Here's a quick mechanism for you to download and try. If you are a member you can download it at the end of this post. It is a simple joint designed to move both back and forth and side to side. It could be used as the waist joint in a bendable character with friction locks to hold it in place once it is posed. 

Print out two copies of the file below. I used two different colours of card. Glue the two sliders back to back, notice that they are rotated 90 degrees to each other.

Glue the two hinges inside of the sliders. Line up the end of the small part with the crease in the slider.

Make up the two bodies.

Glue the ends of the bodies to the hinges. 

Place the slider covers over the sliders and glue them down. Make sure you don't get any glue on the slider. Otherwise it won't slide.

That's it, let the glue dry. The joint should now be free to move back and forth and side to side. Now to work out how this fits into a working model. 

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The parts for this model are available to download at the end of this blog post. If you are member you'll be able to download them for free. Non-members can download them for a small fee.

The model comes on four pages, the first three need to be printed onto thin card. Thin photocopier card is ideal. Note that the pages are marked 'front' and 'back'. Print out the front page, flip the card over, return it to the printer and print the back on the other side. Wait until the ink is completely dry before continuing.

Solid black lines show where to cut, dotted lines are crease lines. Before cutting out the parts, score the dotted lines and cut out any holes. The more carefully and accurately you cut and score the parts the better your model will be!

Curve round and glue down the tab on the right hand end as shown in the picture. Assemble the rest of the body side as shown. Finish off by threading the centre tab through and gluing it down. Use the line drawing above to help with positioning.

Assemble the shoulder wheel as shown above. Note that there are grey lines on the long tab marking where the centre piece glues.

Glue the shoulder wheel to the body side so that it is free to move. It should be able to rotate approximately three quarters of a turn.

With the shoulder wheel lined up as shown, glue the paper belt to the top of the wheel. Use a narrow strip of glue so that the belt is joined to the smallest area possible.

Thread the belt round through the hole in the body side. Cut the belt to length and glue the ends together with the belt a loose-ish fit as shown above.

Repeat the same process with the other body side.

Fold and glue together the head. 

Pull the belt down so that the shoulder wheel is pointing up as high as possible.

Apply a thin band of glue to the lowest end of the belt. (Arrowed)

Line up the base of the head with the base of the body side then press the glued area of the belt onto the head. Repeat the same process with the other body side.

Let the glue dry completely before carrying on but do make sure that the belt doesn't stick to the body side!

Glue the body front and back to the body sides - make sure that the head remains free to move.

Roll the arm cover round a suitable pen to curve the surface...

...then glue the arm cover to the arm underside.

Glue the arm ends to the shoulder wheel as shown above.

Glue the body covers into place on the front and back of the body.

Roll round and glue on the two eye tubes.

Curve the four leg parts round a suitable pen. Glue together two of the leg parts then glue them to the leg centre. Repeat the process on the other side to complete the legs assembly. 

Glue the waist to the bottom of the body.

Glue the legs to the waist and the feet to the legs to complete the Beltbot. Once the glue is dry your Beltbot is ready.

I hope you enjoy it!

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£2.00

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Continuing my ongoing project to bring up to date releases of more obscure models that were previously hidden away on the flying pig site I bring you... The Snap Up Squid! Now there's a hole in your life that you didn't know needed filling!

This particularly delightful model is quick and easy to make. Download the file at the bottom of the post, print out onto thin card and assemble. The elastic band powered squid folds flat and can be slipped into a book or large greetings card only to pop out when the card is opened to the delight of the recipient.

There are two versions in the file. Colour and mono. Print out your choice onto thin card. Note that the colour version is double sided. Print one side, flip the card over and return it to the printer then print the other side.

Score all the dotted lines then cut out the pieces.

Glue the lower flaps of the two body halves together.

Join the top flaps together. Fold the squid flat before the glue dries to make sure that everything is lined up correctly.

Glue on the tentacles with the suckers on the inside.

Glue the eyes into place as shown.

Cut out the small square holes for the elastic band. Cut open a long thin elastic band. Thread it into place as per the picture, a pair of tweezers is useful for this job. Tie the ends of the elastic band with a double knot so that is is tight enough to close the squid body sharply but not so tight that it crushes it!

That's it! Your squid will fold flat to fit inside a book or card and snap up when it is opened.

Just what you always needed!

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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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 I know, I know. I left it too late to design a new model for Valentine's day. Please accept my most humble apologies! I'm in the process of making a Valentine Robot which I'll probably release anyway, as an incredibly early model for Valentine's Day 2011.

Meanwhile, I've uploaded a model, originally available on the flyiing-pig.co.uk website. The Fluttering Heart folds flat and slips inside a book or card. When the card is opened the heart pops out releasing a 'flutter' of heart strings!

I hope your true love enjoys it as much as mine did :-)

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 Web work today. I've been working on a page with all the subscriber downloads on it. I still need to add a few more items to the database and write the code which lets subscribers download files but I reckon it is looking promising.

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The tortoise model is now ready for you to download. Exclusive to you, dear subscriber, the tortoise model uses a lever and slider to peep out of her shell. The model comes as a single file containing both fully coloured and mono parts - you choose which you print out.

Follow the fully illustrated instructions to make your own animated tortoise model.

If you're not a subscriber yet... what are you thinking!? You can sign up here.

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A new model for you to download, print out and make. If you are a subscriber you'll be able to download the model at the bottom of this article.

The Triceratops is a static paper model, it's quick and easy to make, doesn't need a sharp knife and is rather cute!

There are some more picture of the completed model here

Enjoy.

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According to my admin page I've had the current incarnation of the www.robives.com website up for 19 weeks and 22 hours. My aim in building this website has been to build a place where I can share my enthusiasm for paper engineering.  In the process I'm aiming to make a modest living, entirely from this website, so that I can follow my interests and enthusiams and work on the projects I choose. At the moment I'm working on paper design projects for other people as well as running the website. Ultimately, I aim to be designing solely for this website, at the current rate, it shouldn't be long.

The process of building the www.robives.com business has been fascinating. I've had to learn all kinds of new things from web database programming to online marketting. From graphics design to the intricacies of copyright and creative commons. There is no template to follow, no book on running a website selling paper model designs. I've spent a lot of time talking and emailing friends all round the world, receiving wise and knowledgable advice but in the end. I'm making it up as I go along.

One of the things they don't tell you, in these non existent books, it pricing. Just how much is a downloadable model worth? How much for an ebook? How much for a subscription? I fixed on £14.95 for a 12 month subscription more by informed guess work than anything else. I decided after some chatting with friends, that I should open with a special price of £9.95, to test the water and encourage the first subscribers. The initial phase, the £9.95 bit, went fantastically, I have had literally hundeds of subscribers and have had some very positive feedback, even when, through my own mistake, I managed to un-subscribe everybody!

At the start of the new year I put the price up to £14.95 and although I'm still getting a satisfying number of new subscribers, I have also been receiving some emails which gave me pause. I've had emails from people saying they were enjoying being subscribers but were sorry to say that they would be leaving after a year as £14.95 was just a bit too much. I've also had emails mainly from educators and students asking if there would be an offer price again as they would love to join but just couldn't afford the new higher price.

This all got me thinking. To a degree the £14.95 price was plucked from the air. I ran though the numbers a couple more times and, as you may have already guessed by the graphic at the top of the page, have decided to revert to the original £9.95 subscription fee. For those people who signed up for £14.95, don't worry, I'll be refunding the difference. you should have you money back within the next ten working days. Any, I hope this helps the waverer and the undecided and I look forward to welcoming new subscribers to the website!

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Snow day!

Been trapped in the house/office today by the snow so I've finished off the Hoot model earlier than expected!

If you are a subscriber you'll be able to download the model now at the link below. If you're not a subscriber yet, why not? You know you want too!

Anyway, to all my lovely subscribers, console yourself about the lack of jet packs and hover boards and shiny silver suits in the year 2010 and download this fun little model.

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