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Terranovan Comm Tower
Paper Scenery for Heavy Gear
By Paul Lesack
In the future, as now, communication is key. The Hermes 72 satellite network brings entertainment to the people, and militaries of all stripes will still be interested in knocking out all comm sources.
The Comm Tower isn't as easy to assemble as the other models in this series, but once you master making the satellite dishes, it's pretty straigthforward.
You may notice that the sheets are 8" x 10". This is so they'll print properly on even old color inkjet printers. For best results, make sure "Fit to Page" is off when you print.
If you don't want the little question mark icon and copyright icons to print, uncheck the "Annotations" box. They don't cover the models, so this step is optional.
The tower itself is a four sided pyramid. Glue the long side first, then fold up the base to complete it.
The microwave dishes are somewhat more complex. The gridded circles are the backs of the dishes (or front, if you want more variety), while the others are the fronts. The long strips with tapered ends are the walls of the cylinder.
Cut out both front and back pieces, and the cylinder sides (the strip-like items). Form each strip into a circle, making sure that it fits along the outside edge of the front and back pieces. Wrapping the strip around a pencil or other rounded object will help prevent kinks. Glue the ends of the circle to form a ring, then glue the ring to the front (or back) of the dish parts. Using a paintbrush, apply a layer of paint at the seam for extra strength. Put the other face on the cylinder, and the dish is completed.
Glue the dishes to the tower. An orderly pattern isn't necessary; have a look at cell phone and satellite repeater stations to see how things are done in the real world.
Scoring the edges may result in crisper edges, but more unsightly white lines. You'll reduce the strength of the model, too. With care, you can produce a crisp fold without scoring, and your models will look better for it.
These models look great when printed out onto cardstock. However, if you're looking to make a Stalingrad-style cityscape, it will take lots of time and lots of ink to print out enough. The easy solution is to print out one copy on high quality paper. Color photocopy as many as you need. Remember that most photocopiers use 11" x 17" paper, so you can copy two sheets for the price of one. Use 3M spray glue (Photomount or Super77) to stick the paper onto cardstock, and assemble as normal.
As a bonus, the copied buildings are water resistant, unlike most color printer inks.
If you're bothered by white edges, you can touch them up with paint. If you have lots of buildings, this can be fairly time-consuming. A quicker solution is to color the edges with pastels.
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