Lazer cut or cc routered, one would assume that these would be more accurate, but it still depends on the person who drew the 'master'. I know from experience that lazer / cc routering are not always 'right'.

Because if you didn't accept paper plans then for many models you wouldn't be able to get any and you wouldn't know about how they have been folded until you receive them!

Most of my plans are on paper but it isn't a problem as I redraw them anyway and so accuracy isn't an issue and I tend to modify them. I like to have the plans for reference for building and it's just nice to have them.

I think that we all have to do a bit of adjustment to the parts of most model's when building them. I cannot think of any model in the past that has not had to have any trimming of part's to fit correctly. I haven't purchased a laser cut model so I wouldn't know about them. But I would also assume that purchasing a paper plan this would also mean that there would need to be some trimming to part's after cutting them out. So if you are buying a plan then why not realise that you would need to trim part's once you have transfered them to wood or what ever you are making it from.I have purchased quite a few plans that were folded and once unfolded and then cut out and started building i have had to trim parts to fit. Why buy a paper plan if you are not happy with the way it is folded and arrives.

I agree that folding drawings is not good (apart from for easy posting) but what annoys me is the way they are folded which can stretch and distort the paper.

I've folded hundreds, well probably thousands, of building drawings in my lifetime and it's not difficult to do properly, like folding a map.

Better when they are supplied as PDF's and you can get them printed yourself.

I buy lots of plans for aircraft and boats from either eBay or Sarik etc. Most of the plans I’ve bought from eBay have been photocopies and folded on arrival. I iron my plans carefully and also store rolled in a tube. One thing to note, a photocopy especially on larger sheets of paper can be a fraction bigger than the original it’s been copied from!

I tend to use plans as a reference and transfer straight lines to large paper especially if building on the plans direct, this is possibly essential when building wings and fuselages over the plans and I have also done it with boats, as recent as the veron Vosper RTTL I’m currently building from eBay plans (copies!)

If you are buying plans off E Bay chances are they are photocopies. Folding would not alter a straight line.
I agree ironing under brown paper and storing in a tube works well.
Paper is not a very stable medium and any plan will likely change slightly due to the moisture content.
To be accurate you need measurements together with a ruler on the plan so that you can make any adjustments.
I have always treated such plans more as guides rather than accurate representations and will adjust the pieces I make to fit.
Shipyards used to employ fitters who did exactly this.

Probably why many recent kits use laser cut parts with plans that show how the bits fit together.

Good plans are not cheap. I bought plans for the Titanic at 1:96 from Dr Haan for about £200. Came on 12 sheets (12' x4') all produced as original line drawings and packaged in a large cardboard tube. The professional photo copies we had done for the frame outlines showed that the process was not 100% accurate and added 0.5mm to some parts.

Of course taffy; I meant if the the supplier sends in a tube it costs more and you have to be at home to receive them!
Doug 😎

Hi Doug,
Sorry mate, it's not for posting it's for storage.
taffy.😁

Exactly taffy 👍👍
Nothing to get excited about. Rather a simple flat envelope in the post than a long (and more expensive to post) tube that won't fit in the postbox.
Cheers Doug 😎

G'Day Andy
I too have received some plans that have been folded like that, and I have laid them out on a board then place Brown paper over them and ironed them flat before I rolled them and placed them in a Roll folder from the P.O.
taffy

Hi Andy
I have received paper plans folded up and the first thing is I roll them and place in a cardboard tube.
The tubes are free from carpet places.
Canabus