrams, plans (all dimensioned) make it
a treasure trove for Model T aficionados. Unfortunately, Ross never gets
beyond a simple disc wheel for his cars. If only he had read Deason,
he'd have known how to make spoked wheels.
Card Modelling, Eric Sayer Peterson, Caltrop Publishing, Minnesota, 1994.
A good book for the paper model kit builder, full of useful tips. and an
interesting section on the history of paper models. This book became a
very sought-after item some years ago and reached prices in the
second-hand market of about US$160. Now the price is much less - A
check a few moment ago found two copies one for US$35 and another for $50.
* Card Modelling: Basic and Advanced Techniques, Alvar Hansen,
Schreiber-Bogen, 2003.
Though I'm more philosophically inclined towards Deason's books, for a
good introduction to paper modelling and its techniques, you can't go
past this volume. Good illustrations, spread over several different
models virtually guarantee that the beginning modeller will approach
future construction with more confidence. There's a simple model at the
back to cut out and build, following the instructions and steps in the
book. The guide to the Schreiber-Bogen Udet U-12 Flamingo is especially
good.
* Models in Cardboard, C Baker, Percival Marshall and Co, London, 1946.
Really intended for the scratchbuilder, this book still is a useful
addition to cardmodeller's library. Sometimes it tends towards the
'clever young lad with a workshop to kill for can do anything'
approach, but many modellers will find it interesting reading.
*Gummed Strip and Paper Modelling, Frederick Day, Pearson, London, 1955
Really an oddity, This book outlines how to make models with gummed
brown paper packaging strips. The cover shows a very nice tugboat, but
don't go looking for instructions on how to build it: the book just says
towards the end that this is something you can try once you have learnt
how to use gummed paper.
So, my pick - If you are new to paper modelling and you want to buy just
one book, then Hansen's is the best to start with, assuming you can find
it. Deason would be next (either the first or second edition) though if
you are leaning more to just the printed kits, then Peterson is OK.
After that, you've just become a book collector.
If anyone wants more information on any of these books, please feel free
to contact me off list.
Bob Pounds
Canberra
.
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