Cardstock is great for mockups (and permanent)

I read the article just after I first used cardstock to print a wood deck.  Reading it first would have helped.  CA glue likes to soak through and stain the surface. (see blotches below)

MRH forums have many links to cardstock sites, active and expired. Of course I did not have the forethought to record all the postings.  Sorry.

One source of repeating patterns is  Textures.com.  Small images are free.  This link is for flooring,

Below is an HO scale floor from "Wood, Plank, Clean wood". I like it as much a scribed wood. The loading door is a mockup, the final will be made from layers of cardstock.. 

Eugene

Great article! Paper models seem to have been around for a long time so I’m glad you are taking up the sword to introduce them to those who may not be aware of what can be done. Lance Mindheim did an article in his latest blog and shows how to build substantial frames and boxes to support larger models and laminations of printed faces. Worth a read. 

I was recently in Eugene and got to spend some time cycling around the area and countryside north and south of town. So many bicycle shops but no hobby stores? 

Thanks again. 

NeilEr - Eugene

Good source of textures

Another good source of (scale) textures can be found on: http://www.paperbrick.co.uk/

Love paper modeling...

I love paper modeling and there are some great kits out there! Joe's comments on 3D additions really make a huge difference. Above that even is mixing the media you are using. Just because a model has paper pieces doesn't mean you have to use them. I far prefer to use actual wood for beam work and I don't use the paper versions of the windows and doors. I have yet to see a model that I like the windows and doors on so I replace them with some laser cut or castings. There are so many options when building these kits but the nicest factor by far is the ability to reprint anything you mess up...  

I have the cricket station by Team Track and really enjoyed putting the kit together!

glue marker for paper/cardstock models

I enjoyed this article; I've been building paper models for several years. They are especially valuable for modelers working in scales other than HO.

My favorite "tip" is to use a Zig glue marker These make it easy to put the adhesive exactly where you want it. I prefer the chisel tip; markers with smaller and larger tips are available. Find the in the scrapbook section of Michaels or JoAnn Fabric, or online.
 

Scratch-building using printed paper and card stock.

How many times have you wished "some manufacturer" would produce a kit for the building you need for your layout? I model mostly in N scale and find it nearly impossible to find structures that are close to what I need. 

I have found that by using my digital camera or a Google Earth image, I can manufacture my own structures that are very close to what is needed, perhaps not to exact scale, but close enough. I use the Model Builder program and photo edit software to make an image that can be printed on paper and turned into a 3D model.

Slick paper

I have been using inkjet printing for a long time- (20 years) for structures. Forrtunately, the source of matte paper has not changed. 

Epson makes a very thin presentation paper which is clay coated on one side. There are other grades of flat finish clay coated paper, and this is termed "coated matte."  Staples own brand of matte "photo supreme" is available in at least one thickness (all I have here to refer to right now) which is a thin CARDSTOCK.  Both thicknesses have their advantages, and when they are on specials (2 for one- buy one get one at 50% off etc. ) they are even cheaper. 

I enjoyed the article very much, and it gives a lot fo good direction and the illustrations show what to do very clearly. (This is no small praise from a 30 year veteran art teacher)   One of the big advantages of this type of construction is that you can photograph structures in the morning and by afternoon, you can be building models-and not just stand ins, but you can model what is actually there.

(Note to MRH- Your spell correct keeps knocking down "CARDSTOCK" and substituting "yardstick." That is the reason I capitalized it- the only way I could get it to take the correct word.   I always say:"No machine is going to get the best of me as long as I can get my hands on an 18 inch Crescent Wrench..")

Victor Roseman

card structures

At the Pendon museum here in the UK they use a technique of embossing card then painting with water colour paints. They take it to the highest level of detail where it can take 200 hrs to make a small cottage, but if you use some of their techniques you can dramatically improve card structures to look as good as any other materials very realistic I have used it for making stone retaining walls.

Neil Rogers

https://pendonmuseum.com/ 

Brings back memories ...

I built one paper structure back in the 70s. The material I used was some sort of presentation board that my Dad would bring home from work. It's like cardstock, but about 1/8" thick. The art department would layout material for a presentation slide on it, photograph it, and then discard it. It was usually white on one side and some solid colour on the other side. Hard to cut, but made very sturdy structures.

To Victor above: Spell checking is done by your browser, not by the MRH web site. My browser underlines cardstock in red, but it never changes words on me. There's probably a way to add cardstock to your browser's dictionary, or, if your browser is actually changing words on you, turn off auto-"correction".

I like how at least some of the structures are preweathered.

The idea of having learn to paint realistic weathering patterns on a plastic model is daunting to me. I have to try this sometime. Using a glue stick seems like a smart way to do the job. These are the kind of articles that are the most useful and motivating  to me.

I built one paper structure

That sounds like Mat Board... the stuff they use around photos and pictures when framing them. It's available at any place that frames photos, like Michaels or Hobby Lobby. Some of the paper models make use of mat board, poster board, cardstock, and paper  for construction, gluing ordinary paper to these heavier materials for better 3D looks and stronger structures.

Stone Walls

Did you have anything to do with this stone arch bridge/viaduct,?......

I'm working on ideas to build this stone arch viaduct, and in this mock-up I utilized ordinary paper copies for the stone work,... https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/stone-arch-viaduct-bridge-12213517

I had made some inquiries as to information for 'embossed paper/cardstock' that could make good facings for this viaduct rather than plaster casting?

I just discovered this

I just discovered this fellow's videos this morning. He has his ways of making reliefs in his card stock buildings,...

and his bridges and viaducts

I'm going to utilize his methods to build my viaduct bridge,...and likely my Baltimore city scene sitting behind it in the corner.

Suggestions from a much older subject thread

pliobond

I dunno about the contact cement recommendation. I don't have experience, but using a type of contact cement to glue ties to rails I found it messy, goopy, and stringy. Not what I think you'd want. 

I'd be more inclined to try the zig marker recommended above if I was going to take a recommendation, or maybe a rattle can of spray adhesive designed for photos, or something very thin that could be brushed on.

I think you are correct

I think you are correct Eastwind, the pliobond seems to be overkill here.

I like the idea of the spray adhesive, but I think it might be a bit difficult to use for especially small pieces.

That fellow in the videos seems to work well with some sort of cheap white glue of some sort?

I use a "permanent" glue

I use a "permanent" glue stick for attaching paper to the various substrates. It's fast and easy. I've used rubber cement in the past - it works, but takes longer and is a bit messier, though it cleans up easily enough.

One tool I haven't seen mentioned yet is a "brayer"... a rubber roller, usualy about 1-2 inches in diameter, and 4-6 inches long, with a handle. Use it to press your layers firmly together to get a better bond between the printed layer and the substrate. 

Find them with art supplies, specifically with print-making tools.

My experiences

I started out 10 years ago with making card stock structures with structure images printed on card stock. My first was Cooder's Place freebie from Clever Models. It worked fairly well. I did search on the web off and on for other printed structures and printed out a few, but did not pursue building until about a year or so ago. Then I read the article in MRH mag December 2019 (  Publisher's Musings: Introducing Deluxe Materials ) about the products from Deluxe Materials written by Joe Fugate. There was a large variety of great products and I decided to try some. One of the products is Roket Card Glue - sounded like it would really help (and it did). Here is a video of the presentation from Joe's article:

My comments on my progress (shown in response to some interest in the thread) can be seen here:

@Jim Moomaw

@Mark Charles (and others)

Continuation - Int'l Harvester

Roket Card Glue - Int'l Harvester - Final

The Team Track ramp in that thread was featured in the card stock article in MRH mag September 2019, Building paper and cardstock models.

Clear paintable acrylic caulking works well

Back before I had the laser I used lots of printed paper on my buildings. Here's what I found.

I printed all my textures on plain bond paper.

Any water based glues are going to cause warpage issues 

Contact cement or spray glues work well for simple flat walls. The problem with these glues is that you get one shot to attach the paper. If it's misaligned you can't slide it into place or peel it off. If you need to work the paper around details, like pilasters, it's VERY hard.

Then I discovered the caulking. Use clear so if any should ooze out it is less noticeable. make sure it is paintable so you can touch it up if need be. My method was to use a caulking gun and just squirt a generous amount on the wall first. I then used a notched trowel that I built out of a piece of hacksaw blade to spread it evenly where needed. The nice thing about this method is that it has a fairly long open time so you can wiggle things around a bit. It has pretty good initial tack to grab the paper. Using a small plastic putty knife as a squeegee one can work the paper around details, going from one side of the wall to the other. Plus, once the caulking is dry, that paper ain't coming off! 

Roket Card Glue

After watching that video, I'm ready to order some of that Roket Card Glue.  And some of their other products, too, like Track Magic, etc.  Just have to find an on-line source...

Al Carter, Mount Vernon, WA

Deluxe Materials

Horizon, Walthers, and MegaHobby all carry Deluxe Materials products. You can also find some of their products on HobbyLinc or Modeltrainstuff. However, if you're just ordering one or two items, the shipping will really jack up the cost.

For example, Hobbylinc sells Roket Card Glue for about $7.70 per bottle, but they'll charge you 8 bucks for shipping regardless!

You can find Deluxe Materials products on Amazon -- they do have shipping, but it tends to be fairly reasonable. Here's some of my favorite Deluxe Materials products:

Roket Card Glue, $8.89 + $2.99 shipping
https://amzn.to/2Wt18Rd

Plastic Magic 10s odorless non-flammable fast plastic glue, $10.85 + free shipping
https://amzn.to/2Wv52cl

Roket Odorless CA, 3g tube, $3.75 + $2.99 shipping (the larger bottles just get old on me)
https://amzn.to/3dIzENj

Tacky Wax, $6.45 + $2.99 shipping (great for holding brass or nylon screws on end of screwdriver)
https://amzn.to/3bvAVFM

Track Magic, $12.69 + $2.99 shipping (low dielectric track cleaner)
https://amzn.to/2AiyOZ4

Ballast Bond, $17.99 + $2.99 shipping (ballast glue that doesn't need wet water!)
https://amzn.to/3fNeJuc

Also, one vendor that seems to have many of their products at reasonable prices is Yankee Dabbler.

Back to the Past

I have a treasured copy of John Ahern's Model Building Plans written and possibly published sometime during WW 2 as it mentions the rationing of supplies. All of his work was done with paper and card board. His layout now resides at the Pendon museum with the cardboard buildings intact 75 years later.  Those "crafty" Brits have never given up on the medium and do support a good number of vendors who supply ready to cut and glue buildings along with brick papers of every brick bond known in the British Isles.  There are vendors selling PDF files of buildings you can print and paste yourself.  If you play with printer reduction sizes you can make a 3.5 mm print out of a 4 mm plan.  

These days I am building most of my planned structures for Port Costa first as illustration board mockups if there is no available kit. I tacky glue Tichy plastic window and door castings to illustration board building sides painted with craft acrylic paints to get the right look and feel of the buildings long before I will get around to the fully detailed models. I just wash the window castings and use them on the final model. 

@Ken

Wow! The layout is viewable online (  https://pendonmuseum.com/ ) and is superb - phenomenal detail. There is a model cab ride video, although short, that is great. Are you from that region?