I've uploaded a new video to YouTube showing the Dodo model in action. Its added it to the Dodo page. Hope you enjoy it!
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Another day of website development - it really does suck up the time! Very satisfying though. When I was a student I used to pull all-nighters writing computer programs to draw fractal crystals in C on my z80 based Amstrad PCW. Can't seem to do that anymore - I think familiy life uses more energy than student life :-) Either that or I get up somewhat earlier than I did when I was a student.
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Back from beyond the brink of extinction, the paper Dodo once again walks the earth.
In this model the Dodo, flightless though it is, tries to fly. Quick burst of wing flapping fail to lift the unhappy bird from the box, but that doesn't stop her trying.
Follow the fully illustrated instructions to resurect your very own paper Dodo.
The Dodo 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.) You’ll also need two coins.
Print out the parts sheets onto thin card. Note that the parts are marked front and back. Print out the front, flip the card over and print the back. 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.
Fold the two push rod ends in half and glue them own to make double thickness card. (1) Once the glue is dry, cut out the hole and cut out the part as shown.
Glue together the four cam halves to make double thickness card. Make sure that the parts are lined up accurately. (2-3)
Glue the body top to the inside of the head. (4)
Glue the other side of the body to the body top making sure to line up the beak accurately. (5) Glue the back and front into place. 6-9)
Glue the wing stiffeners onto the back of the wings as shown. (10)
Thread the two wings through the holes in the body sides and glue them into place. (11)
Glue together the three cam shaft parts as shown above. (12-13) The diagonal piece adds rigidity to the shaft. Don’t glue them all together yet.
Fold round and glue together the three parts of the main push rod, the push rod (14), the slider tube (15) and the collar(16)
Glue the cam follower and cam follower support together. (17) On the marked areas should be glued, the rest must be free to move.
Assemble the two cam follower sides as shown below. (18)
Glue the cam follower sides into place on the cam follower. (19) Make sure that the edges of the triangle part are glued to the side of the cam follower sides where the arrow is pointing.(18)
Glue the cam follower assembly to the push rod using the grey areas for alignment. (21-22) Make sure that these parts are straight and true before the glue dries. The cam follower must be free to move up an down without binding on the push rod ends.
Glue together the first two parts of the cam shaft. (23) Slide the first cam into place on the long shaft. Use the A and B for alignment. Make sure that the side with the two tabs is on the outside as shown in the picture above.
Thread the cam shaft through the holes in the push rod. Use the picture to ensure that the parts are lined up in the correct direction. Slide the second cam into place on the cam shaft. Make sure that it is parallel to the first cam. Glue the remaining cam shaft into place (25) The cam shaft should be free to rotate.
Glue the slider tube into place on the box top tab. (26)
Glue the linkages to the end of the cam follower. (27-28) Thread the push rod top up through the slider tube. Make sure that the backs are aligned. Slip the collar into place. (Back to the back!) Glue the linkages to the collar. (29)
With both of the box sides, fold round and glue the bottom tab to make a triangular section tube. (30) This will make the bottom of the box rigid and strong.
Fit the box top to the appropriate box side. (31) Glue the two sides together. (32) Fold the box round the cam shaft and glue it together whilst threading the cam shaft ends through the holes in the side of the box. Glue the box together. (33) Fold in the four flaps inside the box and glue to make strong triangle sections. (34) Glue the base flaps down.
Make the handle in three steps:
Fold round the two halves to make square sections (35)
Fold the halves into each other and glue. (36)
Roll round the long tab and glue it down. (37)
Glue the handle into place. (38)
Glue the Dodo to the top of the push rod. (39) Glue the ends of the wings push rod to the collar. (40)
Glue the legs to the feet. (41)
Turn the handle until the Dodo is at its lowest position. With the feet flat to the box top glue the middle toe to the box top and the leg top to the inside of the body. Repeat with the other leg.
Fold the coin holders round two 20mm coins and glue them down.
Glue the two coins to the linkages. This gives weight to the cam followers and helps it accurately follow the cam.
That’s it. Your Dodo model is now complete. Let the glue dry completely then, when you turn the handle the Dodo will once again try unsuccessfully to fly.
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I've been working on a complete redesign of the website, hence the lack of posts. Did you miss me?! Anyway, the new look website is coming along nicely so I thought I'd better spend some time on the dodo before I forgot where I had got too.
The picture shows a version of the final line drawing version (no colour) put together on coloured card, I've done the numbering of the parts this afternoon. I'll be adding colour proper to the file next, then print-out, make and photograph. Looks like the dodo isn't going to be extinct for much longer!
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Work on the upcoming Dodo model is coming along nicely. I have created the cam profile that drives the wings and added it to the surround of the crank shaft.
The resulting cam/crank shaft thingy is shown here. I've fitted it into a box with dodo attached and it works surprisingly well for a first draft! At this rate I should have the outline of the model completed in the next day or so, then it'll just be a case of adding some colour and doing the instructions.
Off to do a bit of web work now... then perhaps a glass of red then bed.
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Back to the Dodo today! I've been working on the body layout. I started with a hand drawn model then, as per my usual workflow I cut the bits out and dropped them in the scanner.
What you see here is the result after I've transfered the model to the computer. One of the many advantages of a computer based design is their easy editability. I made a model, found it was too small and quickly ran off another copy 20% larger. Easy!
I going to be using the crank slider / cam mechanism in the final model but I'll be adapting the cam to tell a different story. I want a quick burst of flapping followed by a rest so I'll design a cam profile to meet that need.
Everything seems to be going together quite well. Apart form the cam the only parts that I need to complete are the feet!
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Cam / Cam Mechanism
This is a proposed mechanism for the forthcoming Dodo project. The Dodo model will demonstate the typical flight path of now extinct bird. A quick burst of wing flapping and a short moment in the air. To acheive this effect the mechanism uses two different cams, a multi-lobed cam to drive the wings and an offset circle cam to lift the body. I've made the mechanism available for members to download and experiment with.
Members can download the file at the bottom of this post.
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. Coloured card works well and makes for an attractive, colourful model. 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 three cams to make double thickness parts. Make sure that the tabs on each of the cams aren’t glued.
Glue together the cam shaft. Slide the three cams into place. Use the picture for the correct arrangement and alignment. Glue the cams to the grey areas on the cam shaft.
Fold round and glue together the push rod, the collar and the linkages as shown above.
Glue the narrow linkages to the push rod using the grey areas on the push rod to line up the tabs.
Glue the guide into place. Notice that the narrow end is nearest the push rod.
On each of the two box side, fold round and glue the tabs to make a triangular section. Glue the box front to the front of one of the box side with the grey areas showing through as shown above.
Glue the push rod linkages to centre grey areas as shown.
Glue the cam follower ends into place as shown.
Glue the cam followers to the inside of the box front as shown.
Glue together the collar.
Slide the collar onto the push rod.
Glue the linkages bet wee en the cam followers and the collar. Make sure that the collar is free to move up and down.
Glue the second box side into place.
Roll the box round with the cam shaft in place. The handle end of the cam shaft is the end hidden from view in the picture above.
Glue the box closed. Fold round the vertical flaps on the box and glue them down to make triangular sections.
Fold the coin holder round two 20mm coins.
Glue them to the collar.
Make the handle in three steps.
Fold up an glue the two square sections.
Fold the handle in half to make an L shape.
Roll round the long tab and glue it down
Let the glue dry completely before using the mechanism.
Turn the handle and the main shaft raises and lowers once per handle turn. Meanwhile the collar, with the coin moves up and down four times quickly over half the turn then remains stationary.
This mechanism is designed as a starting point for a paper automata. Download it, make it and experiment!
I originally designed it to be used as the mechanism for a dodo model, turn the handle and the wings flap quickly while the body moves up and down slowly.
Use it as a starting point for your own designs. Use it for an angel or a flying horse, whatever you like. The only limit is your imagination!
Over too you!
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Finally took delivery of coloured card today. I've put together the cam cam version of the dodo mechanism in a charming range of clashing colours. Lovely!
I've completed the photo set showing the construction of this mechanism. I'll be making it available as a download to members in the next day or so.
(Cam followers in position)
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I've put together a first draft of the alternate mechanism for the Dodo model. It works well for a first draft but I'll need to make a few changes.
For starters, I have to cut off the larger cam teeth as they were binding with the cam follower. I either need to move the teeth further round the cam or lift the cam follower so it is sloping down instead of up.
I've made some changes to the drawings and printed them out. I'll be putting them together in the morning. Its interesting, this!
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Having completed a crank & cam mechanism for the upcoming Dodo model I'm now turning my attention to cam-only version In this mechanism I'll have two cams. One to move the body up and down, the other to controls the wings.
For the body I'm thinking that I'll use a circular cam with the centre offset to one side. (The thick black line on the picture) The heavy red line shows the design for the wings cam. The thin red spokes are evenly spaced approx 35 degrees apart. This will ensure that the as the cam turns the wing beats evenly. The interesting thing, though, is that as the cam shaft os offset to one side the cam teeth on the left are much bigger than those on the right.
I'd have completed this stage but I've spent much of the morning restoring my computer after a hard disk failure. Luckily everything was backed up. Thank Jobs for Time Machine!
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