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An animated paper model to download and make. Members can download this model for free, non-members can download the parts for a modest fee. The Paper Dragonfly uses a pendulum in the base to power the wings so that they flutter whenever the box is touched.
Print out the parts; page one onto thin card (230 gram / 230 micron) page two onto standard photocopier paper. Score along the dotted/dashed lines. Cut the solid black lines. Dashed lines are hill folds, dotted lines are valley folds, grey areas show where to glue.
Fold up the tabs on the side of the box to make triangular sections and glue them down. Glue the two box stiffeners into place so that the are lined up with the hole in the box top.
Fold round and glue together the box as shown. Don't glue the base flaps down yet.
Assemble the pendulum as shown. Glue the card hinge into place on the shorter of the two triangles. Make sure that you exercise the hinge thoroughly so that it bends freely.
Glue the other end of the card hinge to the front of the lid stiffener. Make sure that the pendulum is lined up inside the hole and is free to move.
Glue the leaf stand into place.
Assemble the two wing ends by folding them round and gluing them.
Assemble the wing base and glue on the two paper hinges. Don't get glue on the crease line as this stiffens up the joint.
Study the picture above and use it as a guide to gluing the wing ends to the wing base. Notice how the parts criss-cross each other, this is what makes the front pair of wings and rear pair of wings move in opposite directions.
Shape the body so that it dips down in the grey area. (Top picture)
Glue the body stand to the base of the body directly below the grey area on the top of the body. Gently curve the end of the tail along its length to give it a 3d effect Glue the body shaping piece into place between the body and the body base.
Glue the wing base to the body, line up the front of the wing base with the front of the grey area on the body.
Glue the longest of the leaves to the box. Notice the small grey line for alignment with the leaf stand. (Arrowed)
Glue the two push rods to the front ends of the wing ends. Make sure you get them the right way round using the picture.
Glue the body base to the leaf so that the push rods hang lined up with the front of the pendulum.
Gently curve the four wings along their length then fold over and join the two tabs to make a sort of flattened tube.
Take two coins and wrap then in the coin holder. I used UK 2p pieces. (7 grams each 25mm diameter)
Glue the coin holder to the bottom of the pendulum so that the centre of the coins is directly beneath the hinge line. Let the glue dry.
Glue the ends of the push rods to the front of the pendulum in the positions marked.
Finish off the dragonfly by gluing on the wings, making sure that they don't bind against each other. Glue on the remaining blades of grass to complete the project. Once the glue is completely dry, tap the box and the dragonfly wings will flutter!
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Nearly done! I need to add a few more details to the colour and make a couple of small changes.
Next steps, make a finished model for photography, write instructions, youtube video, newsletter.
That should keep me busy tomorrow!
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After a break for website coding I'm back with the paper engineering.
Presented here is the latest iteration of my dragonfly model. It's nearly ready now, just a couple of small changes then it'll be time to add colour and complete the download.
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I'm back from working on the back end of the website, still a bit more to do but I'm give it a break for a day or two. Here, then, is the final shape of the dragonfly wing linkage. Notice how the parts cross over so that the wing pairs move in opposite direction. I've attached a file of the parts that I've used for you to try out if you are interested. The instructions are pretty basic but there are only a few parts and I'm sure you'll be able to work out what is going on
From there it is just a case of gluing the wings to the wing stubs, making sure that they don't catch on each other as they move up and down.
I've then added a couple of linkages to pull the wings up and down.
The next step is to mount this lot onto a blade of grass and connect the linkages to the pendulum.
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Here's my latest play for the dragonfly model. The dragonfly sits on a single long blade of grass which starts at one side of the box, curves over and is joined to the other side with a support. Touch the box and the pendulum vibrates fluttering the wings.
I originally had the leaf curve upwards at the end but it works better curving down so that there is room for the legs and head, hence the distorted shape of the support.
I have a few more changes to make. I'm going to extend the length of the piece sticking out the side of the pendulum to increase the range of movement. I'm also going to change the wing linkage (arrowed) from its current layout (top sketch) to a simpler one (bottom sketch.) I had originally used the square layout so that the push rods wouldn't catch on the leaf. Turns out they don't anyway so I can use the simpler, more stable double push rod.
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I've been experimenting with the pendulum mechanism that I'm using in the forthcoming dragonfly. I'm wanting to make the pendulum move faster to make the wings flutter faster. In the current model (left) the coin is hanging vertically and the centre of gravity it roughly 30mm from the hinge. To make the pendulum swing faster I need to move the coin closer to the hinge. Also, there is a problem with design in that the hinge, because it is horizonal, tends to peel apart because of the weight of the coin.
To move the coin closer to the hinge I have rotated it by 90° so that it lies flat. I've also made the hinge vertical, that way it wont peel apart. Two birds, one stone. The pendulum length is now roughly 7mm, about a short as I can get it I reckon!
This is what it looks like in position
and here is the top view showing where the wing linkages attach. One nice side effect of this design it the base can be really thin, as little as 20mm.
Ooo look! 400th blog post on robives.com
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I've put together a quick YouTube clip showing the dragonfly wings in motion, they make quite a satisfactory flutter I reckon!
Note that it has gone back to a single pendulum.
Here's how I reckon the dragonfly model will look when its complete.
Oh, and my apologies for the music. That's what happens when you put GarageBand (actually Logic Express) in the hands of amateurs. Its like the old days of DTP. I was rubbish at that when I started too. Five years from now, my music will be fantastic. Taa daa!
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I've attached the dragonfly wings to the box ready to be connected to the pendulum. I've connected the wings together in diagonal pairs. Front left to back right, front right to back left. That way, as the front pair move up and down the rear pair move down and up.
You can see what is going on better in the diagram below. Green parts are a single unit as are the blue parts. From the diagram you can also see that I only need one pendulum. Back to the drawing board!
Here's what it looks like when I haven't scribbled all over it.
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