I'm not sure how to say it without sounding like a jerk, because I really like a lot of your stuff, VM. But this cardboard kick seems like wasted effort to me. Obviously you have a good eye for the parts and the shapes. And you also have a steady hand to make the proper cuts and angles... so why not use those skills in a medium that can produce an actual useable, fun toy by working in styrene or something similar?

I'll be happy to eat my hat if the final products end up looking like they weren't made of cardboard. But as it stands, they look like they are made for paper-doll Joes, not the real deal. If you have the time to invest in going this far with it, I can only think of how cool this might be in plastic form.

No worries, it's all good, you didn't sound like a jerk.
We'll see how this comes out in cardboard first. I get the feeling that once things get painted
it'll be a ton better.

Y'know, I've looked occasionally for styrene at Michaels and Jo Anns and have
not had much luck. Haven't tried Hobby Lobby yet but where do you guys get
sheet styrene?

One thing I'd be concerned with is that some of the "hinges" I used rely on the
flexibility of cardboard to bend. Don't know if styrene could be as useful there,
but maybe I could combine the two and have styrene sheets with a cardboard
(or other) hinge.