Fierfek Pep Boba Fett Helmet

Hi guys.

This is my first build of any kind, while I wait for my polyurethane lid to be delivered from eBay. So in the meantime I thought I'd try my hand at a pepakura one. After downloading the viewer and getting Fierfek's file printed out.... I'm a bit hesitant!

I'm making it out of printer paper for my first try (probably less stable but I have lots of paper so if it goes wrong it's a cheap learning experience).
I have probably two very obvious questions, which hopefully someone can help with.
1- Where do you start? I assume cut everything out first, but which piece do you start sticking with first? Something off page 1? Or the bit you fancy trying first? The biggest bit till you get used to it?
2 - What do you use to stick the bits together? I'm guessing either small bits of sellotape or else paper glue like Pritt Stick?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks.

I think everyone's going to be a bit different. I started at the top of the dome and worked my way down. I also used paper glue (Elmers here in the US). 10 seconds of holding it together and it was a solid bond.
I've heard of some masochists using a hot glue gun. Ouch.

I would strongly caution against using printer paper. You will have to score the tabs to get all the angles correctly and printer paper will easily tear after being slightly scored. Also, it will be so flimsy that simply holding it in your hands will crush it. For a couple dollars, you can get some poster board, cut it to the size of regular paper and send it through your printer. You will not regret it.

Ok so here are my suggestions: First anytime you are going to "pep" anything, you should use CARDSTOCK. This is easily obtained at any Micheals, Hobby Lobby or a paper shop. You want to use 100lb paper, not 65lb, this will get you the best results. 100lb cardstock can be printed on most printers, but CANNOT be scrolled through a printer (usually use envelope or single sheet feed, it works best). I have an inkjet Brother HL-2270DW and I single feed sheets through the front and it works perfect.
Next you want to get a sharp pair of scissors, and Xacto knife, a metal ruler, a craft board (optional) and super glue (I buy my super glue at Harbor Frieght its like $2.00 for 8 tubes). I suggest super glue because it will bond in seconds and hold very strong and it does not have to cure for minutes like white glue.
Next comes the fun part, CUT, fold, GLUE, REPEAT. Depends how the item is unfolded and arranged on your board, it does no go PAGE 1, then PAGE 2, etc, the items are put together by numerical sequence, tab 100 goes with slot 100. The piece that has tab 100 might be on page 1 but the adjoining piece might be located on page 5, refer to your program (pepakura designer) and if you click on the image on the left it will show you where the piece is located on the right.(this is the easiest way to locate items).
Hope this helps!

Here is my current project (I know its not Boba, but just to show you how this can be done)

Thanks guys. Duly noted! I've not started anything yet in any case.

Awesome pep trooper build btw!

Instead of super glue I use wood glue, have used Elmer's & Gorilla glue brand & have had the same results. It dries quickly absorbing into the card stock giving a good quick bond & is much easier to clean up. This has worked well for me.

To help with the bends you can go over the lines with a dull edge to help hold the line when folding the paper. Don't use anything sharp cause you don't want to cut the paper but weaken it in order to follow the bend.

I structure the card stock shell with .060" thick chip board for greater strength creating a laminate. This step is a little more work because you have to literally print another set of piece (minus tabs if you can) & use them as templates to trace out on the chip board to match up so that they can be glued on the inside of the card stock shell. Doing this prior to doing a resin coat will make it very strong. This also give an internal core for the resin that if done well will eliminate warping. Have done gauntlets, armor pieces, helmets, jetpacks, & even parts of an EE-3 in this manner & have no complaints about durability.

Crazey pap skills lol. I

Something to consider while building the pep, is to mix and match some of the cardboard template parts. For example, the ears, the key slots, and dent are pretty bad in the pep file. The cardboard templates are much better in that area.

Sent from my HTC One_M8

That stormtrooper pep build is most impressive

Queso said:

Something to consider while building the pep, is to mix and match some of the cardboard template parts. For example, the ears, the key slots, and dent are pretty bad in the pep file. The cardboard templates are much better in that area.

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I second this. Look at Rafel Fett's templates for the ears, key slots, range finder, and dent. http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/f23/rafal-works-helmet-rwh-v2-helmet-templates-build-45938/ It will take your helmet to the next level for sure.