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Magic jumping beans to download, print out and make. Members can download the parts at the usual place, non members can download the parts for £2.50
Print out the page onto thin card. (230 micron or 67lb) Score along the dotted line and carefully cut out the parts.
The main body of the bean is made from two pairs of tubes folded and glued as shown with the black line above right.
Fold each pair of tubes and glue them flat then fold them up and glue them together to make a double tube.
Glue both double tubes back to back being careful to line them up with each other accurately.
Glue one of the end caps into place.
Drop a single coin into each tube. I used UK one penny pieces. They are approx 20mm in diameter and weigh around 4 grams each.
With the four coins in the tube glue the other end cap into place.
Fold over the two sides and glue them down to make double thickness card.
Once the glue is dry cut the shape out.
Glue the sides to the body lining up the cut outs with the grey triangles arrowed above.
Done! Roll the bean down a shallow slope and it will move in a preternaturally jerky way. Weird!
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Comments
umehta
Wow! what a magic surprise - can't wait to build it.
Have fun :-) - RI
robives
smallwonder56 bagged the first download.
hugo leandro
So simple and movable, fantastic, Rob. Congratulations!
cool022883
rob had a post up that got deleated when he had to set back the server but in his post he said this was an expierment to see if he could make this automata out of paper in case you missed it im pretty sure this is the same video rob had up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ0Nv0c7dcg
This project has come out of research for the Acrobat Karakuri, it is looking promising. - RI
Mum
Clever! Now what else can you do with this mechanism?
'Wonderful things' :-) - RI
umehta
For example, attach Rob's poppers (or something similar) on both sides of the bean and roll them over your staircase (or may be a smaller staircase made from a pile of books.)
michael42er
This funny tumbling bean is built quickly and easily. You can use it, think up with a little imagination, a little game against time.
You will need a pin board, space for start and finish and some pins as an obstacle. As an example, a video clip on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrAFaLB9rMY
Michael
michael42er
Picture test with Flickr:
http://<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael42er/7581326766/" title="Magic tumbling bean 1 von michael42er bei Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/7581326766_0652e41ca1_n.jpg" width="320" height="180" alt="Magic tumbling bean 1"></a>
michael42er
Picture test 2 Flickr
Yay! So cool! - RI
Derpatron
Hey Rob,
Shouldn't this model be free to download for nonmembers? This isn't so complex like Nessie. Its so easy,
everyone should be able to download it.
Anonymous
Because it is easy? it is brilliant! Isn't it?
umehta
Hello Derpatron,
I have a dozen or so magic beans cut from Rob's pattern not yet assembled if you want them. While Rob has to keep a price on his designs because it is his bread and butter, he will not mind if I send you a few cut magic beans for you to assemble and play with it.
This design is easy so we made lots of them and they all work beautiful. Add Michael's game to it and you enter into never ending fun.