Welcome to the fold. This is a great hobby, and really cool that you'll be doing it with your son. I can't til my daughter wants something other than a pink castle. I think you'll find this to be a really friendly forum, with a lot of great people and great ideas.


To your questions:

What to build? Really, it depends on what you want to use them for. While I often (okay, usually) build just for the sake of building, I find it easier when I have a goal in mind. Perhaps your group is exploring an abandoned fort (Skull Cove) or keep (CastleWorks Ultimate), beneath which is a a small sewer system (Goth Realms) that leads to a cave complex (Cave Works)?

With what you bought, there really isn't a "one is easier than the other" meter. Skull Cove has the most pieces and is the most complicated en total, but none of the sets you have are particularly taxing (with perhaps the exception of the CWU gatehouse).


Should I use popsicle sticks? Honestly, I would make a few models as recommended first, then try the sticks. For one, I think you might surprised how sturdy cardstock can be. (One thing I often do for even more stability often is a second layer of cardstock - especially at joints - to my models for extra stability.) There still is the bump factor, but I don't think popsicle sticks will help that. But back to point, I would try the models first, and then see if you want to use the sticks. You might also look at Shatteredragon's threads about his builds; he uses matboard, and his builds are awe-inspiring.


Laser Printing - I don't know the exact model my printer uses, but I've had a LOT of stuff done on 80 lb cover stock on professional laser printers (the $5-10K kind, probably like yours). 80 lb cover stock is actually slightly heavier than the recommended 110 lb cardstock - and my printer never mentioned any problems with it. Better safe than sorry, though - check the manual. Somewhere it should mention that types of paper it can handle.

Quick edit: looking it up on Google, it can handle "64-120 gsm bond and 120-163 gsm cover and Phaser transparencies". Damn GSM measurements; I don't know what that translates into US standard measurements.

Hmmm, I have (or had, at this moment I am not sure, but am too tired to get up and check) a bridge that I reinforced with wood so that it could be used as a drawbridge... I think that I discussed building it at length on these boards a while back...

Yep, there it is: .

The Auld Grump, who will also bump it right now...

Hi, and welcome!

It's nice to hear of someone else who smashes balsa aircraft for a hobby.

Sorry I'm a bit late jumping in with this but I've been off the boards for a while.

In the UK we call the flat sticks - 11X1cm - *lolly sticks* although they they also sold very cheaply in hobby shops as craft sticks.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it but Mel Ebbles - who we are allowed to talk of on this forum! - shows the use of these sticks in his pdf tutorial.

I don't know if I'm in order to link this but I'll soon find out when I get a moderate ear-bashing.

www.ebblesminiatures.com/store/index.php

For myself, I use them quite often and find them invaluable but I also mount mainly on mat board as Shatteredragon does. More work but great strength.

Magsman