We went to see #1 daughter's sixth form art exhibition this evening. As you can imagine we were swelled up with pride.

Much of Martha's work wasn't actually in the show as the examiners had taken it away with them as examples of quality work.

So proud.

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Some of you may already know the Agreeable Sheep model from the Flying Pig web site. As part of the ongoing migration-of-the-downloads I've updated the layout and retaken photos for a nice new set of online instructions.

It'll be up on this web site in the next day or so.

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This looks like fun! I was sent these links by Smelter - a regular at the forum and on the site. Click the image above to see all sorts of different models. Inspiration - with marbles.

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I've been putting some last touched to the website today - including the comment bubble in the picture. Thanks to everyone who has sent feedback, I really appreciate it! I'm slowly but surely working through my list of things to do. If you see some thing drop me an demail or add a comment to this post.

Oh, and I've fixed the membership button which I'd managed to break. I was wondering why nobody had joined in the last few days, turns out the monthly membership button linked to a rather unfriendly Access Denied error. All sorted now.

And finally, the new design for the web site is now fully live! Fingers crossed.

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I've re-done the layout of the Moire pattern robot. I took photographs as I was making it and have put them together to make it into a quick and fun project.. There is a link at the bottom of this post for members to download the parts. What do you mean you're not a member?! Don't worry, you can sign up here.

You'll need the usual tools. Scissors, sharp knife a ruler and some PVA glue. Download the file at the end of this post. Print out the first two pages onto thin card and the third onto paper. Score along all the dotted line then cut out the parts carefully and accurately.

Fold round and make the core as shown above. The flap I'm holding above tucks inside and glues down like the one at the other end of the core. The end result is an oval shaped core.  

Wrap the paper belt round the core and glue the end down onto the grey area on the belt. The belt should be free to move round the core but not too loose. Make sure no glue gets between the core

Glue the two legs into place on the side of the core. The top edge of the legs line up with the edge of the core. Move the belt round so that the join on the belt lines up with the edge of core. (Arrowed)

Spread a 10mm wide area of glue across the width of the belt as shown.

Line the top of the belt with the top of the body and press down the glued area only the inside back of the body. Make sure the core and the body are lined up.

Fold the body round the core and glue it together.

On each side of the body lift the two short tabs slightly. (Arrowed)

Pull the legs so that the two grey semi-circular glue pads are visible through the arm holes. 

Glue the two arms into place on the core.

Complete the model by curving the eye shaft gently and gluing it to the back of the body then gluing on the feet.

Once the glue is dry pull the body up and down and the arms rise up and down whilst the moire pattern effect makes animated effect in the mouth. 

I hope you enjoy this quick, fun project. Add colour, use coloured card to print out the parts or try making the robot with silvered card!

My plan is to take this core mechanism and use it within a fully coloured kit which I'll add to the shop - though of course it will be free for my marvellous members to download just as this project is.

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I'm experimenting with using a Moire interference pattern to make a model's mouth look like it is moving.

I've constructed a core - shown above, around which I've run a paper belt with angled stripes. The core is my usual brand of thin card whilst the belt is made of paper to keep it flexible.

The belt fits around the core slightly loosely and is free to move.

I fixed the back of the paper belt to the back of the body, now as the legs are pulled up and down relative to the body the belt will roll round the core.

I then wrapped the body round the core and glued it closed.

I've added eyes and arms to finish off the model. Now as the body moves up and down the mouth makes an interesting interference pattern! I'm going to try out a couple of different angles with the mouth and the stripes but should have a prototype for you to play with soon.

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I've done as much as I can on the updated web site without making it live. So to that end, I've set it up so that it is now the default theme for members/subscibers, I'll move everyone else across shortly, meanwhile you can see what you are missing below.

If you have any problems, suggestions or nice things to say please leave a comment or send an email. If you are really stuck you can change back to the old theme until I have ironed out all the wrinkles .

• Click on Files
• Scroll down to Theme Configuration
• Choose robivestheme

I hope you like it!

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The donut/doughnut model is a fun model, quick to make and fantastical!

Although it was originally designed to have 11 segments it actually works better with only ten. As a member you can download the parts file at the end of this post.

Print out the appropriate number of either mono or colour parts sheets onto thin card.. Score along the dotted lines and cut out the parts. Roll each section round and glue it down to make a wedge shape .

Glue the sections together. Be careful to do this accurately.

Glue eight of the basic sections together to make the body of the torus.

Carefuly glue the two end pieces into place as shown.

Glue the large tabs down to complete the model. If you glue them down carefully they should be virtually invisible.

That's it! You now have a paper Donut. I'm not sure what you can do with it but it look great doesn't it! Its got to be useful for something!

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£2.00

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Closing the donut shape is tricky, You really need detachable fingers or the help of a dexterous mouse. As I say - tricky.

William H suggested using two sets of tabs on the final joint, this works well in some circumstances but unfortunately as the tube is an octogon in section it is collapsable. This makes it really hard to keep everything lined up as the glue is drying. So instead of that I've tried putting the tabs on the outside. To hide the tabs I've made them as large as the adjacent faces. That way they cover the faces completely with the edges lined up with the edges of the model.

In this model I've created a final section with these oversize tabs.

This piece is glued into place last. There is enough flexiblity in the model to let me glue the final section on fairly easily.

...then by gluing the flaps down I can close the circle. 

In the final version I have four large tabs on one side and the alternate tabs on the other end.

It all works rather neatly. Okay - model done - download post to write up.

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I've finished sizing up the Toroid model today as well as getting the new look web site ready for roll out. Busy day!

The toroid model had loads of fun maths in it which I've gone over below. Enjoy.

Okay - so I'm breaking the fourth wall but really, how are you supposed to take pictures with your left hand?

I've divided the donut into 11 wedges, each made from an eight sided shape. I know that the angle of each section is approx 32.7 degrees. (360/11) To create each piece I need to work out the minimum height (h1), the maximum height(h2) and the length of each of the faces (L)

Okay - L first.

I'm aiming at a donut with inner radius of 20mm and an outer radius of 75mm. That means that the actual donut body (d) has a diameter of 55mm (75mm-20mm) Using trig above that means that the length of each face is close enough to 21mm as makes no difference. (sin 22.5 x 55mm)

So that's L sorted.

For the two heights I'll switch to a plan view of the donut. I've already established that the angle is 32.7 degrees. I'll use tan this time because I'm looking for the hypotenuse. So,  tan 32.7 is 0.642. To work out the two heights I just need to multiply the two radii by this figure giving: h1 = 13mm and h2 = 48mm.

So there you have it - donuts by numbers - and that's why I love maths.

Now I just need to print out eleven of these and hope that they stick together correctly.

That'll have to wait - friends visiting.

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