Many battles need castles, chess is no exception:
This is Max Hulme’s Castle, one of the few in his series folded from a square and fairly recognisable at a turret. Continue reading
geometry
“Beyond The Folded Edge” – by Jonathan Baxter
It is rare, in Brisbane, to get to see Origami displayed at all, let alone an exhibition by an accomplished folder such as Jonathan Baxter:
His display at the Richard Randall Art Studio, Mt Coo-tha Botanical gardens was a rare treat.
His folding displays showcased numerous forms of origami including delicate unit work like intricate spheres and torus from “Phiz” units, garlands of interlocking cubes and many variations. Continue reading
682: (132/365) Sy Chen’s Hangman
Struggling to make it through Friday, I stumbled across Sy Chen’s Hangman:
This paper puzzle allows you to gradually reveal parts of a hangman, suitable for a table top game. Continue reading
676: (126/365) Stellated Octahedron
I am always on the lookout for a striking modular to fold when I am idle at work. This beauty – two tetrahedrons mating, was an obvious choice:
I have folded much more complicated versions of things like this – made with lots of little pieces each having different angle connectors. Ilan Garibi appropriates Francis Ow’s 60 degree unit and adds 2 different connector slots mid way along each long unit – a bottom edge slit and a top edge slit. These then mate seamlessly making it look like a pair of struts are in fact 4 bits of paper when they are not. The intersection of the 2 mating tetrahedrons is an octahedron; points rise from the octahedron faces making it stellated – genius. Continue reading
662: (112/365) Spiral Corrugation
Origami seems to be the new Materials Engineering black, being considered a contemporary alternative approach to fabrication and structure:
I was reading an article on deploying large solar arrays in space. This problem is not unique – everything taken into space must be small at launch so it can fit in a rocket. Continue reading
661: (111/365) Multiple Rippling Deltoid
I have passed this model many times, thinking “not sure what that is, maybe later”, but decided to give it a whirl tonight:
What a curious object. Designed by Jeremy Schafer, from his book “Origami to Astonish and Amaze”, this odd ripply mathematical conundrum hurts your brain to look at.
A fun paper manipulation first makes a nested tetrahedron, which is then accordion pleated to make the deltoid. You can then open it up like some surreal book, 4 separate rippled deltoids emerge – curious indeed. Continue reading
642: (92/365) No Luck Involved
This fold was folded on our 34th wedding anniversary, chosen because a long and happy relationship is not reliant on luck:
This dice is clever is a little obscure – rather than traditional dots each face has a partial coverage of colour.
637: (87/365) Cyclonic Spiral
Currently, North Queensland is being beaten up by Cyclone “Debbie”:
Australian cyclones are huge. As weather systems go, we do them big down under and “Debbie” was once a category 4 (which is nearly Category 5, for the folks at home) which on a scale of “is that a cloud” to “fuck, most of my town is missing” is right up there. I hope all in the storm zone are safe, having lived through some pretty harrowing cyclones in my time it is not fun. Continue reading
636: (86/365) Marking
This time of year I add marks to student work:
I want to pretend it is a life-giving activity for me, the teacher. Continue reading
634: (84/365) 3D Cube Illusion
Trolling around on the internet, as one does, I came across instructions for a 3D cube Illusion by Nick Robinson:
I needed something that was relatively quick (times are busy, it was late) so thought I would give it a try. Continue reading
633: (83/365) Froebel Star
Currently, in Queensland, there is a project to weave one million stars:
This is a Froebel Star, one of the million forming around the state. Continue reading
631: (81/365) Four Cubes
Sometimes a modular is deceptively complex, this 6-part modular from David Mitchell is no exception:
Four cubes, interwoven in evil ways has done my head in for days now, I simply could not (1) imagine the shape it was going to end up; and (2) make the modules connect in ways that made sense. Continue reading
629: (79/365) Artefact
I quite enjoy folding modulars – the way they combine to make a larger form can be fascinating and this module is no exception:
This is Dave Mitchell’s “Artefact” module, it can be put together in 2’s and 6’s. Continue reading
627: (77/365) Collapsible Cube
Toys for people with ADHD are all the rage – people pay for things with switches, moving clicky bits and spinney things because, reasons:
This paper toy continues to be an enigma. Made of 4 modules, it is a twisty cube that also folds flat in a myriad of ways that break your brain. Continue reading
620: (70/365) Montroll’s One-Sheet Omega Star
Modular stars are a thing, there are many beautiful ones including multi-sheet omega stars (8 pointers), but this little beauty is crafted from a single uncut square:
From a sunken waterbomb base we tease xyz planes then fashion points from their intersections – genius. Continue reading