Turn the handle on the side of the box and the vertical shaft rotates back and forth. Use this mechanism as the starting point for your own character based designs or as a way of learning first hand how mechanisms work.
Look out for the owl model using this mechanism coming soon.
Print out the parts onto thin card. You will also need some normal copier paper to make the paper straps. Score along the dotted and dashed lines and cut out the holes before carefully cutting out the parts.
Fold up and glue the side tabs on the box to make right angle triangle tube sections. Fold round and glue down the other side to complete the base.
Glue together the two box sides.
Fit the base into the box
Fold in and glue the four tabs to the inside walls of the box. Make sure everything stays as square as possible.
Assemble the hinged plate as shown.
Make up the two crank ends from double thickness card.
Glue together the push rod and glue on the two crank ends.
Roll round and glue the four paper tubes accurately lining up the edges with the arrows.
Thread the second-to-shortest tube into the crank ends.
Assemble the two crank pieces
Finish up the crank pieces and glue them to the axle.
Fit the shorter of the two remaining axles into the crank gluing them fully home in the square tubes.
Fit the crank into the box using the picture above to help with orientation. (Note especially which way up the push rod is.)
Glue the hinged plate to the back of the box.
Glue the push rod tab to the front of the hinged plate.
Glue the stop to the vertical shaft.
Make the handle in three steps.
Glue the handle to the crank.
Cut two paper strips 5mm x 100mm from ordinary copier paper. Glue them to the grey areas on the vertical shaft.
Wrap the two straps twice each round the shaft, one in each direction.
Add glue to the grey areas on the locater plate.
Place the vertical shaft over the green line on the locater plate. Pull the two straps tight and glue them onto the glued area. Cut off any remaining paper.
Assemble the triangular push rod and glue the back of the locater plate onto it.
Fit the vertical shaft into the hole in the bottom of the box.
Glue the tab on the end of the triangular push rod to the hinged plate.
Complete the model by gluing the box top into place. Once the glue is dry, turn the handle and the vertical shaft will twist back and forth.
Next step, design a character to go with the mechanism.