GTA V Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Revisited Test Build Almost Finished

The test build of the new version of the Ammu-Nation Gun Shop is almost complete and, this time, I gathered several photos showing a little more of the whole process, from the separate walls to the finished building standing on its base.

In some of the photos I placed a few 1/64 scale die-cast cars next to the model, including in the first image of this post. This is the classic scale used by many miniatures from Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Majorette, GreenLight, Johnny Lightning, Tomica and many others, and since the first version of this Ammu-Nation, back in 2015, one of my ideas was to create a small setting that could be used with this kind of miniature.

This test build had a very important purpose: to find out if everything I had redesigned on the computer would actually work when transferred to paper. After printing, cutting, folding, gluing and assembling each part, I can say that it does. All the pieces fit together perfectly, the proportions turned out as I expected and I found no structural problems that would require any major changes to the project.

It is particularly fun to see this model finished again because my relationship with GTA V goes back a long way. I have been playing the game practically since its release and have spent many, many hours exploring Los Santos and Blaine County, especially in GTA Online. After so much time, some places on the map become strangely familiar, almost like places in a city we actually know.

Curiously, it has been about a year since I last played GTA Online, but I think that break is coming to an end. October is almost here and anyone who has played GTA Online at this time of year knows that Halloween is one of the best times to return to Los Santos.

For a few weeks, the whole atmosphere of the game changes. UFOs begin appearing in the skies, driverless cars chase players along the roads, killers appear during the night and we can even run into a clone of our own character trying to kill us. There are also ghosts to find, pumpkins scattered around the map, special game modes, strange storms and several other surprises. Los Santos, which is not exactly a peaceful city to begin with, becomes even crazier.

I have always enjoyed the way Rockstar uses Halloween to play with the supernatural side of GTA Online. So, after almost a year away from the game, maybe this is a good excuse to bring my character out of retirement and take another drive around Los Santos. Who knows, perhaps this return will also provide some inspiration for a future papercraft?

Perhaps it is precisely because I am so familiar with the game world that I have always enjoyed turning some of its buildings into paper models. Rather than the big events of GTA V, it is often these ordinary places that catch my attention: a workshop, a garage, a warehouse, a neighborhood store or an Ammu-Nation discovered while driving around the map.

The first version of this Ammu-Nation was created in exactly this way, using images and textures that I captured directly inside GTA V. Eleven years later, it has been very interesting to return to the same building with different resources and rebuild practically all of the graphics, trying to improve the textures and add details without losing the simplicity of the original model.

Now that I know the construction works as it should and, most importantly, that all the pieces fit together perfectly, I can dedicate myself to the next stage: preparing the final templates. I will organize the parts, make the last graphic adjustments and try to make everything as clear and simple as possible for assembly.

I still have a few ideas for small things that I might add to the model before the final version, but for now nothing has been decided. As often happens with my projects, some ideas appear just when I think everything is already finished.

As soon as everything is ready, I will publish the model here on the blog for everyone who wants to build their own Ammu-Nation Gun Shop.

Aos amigos de língua portuguesa: Para não deixar este post excessivamente longo e manter as fotos da montagem intercaladas com o texto, desta vez publiquei aqui a versão completa em inglês. O texto integral em português, acompanhado de todas as fotos, está disponível no meu blog secundário no link abaixo:

GTA V Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Revisitada - Montagem de Teste Quase Concluída

If you would like to see how this project started and follow the Ammu-Nation rebuild from the beginning, take a look at the first two posts below.

GTA V - Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Remastered - Work In Progress

GTA V Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Revisited - First Test Build

A Beautiful Five-Story Pagoda Architectural Papercraft by Mandee Thomas

This beautiful papercraft of a pagoda was created by American graphic designer Mandee Thomas, from the website Designs by Miss Mandee.

If you have been following Papermau for some time, you may already be familiar with Mandee's work, as several of her models have appeared here on the blog, including her beautiful Victorian Doll House and the detailed Christmas Village Town Hall.

This time, Mandee found inspiration in traditional Asian architecture to create this elegant five-story pagoda, with its characteristic overlapping roofs, curved eaves and a silhouette that immediately evokes the ancient architecture of the East.

Despite the detailed appearance of the finished model, the construction is relatively simple. As with many of Mandee's projects, the shapes are very well planned and the pieces are assembled in layers, creating a very convincing three-dimensional result without requiring complicated papercraft techniques.

Mandee usually designs her projects so they can be made either by hand, using scissors and a craft knife, or with electronic cutting machines such as Cricut, Silhouette and similar equipment. So, even if you don't own one of these machines, you can still build the pagoda using the templates as patterns for traditional hand cutting.

The download is easy and safe. Right at the beginning of Mandee's post, immediately below the first image, you will find the link to download the templates for free, hosted directly on Google Drive.

On the same page there is also a very useful step-by-step tutorial with photos showing the different stages of construction. The pictures make it much easier to understand how the walls, the different levels and especially the overlapping roofs should be folded, positioned and assembled.

Since the templates were designed to be cut from papers in different colors, you can completely change the appearance of the pagoda by choosing your own color combination. You can also use textured, printed or patterned papers to create a completely personalized version. Another possibility is to print the templates on plain white paper and color the pieces any way you like before assembling them.

This is a beautiful project for anyone who enjoys papercraft and miniature architecture, and once finished, it can be used as a decorative piece or as the centerpiece of a small Asian-inspired diorama.

Este belo papercraft de um pagode foi criado pela designer gráfica norte-americana Mandee Thomas, autora do site Designs by Miss Mandee.

Quem acompanha o Papermau há algum tempo provavelmente já conhece o trabalho de Mandee, pois vários de seus modelos já apareceram aqui no blog, incluindo sua bela Casa de Bonecas Vitoriana e a detalhada Prefeitura de Vila Natalina.

Desta vez, Mandee buscou inspiração na arquitetura tradicional asiática para criar este elegante pagode de cinco andares, com seus característicos telhados sobrepostos, beirais curvados e uma silhueta que imediatamente remete às antigas construções orientais.

Apesar da aparência detalhada do modelo pronto, a construção é relativamente simples. Como acontece com muitos dos projetos de Mandee, as formas são muito bem planejadas e as peças são montadas em camadas, criando um resultado tridimensional bastante convincente sem exigir técnicas complicadas de modelismo em papel.

Mandee costuma preparar seus projetos de maneira que possam ser feitos tanto com corte manual, usando tesoura e estilete, quanto com máquinas de corte eletrônico, como Cricut, Silhouette e equipamentos semelhantes. Assim, mesmo quem não possui uma dessas máquinas pode montar o pagode utilizando os templates como moldes para o corte tradicional.

O download é fácil e seguro. Logo no começo do post de Mandee, imediatamente abaixo da primeira imagem, você encontrará o link para baixar gratuitamente os templates, hospedados diretamente no Google Drive.

Na mesma página há também um ótimo tutorial passo a passo com fotos mostrando as diferentes etapas da construção. As imagens ajudam bastante a entender como as paredes, os vários níveis e principalmente os telhados sobrepostos devem ser dobrados, posicionados e montados.

Como os templates foram pensados para serem recortados em papéis de diferentes cores, você pode mudar completamente a aparência do pagode escolhendo sua própria combinação de cores. Também é possível usar papéis texturizados, estampados ou com diferentes padrões, criando uma versão totalmente personalizada. Outra possibilidade é imprimir os templates em folhas de papel branco e colorir as peças do jeito que quiser antes da montagem.

É um belo projeto para quem gosta de papercraft e arquitetura em miniatura e, depois de pronto, pode servir como peça decorativa ou como elemento central de um pequeno diorama de inspiração oriental.

Visit Designs by Miss Mandee to download the free templates and follow the complete step-by-step photo instructions:

A Beautiful Five-Story Pagoda Architectural Papercraft - by Mandee Thomas

If you enjoyed building this beautiful pagoda, below you will find four more architectural papercrafts inspired by Japan and the Far East:

01: A Little Papercraft Collection Of Japanese Temples And Shrines

02: New Traditional Japanese Architectural Paper Models In 1/150 And 1/87 Scales - by Brother Japan

03: Kishibe Shrine Main Hall Paper Model - by Suita City Museum

04: The Shrine - A Simple Paper Stage For Figure Shooting & Exhibition - by Japan System Art

GTA V Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Revisited - First Test Build

After showing some first images of the new version of the Ammu-Nation Gun Shop, inspired by GTA V, a few days ago, I finally started one of the stages I enjoy most when creating a papercraft: building the first prototype.

For those who did not see the previous post, this model is a remake of an old Ammu-Nation papercraft that I created and published here on the blog in 2015. Eleven years later, I decided to return to the project, reworking almost all the graphics, adding new details and at the same time trying to preserve the simplicity of the original construction.

The photos in this post show the first steps of this test build. This is the stage when I find out if what worked on the computer screen also works in the real world, after being printed, cut, folded and glued.

So far, everything is going exactly as planned. The parts are fitting together correctly, the proportions look good and I have not found any apparent problems during the build.

I am also very pleased with the result of the new printed textures. The facade still has that aged and weathered appearance, but now with much more vivid colors. The small signs and notices, the door, the window and the sandbags also kept a good level of definition even at this size.

The door and window are separate pieces from the main facade, creating a little depth without making the assembly unnecessarily complicated. It is a simple detail, but it makes quite a difference when we see the finished model.

I think those who usually build papercrafts by gluing the pieces directly onto thicker cardboard and eliminating the tabs will also enjoy this model. With this type of construction, the thickness of the cardboard itself can be used to create the depth of the doors, windows and other elements of the facade.

Another possibility, for those who want to add even more relief, is to print some parts more than once and use a kind of slicing technique, cutting out selected elements and gluing them successively in layers. In this way, signs, doors, windows, frames and other small details can be highlighted, creating different levels of depth and real shadows on the facade.

For these photos I placed a few 1/64 scale cars next to the prototype. Besides helping to show the actual size of the model, they give a good idea of how I intend to use this Ammu-Nation: as a backdrop for Hot Wheels-style miniatures and as part of small urban dioramas.

The build is not finished yet, so I will continue documenting the process as the building takes its final shape. If everything continues to go as smoothly as it has so far, I believe no major changes to the templates will be necessary.

After eleven years, it is really fun to see this old Ammu-Nation taking shape again on my workbench. Little by little, a model created in 2015 is getting a new life in 2026.

More photos of the build coming soon.

Depois de mostrar há alguns dias as primeiras imagens da nova versão da Ammu-Nation Gun Shop, inspirada em GTA V, finalmente comecei uma das etapas que mais gosto quando crio um papercraft: a montagem do primeiro protótipo.

Para quem não viu o post anterior, este modelo é uma reformulação de um antigo papercraft da Ammu-Nation que criei e publiquei aqui no blog em 2015. Onze anos depois, resolvi voltar ao projeto, refazendo praticamente toda a parte gráfica, acrescentando novos detalhes e ao mesmo tempo tentando preservar a simplicidade da construção original.

As fotos deste post mostram os primeiros passos dessa montagem de teste. É nesta etapa que descubro se aquilo que funcionava na tela também funciona no mundo real, depois de impresso, cortado, dobrado e colado.

Até agora tudo está correndo exatamente como previsto. As peças estão encaixando corretamente, as proporções parecem boas e não encontrei nenhum problema aparente durante a montagem.

Também fiquei bastante satisfeito com o resultado das novas texturas impressas. A fachada continua com aquele aspecto envelhecido e desgastado, mas agora com cores muito mais vivas. As pequenas placas e avisos, a porta, a janela e os sacos de areia também mantiveram uma boa definição mesmo neste tamanho.

A porta e a janela são peças separadas da fachada principal, criando um pouco de profundidade sem tornar a montagem desnecessariamente complicada. É um detalhe simples, mas que faz bastante diferença quando vemos o modelo montado.

Acho que aqueles que costumam montar papercrafts colando as peças diretamente sobre cartão mais grosso e eliminando as abas também vão gostar deste modelo. Nesse tipo de montagem, a própria espessura do cartão pode ser aproveitada para criar a profundidade das portas, janelas e outros elementos da fachada.

Outra possibilidade, para quem quiser acrescentar ainda mais relevo, é imprimir algumas partes mais de uma vez e usar uma espécie de técnica de fatiamento, recortando determinados elementos e colando-os sucessivamente em camadas. Assim é possível destacar placas, portas, janelas, molduras e outros pequenos detalhes, criando diferentes níveis de profundidade e sombras reais na fachada.

Para estas fotos coloquei alguns carrinhos em escala 1/64 ao lado do protótipo. Além de ajudarem a mostrar o tamanho real do modelo, eles dão uma ideia de como pretendo usar esta Ammu-Nation: como cenário para miniaturas no estilo Hot Wheels e como parte de pequenos dioramas urbanos.

A montagem ainda não terminou, então continuarei documentando o processo conforme o prédio for tomando sua forma definitiva. Se tudo continuar correndo como até agora, acredito que não serão necessárias grandes alterações nos templates.

Depois de onze anos, é muito divertido ver esta velha Ammu-Nation tomando forma novamente sobre minha mesa. Aos poucos, um modelo criado em 2015 está ganhando uma nova vida em 2026.

Mais fotos da montagem em breve.

Rediscovering A French Papercraft Gem For Model Railways by Réseau Saint-Michel

With a blog that has already surpassed the mark of 17,000 posts, it is only natural that some very special websites eventually become hidden among thousands of pages published over the years.

Réseau Saint-Michel is one of those cases. I have featured its models several times here at Papermau, but it is always worth returning to places like this, especially when we are talking about a true French gem dedicated to model railways and papercraft.

Réseau Saint-Michel is a French website dedicated to model railways and, in its downloads section, we can find a beautiful collection of papercrafts in 1/160 scale, the popular N scale, perfect for complementing model railway layouts and small dioramas.

Most of them are small buildings and urban or railway elements: houses, shops, commercial buildings, workshops, railway structures and other little details that help bring a miniature town to life.

Many of these models also have the pleasant atmosphere of mid-20th-century France. Although several of the buildings represent older architectural styles, details such as shop fronts, signs, advertisements, workshops and railway structures bring to mind the small French towns of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

One curious detail is that the author seems to be a very modest person. Nowhere on the website, not even on the templates themselves, could I find a name or any clear clue about his identity. If any reader knows who is behind Réseau Saint-Michel, please leave a comment. It would be a pleasure to finally give proper credit to this talented designer.

One of the things I like most about these models is precisely their simplicity. They are not intended to be huge or excessively complicated projects. They are models made to be printed, assembled and placed directly on a railway layout, but they also work very well as small standalone dioramas.

For those who enjoy model railways, miniature architecture or simply want some small papercrafts to build during a quiet afternoon, it is well worth exploring the entire downloads page.

Some longtime Papermau readers will probably recognize several of these models. Others may be discovering Réseau Saint-Michel for the first time.

Either way, after so many years and thousands of posts, I thought it was more than time to bring this little French gem back to the front page of Papermau.

Com um blog que já ultrapassou a marca de 17.000 posts, é natural que alguns sites muito especiais acabem ficando escondidos entre milhares de páginas publicadas ao longo dos anos.

O Réseau Saint-Michel é um desses casos. Já publiquei seus modelos várias vezes aqui no Papermau, mas sempre vale a pena voltar a lugares como este, especialmente quando se trata de uma verdadeira pérola francesa dedicada ao ferromodelismo e ao papercraft.

O Réseau Saint-Michel é um site francês dedicado ao ferromodelismo e, em sua seção de downloads, encontramos uma bela coleção de papercrafts em escala 1/160, a popular escala N, perfeitos para complementar maquetes ferroviárias e pequenos dioramas.

São principalmente pequenas construções e elementos urbanos e ferroviários: casas, lojas, edifícios comerciais, oficinas, instalações ferroviárias e outros pequenos detalhes que ajudam a dar vida a uma cidade em miniatura.

Muitos desses modelos têm ainda um agradável ar de França de meados do século XX. Embora várias construções representem estilos arquitetônicos mais antigos, detalhes como fachadas comerciais, placas, anúncios, oficinas e instalações ferroviárias fazem lembrar principalmente as pequenas cidades francesas das décadas de 1950, 1960 e 1970.

Uma curiosidade é que o autor parece ser uma pessoa bastante modesta. Em nenhuma parte do site, nem mesmo nos próprios templates, encontrei um nome ou qualquer pista clara sobre sua identidade. Se algum leitor souber quem está por trás do Réseau Saint-Michel, por favor, deixe um comentário. Será um prazer finalmente dar o devido crédito a esse talentoso designer.

Uma das coisas que mais gosto nesses modelos é justamente sua simplicidade. Eles não tentam ser projetos gigantescos ou excessivamente complicados. São modelos feitos para serem impressos, montados e colocados diretamente em uma maquete, mas também funcionam muito bem como pequenos dioramas independentes.

Para quem gosta de ferromodelismo, arquitetura em miniatura ou simplesmente procura pequenos papercrafts para montar durante uma tarde tranquila, vale muito a pena explorar a página de downloads inteira.

Alguns leitores antigos do Papermau provavelmente vão reconhecer vários desses modelos. Outros talvez estejam descobrindo o Réseau Saint-Michel pela primeira vez.

De qualquer maneira, depois de tantos anos e milhares de posts, achei que já estava mais do que na hora de trazer novamente esta pequena pérola francesa para a primeira página do Papermau.

Abaixo você encontrará o link para o Réseau Saint-Michel e sua página de downloads, onde todos esses pequenos modelos de papel estão esperando para ganhar forma, tesoura, cola e um pouco de paciência.

Below you will find the link to Réseau Saint-Michel and its downloads page, where all these little paper models are waiting to take shape with scissors, glue and a little patience:

Rediscovering A French Papercraft Gem For Model Railways - by Réseau Saint-Michel

Below, four more papercrafts perfect for model railways, miniature scenes and railway dioramas:

01: Free Paper Buildings For Railway Layouts And Miniature Streets - by Kingsway Models

02: Loitz Railway Station In Germany Paper Model In HO Scale - by Godwin T. Petermann

03: The Old Ratzenried Railway Station Paper Model In Two Scales - by Ausschneide Bogen

04: The Railway Warehouse Paper Model - by Papermau

Die Burg Von Ritter Gerfried Medieval Papercraft In 1/200 Scale West Germany, 1977 - by YPS Magazine

This impressive medieval castle paper model is Die Burg von Ritter Gerfried, or The Castle of Knight Gerfried, an old papercraft originally published in West Germany in 1977 by YPS, a popular youth magazine known for its comics, toys, experiments and paper models.

The castle was originally published in four parts, in YPS issues 101, 102, 103 and 104, at 1/200 scale. Each part came with two sheets of pieces, so the complete model is made up of eight template sheets.

When assembled, it becomes a large medieval fortress surrounded by high stone walls, with towers of different shapes and sizes, a large round tower, a fortified gate with a drawbridge, inner courtyards, a chapel and several buildings protected inside the walls, including a half timbered house.

The original pages also included assembly instructions and small photos showing different stages of construction and several views of the finished castle, something very useful for a model with so many parts.

Although the castle looks quite convincing, my research did not find any indication that it represents a specific real medieval castle. The explanation given by YPS itself makes its fictional origin quite clear.

The magazine told its readers that, after following the adventures of Knight Gerfried and his strong squire Lothar, they would probably like to know where the two spent their time when they were not fighting in great tournaments. The answer was this paper model, Gerfried's Castle.

So everything indicates that this is a fictional medieval castle created as part of the world of Ritter Gerfried, although its architecture was clearly inspired by traditional European medieval fortresses.

For those who enjoy vintage papercrafts, medieval architecture and classic comics, Die Burg von Ritter Gerfried is a beautiful little time capsule from 1977, and also a very detailed paper model that still looks impressive almost fifty years after its original publication.

Este impressionante castelo medieval de papel é Die Burg von Ritter Gerfried, ou O Castelo do Cavaleiro Gerfried, um antigo papercraft publicado originalmente na Alemanha Ocidental em 1977 pela YPS, uma popular revista juvenil conhecida por seus quadrinhos, brinquedos, experiências e modelos de papel.

O castelo foi publicado originalmente em quatro partes, nas edições 101, 102, 103 e 104 da YPS, na escala 1/200. Cada parte trazia duas folhas com peças, portanto o modelo completo é formado por oito folhas de templates.

Depois de montado, ele forma uma grande fortaleza medieval cercada por altas muralhas de pedra, com torres de diferentes formatos e tamanhos, uma grande torre circular, portão fortificado com ponte levadiça, pátios internos, uma capela e várias construções protegidas pelas muralhas, incluindo uma casa em enxaimel.

As páginas originais também traziam instruções de montagem e pequenas fotografias mostrando diferentes etapas da construção e vários ângulos do castelo terminado, algo muito útil em um modelo com tantas peças.

Apesar de sua aparência bastante convincente, minhas pesquisas não encontraram nenhuma indicação de que ele represente um castelo medieval real específico. A própria explicação dada pela YPS deixa bem clara sua origem fictícia.

A revista dizia aos leitores que, depois de acompanhar as aventuras do cavaleiro Gerfried e de seu forte escudeiro Lothar, eles provavelmente gostariam de saber onde os dois passavam o tempo quando não estavam lutando em grandes torneios. A resposta era justamente este modelo de papel, o Castelo de Gerfried.

Portanto, tudo indica que este é um castelo medieval fictício criado como parte do universo de Ritter Gerfried, embora sua arquitetura tenha sido claramente inspirada nas tradicionais fortalezas medievais europeias.

Para quem gosta de antigos papercrafts, arquitetura medieval e quadrinhos clássicos, Die Burg von Ritter Gerfried é uma bela pequena cápsula do tempo de 1977 e também um modelo de papel muito detalhado que ainda impressiona quase cinquenta anos depois de sua publicação original.

Below you will find the link to download the complete Die Burg von Ritter Gerfried papercraft in four parts:

Die Burg Von Ritter Gerfried Medieval Papercraft In 1/200 Scale - by YPS Magazine

And below you will find four more medieval castle papercrafts in different styles to add to your collection.

01: 1900`s Knight's Castle - A Vintage Paper Model - by Kartonmodellbau

02: A Medieval Castle Papercraft From The Early Days Of The Internet - by Stefan Stihl

03: Hand-Drawn Carcassonne Castle Paper Model - by Storm The Castle

04: Knights Templar Castle Of Ponferrada Papercraft - by Storm The Castle