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Paper Bird is a pendulum powered project. Move the box, even slightly, and the bird comes to life bobbing up and down.
The download comes in both colour and line only for your own colour scheme. Print out the first two pages onto thin card. (230 micron / 230 gsm) The third page has only a few hinges. these need to be extra flexible so this page should be printed onto standard printer page. (80gsm)
Score along the dotted lines and carefully cut out the holes with a sharp knife before cutting out the parts.
Glue together the three parts that make the body.
Fold up and glue together the body inner then glue it into place so that the back edge lines up with the small black dot on the outside of the body. (Arrowed)
Glue the wide hinge and one of the two small hinges into place as shown.
Assemble the legs then glue them to the wide paper hinge as shown. Make sure not to get any glue on the crease.
Fold round and glue together the box top stiffener and glue it onto the underside of the box lid so that it is lined up with the edge of the central hole. Glue the two leg supports into place lined up with the edges of the small holes as shown.
Fold together and glue the long tab on the pendulum to make double thickness card.
Assemble the pendulum.
Glue the two paper hinges into place. The larger of the two remaining hinges is on the left and should be glued vertically down the pendulum.
Thread the feet through the hole in the box and line up the angled step with the top of the box before gluing it to the leg supports.
Glue the rest of the box into place.
Glue the box lid down.
Drop the pendulum into place in the hole in the top of the box and glue the hinge to the top of the box.
Fit the push rod between the pendulum and the bird.
Wrap two coins in some off-cuts of card. I used UK 2p pieces. These are 25mm in diameter and weigh 7g each.
Glue the coins to the end of the pendulum.
Glue the base to the box.
That's it! Taps the box and the bird will bob about pleasingly!
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First Flip Face prototype for members to download and try.
I'm trying out a few different mechanisms so see which works best and thought you might like to play along at home so if you are a member you can download the parts at the link and make your own.
This is a successful mechanism. Turn the handle on the back of the box a full turn and the face turns 180°. The mechanism keeps the face in position when it is supposed to be stationary. The only downside I see is that turning the handle a full turn then stopping isn't the obvious thing to do. Ah well, you try it and see what you think.
Print out the parts onto three sheets of thin card (230 microns / 230 gsm) Score all the dotted lines, cut out the holes the carefully cut out the pieces. Dotted lines are valley folds, dashed lines are hill folds, solid lines show where to cut. Fold up and glue together the side pieces making right angled triangle sections top and bottom.
Glue together the drive stiffeners.
Glue the drive stiffeners to the drive wheel on the grey area.
Fold up and glue together the two axles.
Tightly roll up the two drive pins and glue them shut.
Thread the drive wheel sides onto the drive wheel axle lining them up with the two grey lines
Glue the sides of the drive wheel into place so that they are curved.
Expand the cross holes at the ends of the drive wheel with a cocktail stick then thread the drive pins into place.
Fold over and glue together the geneva wheel so that it is double thickness. When the glue is dry, cut out the piece then fit it to the second axle lining it up with the grey line.
Assemble the handle as shown above.
Glue the two halves of the box together at one end only. Thread the geneva wheel and drive wheel into the correct hole using the picture above as guidance. Glue the washer into place.
Glue the box closed then glue the washers into place on the back. Glue the handle to the axle then glue the face to the tabs on the drive wheel.
Done! Turn the handle a full turn and the geneva drive advances two quarter turns flipping the face over. Rack and pinion next.
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After visiting my parents for their Golden Wedding Anniversary we are now off down to London for a few days to see the sites. I have my laptop with me so I'll be keeping in touch but I think if I brought my printer and tools and started model making I'd be thrown out of the hotel room by my True Love. To keep you going I'm planning to post a few posts of some of the website highlights from the last year. Starting with: Pendulum Powered Projects. If you are member you'll be able download all of these projects for free!
Sheep: Pendulum powered nodding sheep. Tap the box and the cute sheep nods wisely. This model is a mechanism powered by a pendulum. It can be used as a starting point for your own automata or you can add the cute nodding sheep character. The download is available for free for members, (thanks you for your support!) None members can download the parts for a modest fee. More details.
Dragonfly: 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. More details.
Wag the Dog: Wag the Dog. The slightest tap on the box and the cute dog wags her tail. If you are a member you can download and make this pendulum powered model for free. None members can download it for a small fee. More details
Butterfly: The Fluttering Butterfly is a pendulum powered model to download, print out and make. Any slight movement of the model make the wings tremble and flap. Check out the YouTube video on the project page.
Paper Pop: Free for everyone! An animated version of Matt Hawkin's paper toy is available for everyone to download for free. The model is driven by a coin weighted pendulum. Touch the box and Andy's head sways side to side and his legs swing back and forth. More details
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Here's a quick project that should be fun for you to try. It could also make the starting point for a design lesson in school.
The paper T-shirt file at the end of this post comes with a blank shirt for your own design as well as two pre-designed shirts. Download the file. Print out the parts onto ordinary photocopier/printer paper. (No need for card with this project) Just print out page one if you are creating your own design. The assembly should be fairly self explanatory, I'll try and get some step by step pictures up tomorrow or Sunday. I hope you enjoy the project! I'm off for an early night - struck down, as I am, with a stomach bug. Bleugh.
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Here's a simple but fun project I think that you might enjoy making. The mobius snake is a single piece model that rolls round and glues to make a snake eating its own tail. The twist being the twist in the paper which give the mobius strip its mysterious properties.
As a member you can can download the file at the end of the blog post. Print it out onto ordinary printer paper, cut it out and away you go!
Here is the finished model in all its simple glory. The mobius strip is a mathematical curiosity discovered in the 19th century - In its simplest form it is a strip of paper with a single twist glued into a loop. The weird thing is that, because of the twist the mobius strip has only one edge and one face. Trace your finger along one edge and without lifting it from the model you'll pass by both eyes before returning to your starting point!
Close up detail of the head.
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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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