Cardboard model of the Scott Monument, Edinburgh

Cardboard modeling or cardboard engineering is a form of modelling with paper, card stock,

paperboard Paperboard is a thick paper-based material. While there is no rigid differentiation between paper and paperboard, paperboard is generally thicker (usually over 0.30 mm, 0.012 in, or 12 Inch#equivalences, points) than paper and has certain ...

, and

corrugated fiberboard Corrugated fiberboard or corrugated cardboard is a type of packaging material consisting of a fluted corrugated sheet and one or two flat linerboards. It is made on "flute lamination machines" or "corrugators" and is used for making corrugated ...

. The term ''cardboard engineering'' is sometimes used to differentiate from craft of making decorative cards. It is often referred to as '' paper modelling'' although in practice card is generally used.

History

Originally this was a form of modelling undertaken because of the low cost involved. Card, a means of cutting and

glue Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation. The use of adhesives offers certain advant ...

are all that is needed. Some models are 100% card, while others use items of other materials to reinforce the model. After World War II cardboard models were promoted by a number of model companies. One company, ERG (

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

) Ltd. produced a book "Cardboard Rolling Stock and How to Build It" and

Superquick Superquick Models are a series of printed card kit buildings used mainly for model railways. Manufacturing takes place entirely in the United Kingdom. There are several ranges of model kit - railway buildings in Series A; houses, farm buildings ...

are still well known for their range of printed and pre-cut kits. Books of printed models to cut out and make have been around a long time. Also, specially printed cards were available from which models could be made. In the UK

Micromodels Micromodels are a type of card model or paper model that was popular during the 1940s and 1950s in the United Kingdom. In 1941, Geoffrey Heighway invented and marketed a new concept in card models. He took the available concept of card models and ...

were well known for very small card models. Models to cut out were also a feature of

folding cartons. For many years breakfast cereal makers had models to cut out on their packets. The hobby has been revived through the use of IT-based printers, especially the ink-jet and laser colour printers, with the availability of inexpensive cutting plotters and laser engravers also reducing the time, effort, and tedium associated with cutting out the many parts. Using a vector graphics package, it is even possible for anyone to create their own models from scratch, though most use special software Pre-printed models may be downloaded from the internet. A web ring lists some of these while others offer a range of models from the simple to the complex.

References

Scale modeling Paper toys {{design-stub

History

See also

References