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A project for members to download and make. This character based project is a two axis neck joint. Use it to make this slightly disapproving paper character or as the starting point for your own designs.
Download the file from the usual place then print out the two pages onto thin card (230gsm / 230micron card) Score along the dotted lines and cut out the holes before carefully cutting out the pieces.
Start by rolling up the neck tube, curve the pieces over a pen or something similar. The tube rolls round on itself twice for extra thickness. Note that the area marked 'Inside ' is on, well, the inside.
Roll the tube round and glue the end down so that the end lines up with the edge of the grey area.
Starting at the top of the tube, glue one of the fixed ring strips, lining it up with the top of the tube and starting at the seam.
Roll it right round and carefully glue it down.
The second ring needs to be free to rotate. Roll it round and glue it down to itself, make sure that it doesn't stick to the neck.
Leaving two small gaps, fit the last of the fixed strips into place to the hold the rotating ring into position.
Crease and curve the tab piece as shown above
Glue the tab piece to the rotating ring. There will be a small gap between the two ends of the tab piece once it is glued down.
Make the head inner as shown.
Slot the tabs through the holes in the head inner. A coffee stirring stick is useful for poking at the tabs in this stage. Fold the tabs down and glue the circles into place. Make sure that the head inner is free to rock back and forth.
Assemble the head.
And glue on the nose.
Roll round and glue together the body.
Glue the neck support inside the the body so that it straddles the seam at the back of the body.
Glue the neck into the neck support.
Assemble the two shoulders as the one shown above.
Glue the shoulders to the grey areas on the body. The shorter side of the shoulders faces the front.
Glue the head to the head inner so that it is lined up front to back.
Complete the model by fitting the arms. The arms slip up inside the shoulders and fixed into place with a dot of glue on the front of the body.
Once complete, place your paper character somewhere where he can disapprove of whatever is going on.
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In flight, aeroplanes can rotate about three different axis. Pitch, the axis across the aeroplane through the wings. Changing pitch causes the nose to move up and down. Roll, the axis through the length of the plane, front to back. Roll and one wing goes up and the other goes down. And finally yaw, the vertical axis running up and down through the centre of the plane. Changing the yaw moves the nose left or right pointing the plane to a different heading.
I'm experimenting with poseable character design; this is where the aeroplane information comes in, I'm working on a head/neck joint that lets a head pitch (nod) and yaw (shake).
My first draft.
Starting with a roll of paper for the neck I added a sleeve which is free to rotate near the top of the shaft. I held the sleeve in place with a couple of fixed rings of card. This takes care of the yaw.
To add pitch I made a tube with a couple of sets of tabs at the top.
I joined the base of the tube to the rotating sleeve on the neck.
I then added an oval piece with a couple of holes matched to the tabs and fixed the tabs down with a disk of card whilst still allowing the oval piece to rock back and forth.
To complete the joint I fitted the head over the top of the oval piece. The completed prototype worked well.
Not bad for a first draft. But I reckon it could be a lot more compact. Here's the second version. I've made the rotating sleeve a lot less tall. It is only 7mm high with the end stops being 5mm each.
Instead of the whole, complicated tube with different types of tabs at each end, I've made a simple piece that will fit directly to the rotating sleeve.
Like this.
I then fitted the same oval piece to the tabs and fixed them into place with card circles.
The head fixes to the oval piece. Simple pitch and yaw from a paper toy.
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Back to the Paper Faerie - after lots of cutting and snipping, gluing and arranging I think I've got the look for the paper faerie model.
What do you think?
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Rock Paper: Free paper toy for everyone to download and make. The file comes in two types. Coloured, ready to go and mono for you to add your own colour scheme. If you create your own design please send pictures!
Print out the parts onto thin card. (230 micron / 230 gsm) Score along the dotted lines and cut out the holes before cutting out the parts.
Gently curve round and glue together the body
Roll the arms round a pen before gluing them down. Fold at the elbows and fix with a fillet of glue. You may have to hold the arms in position while the glue dries.
Roll round and glue the leg tubes.
Roll round and glue the head. Glue the two darts at the top of the head to give it a bit of shape. Push the nose slightly out from the head.
Assemble the hat as shown above. Curve the brim to give it a proper topper look.
Fit the legs into the body. The leg seams go to the centre of the body. Line the top of the legs in the position shown.
Glue the square shoulder tab into the front of the body between the two semi circles.
Turn the body round, curve the shoulders over and glue them to the back.
Glue the feet to the base of the legs with a fillet of glue. Glue the neck front tab to the grey rectangle on the front of the shoulders.
Glue the back of the neck to the back of the shoulders
Glue the neck front inside the head, lining it up with the top of the head.
Find the arm with the longer upper arm. This is the right arm. Glue the wrist piece into place in the right arm using the grey areas for alignment.
Glue the two arms to the shoulders
Glue the right hand into place.
Make up the guitar by folding it over and gluing it down to make double thickness card then carefully cutting it out. Glue the left hand into position as shown.
Fit the left hand into the arm making sure that the guitar won't catch on the floor.
Glue on the hat at a jaunty angle.
Get ready to rock!
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The results of an evening cutting and sticking. There's something missing, can't quite put my finger on it...
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I'm working on an articulated version of the paper-rob model. Unsurprisingly I've found myself distracted and working on a slightly different project. I'm now trying to make a model with elbows, hips, knees and elbows. I had originally intended to use a simplified version of the two axis joint but have moved towards a design based on the rotating joints used in the lever book.
One part of the hinge has a circular hole, the other has three tabs which slot through the holes. It works nicely in that it is easy to move and stays in the position in which it is posed.
By adding two sets of holes to the end of a shaft I've made a set of working hips.
Shoulders next
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Cubug, a pop up character to download and make. Fold him flat, flip the lock tab into place and he remains flat until you drop him on the floor when he springs open!
Cubug is based on a cubocahedron shape - hence the name. If you are a member you can download the parts file at the end of this email, non members can can download the file for a small fee.
The file comes complete with the ready coloured version shown here as well as a line only version so that you can create your own design.
Print out the parts onto stiff card. I used 280 micron card which as just right. Score along all the dotted lines and cut out the holes before cutting out the parts. Both of these jobs are easier on a full sheet.
Follow the instructions below and make your own Cubug model!
Before you start assembling the model, exercise all the crease lines to ensure that they are free to move easily. Glue the body base to the feet so that the key holes line up accurately.
Glue the two parts of the tab together as shown above.
Glue the completed tab into the corner of the body top. Use the picture above to make sure your alignment is correct, notice where the mouth is!
Use the picture above to guide you in preparing the two body parts for joining.
Carefully glue the two parts together one tab at a time working your way round the model. Make sure that you don't accidentally glue the two halves together.
Glue the two pairs of arms back to back so that they are double thickness.
Cut a long thin elastic band so that it is a single long piece. Thread the elastic band into place, pull it tight and tie it in a double knot. A pair of tweezers is useful for this job.
Complete the model by gluing on the eyes and the arms. Wait for the glue to dry completely before carrying on.
Once complete, set the cubug so that it is ready to jump. Fold the model flat then lift the tab so that it locks into the key hole. Flip the model and it's ready to go. Drop it onto a flat surface, the tab moves out from the key ring releasing the elastic band and the Cubug jumps!
Why not try creating your own designs on the mono version of the file.
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Kuchi-san Paper Character
Paper character to download, print out and make. Kuchi is japanese for mouth, san is an honorific suffix, roughly equivalent to mr. So this model is Mr Mouth. Pull up the head, the mouth opens, the tongue pops out and the arms go up.
Kuchi-san is available for members to download at the end of this post. Make sure that you are logged in!
You will need a pair of scissors, some glue and a glue spreader. The best type of glue to use is white school glue (PVA.)
Print out the parts sheets onto ordinary thin card. Notice that the sheets are marked front and back. Print out the front sheet, flip the card over then print the back sheet. Leave the ink to dry completely before continuing.
Before cutting anything out, score along all the dotted lines. This job is easier to do on full sheets of paper.
Dashed lines are hill folds, dotted lines are valley folds. Cut along the solid lines. Grey areas show where to glue.
Glue together the two parts of the hair to make a double thickness. (1)
Glue the teeth in place to the back of the body (2) Use the grey area on the teeth for alignment.
Fold round and glue the tongue into a tube (3)
Glue the linkage to the grey area on the back of the tongue assembly. (4)
Glue the tongue assembly to the box base so that the front edge lines up with the crease. (5)
Fold up and glue together the box base as shown above. (6 - 7)
The tongue should be free to move back and forth and should just clear the lower lip. Curve it gently if it catches where it shouldn’t.
Fold up and glue together the box base as shown above. (6 - 7)
The tongue should be free to move back and forth and should just clear the lower lip. Curve it gently if it catches where it shouldn’t.
Fold down the lid and glue it into place. (10) Notice that the flap on the back of the box glues to the outside of the box not tucked into the inside. This stops it catching as the model is lifted up and down.
Glue on the eyes, the hands and the hair.
Complete the model by gluing the feet into place.
Once the glue is dry your model is ready to go!
Hold down the feet and pull up the hair, the mouth opens wide and the tongue pops out!
Become a member and download this model free!
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I've completed a full color version of the character model and taken the photos for the instructions. It looks great, though I say so myself. I've also updated the shopping cart system so that you can see the files you've ordered in your account. All good stuff!
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Parts coloured and numbered. I've printed out a set of parts sheets onto card and cut them all out ready to assemble and photograph. Going to finish off the day with a bit of tidying up of the website database then a little light readying on jQuery. Living on the edge :-)
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