So I have this line I sometimes use: “find some nice paper and I will make something for you”:
A friend (*waves to Jan*) found a packet of 15cm (ish) hand-printed Washi and teh challenge was on.
modular
431: Brill’s Woven Dodecahedron
As a teacher, I look for activities, particularly in the establishment phase of a year, to engage. Nothing says engagement like a hands-on physical activity and, as my wont is origami, I went for a modular project:
The themes for this were many, the metaphors a plenty – “many hands make light work” and “the sum is greater that it’s parts” being central.
401: Double-Star Flexi-Cube
It took me ages to even understand what this model was:
An ingenious design by David Brill, modular in construction composed of 3 different types of modules, clustered in threes, hinged together, it is a most perplexing construction.
A seemingly plain cube opens up to show a star, which fits wholly within the cube and is removable.
Flexing the cube makes another star, flexing the star makes a plank, stellated plain and other interesting twisted geometries.
This is a keeper – paper tension keeps it in shape generally but it does not strongly lock, so I may resort to cello-tape on the joints so it can be handled without risk of it disintegrating (as it did to me twice).
The geometry is interesting, photographing it seems not to do justice to the shapes but I am glad I finally nutted it out – bravo Mr Brill.
393: Six Intersecting Pentagonal Stars (SIP)
When I first saw this thing on Happy Folding I knew I was destined to try it:
This glorious modular designed by Francesco Mancini uses a unit similar to a Frances Ow 60 degree unit but in a very different way to make chevron-shaped modules that lock together to form pentagonal stars.
The tricksey part is to then nestle the stars so they are inside each other, weaving one inside and outside every other star – thank goodness I chose a different colour for each star else I have no idea how I would have managed to work out what strut went where in the construction.
I am quite chuffed (and a little relieved to be honest) with the result as I attempted to construct it 7 times before successfully working out what went where. Fully formed it is quite stable and rigid – it was everything but that during construction however making it very awkward indeed.
Lovely stellar structure suitable for display.
389: Kusudama Dafina
I saw Tadashi Mori demonstrating a Kawasaki Rose-based modular and thought I would give it a whirl:
Having failed miserably every other attempt to fold a Kawasaki Rose, I was chuffed to succeed this time.
I want to say I will fold this again – it took an age and although I was impressed with the rose, the modular attachments (tabs and pockets) did not positively hold it together (I cheated in the end and stapled them together).
Each rose is a masterpiece of box pleating prep work followed by a beautiful spiral collapse. Happy to be finished it tho.
386: Dimple Ball
Looking for a neat, colourful use for a batch of poor quality origami paper I had, I stumbled across a modular dimpled sphere:
The paper cracked and spilt in ugly ways, so I had a good wrestle to actually construct this. Interestingly, when complete it became quite rigid and strong but prior to the last few modules were wrangled into place, it was floppy and kept unfolding inconveniently.
The result is spherical, with lovely pentagonal dimples, with modules centred in fives, meeting in threes – lovely application of maths.
I must look for modules that differ in the basic 32 module sphere, and also for one whose modules are more positively connected. This one is, however, randomly beautiful.
You can have a try of this yourself – go here for instructions
383: Slinky
Now I am a fan of a simple but effective modular, and this one is a lot of fun:
Modelled after a spring-slinky, designed with skill by Jo Nakashima, it stretches, falls and steps like the real thing.
Using remarkably simple modules, each from a small square, the structure begins to behave when there is sufficient mass in it to be propelled by its own momentum.
I like this model a lot – it was a fun way to while away an exam supervision and the construction method was simple. I ended up making over 50 modules before it started behaving correctly but even this feat did not take very long.
Give it a try, you know you want to…
379: Dodecahedron
In search of a new modular to adorn my computer lab, I stubbled across a dodecahedron that looked interesting enough:
Thirty modules later, I began to attempt to construct – after 7 different attempts and modifications I could not find a way to make the modules lock together convincingly.
Defeated, I resorted to a few well-placed pieces of sticky tape (on the inside) to keep the pentagonal faces together. Overall it is a pleasing construction (all be it a little cheaty)
I shall continue to look for modulars – there are lots of varying complexity – the geometry alone is reason to attempt them. This module constructs a 73ish degree angle which is a little big for a pentagon, causing a paper tension that naturally tries to spread the joints.
355: Robin Star
I was trolling fakebook and came across a lovely video posted by noted origamist Jo Nakashima:
Designed by Maria Sinayskaya, this simple but beautiful wreath modular is a keeper – make it out of coloured wrapping paper, small, and it is a lovely tree decoration.
I like this a lot – a good solution to a “what the flooping heck am I going to fold today” situation. Folded in 8 parts, you should have a go at this.
Nearing the end – 10 more to go until this challenge ends – wooo!
Want this? BID for it NOW.
348: T-Rex Skeleton
This is nuts, seriously NUTS. I started this model 2 weeks before exam block, and have been chipping away at it ever since:
This monolithic modular is Yoshino’s T-Rex Skeleton and I for one am totally impressed with the attention to design detail here. Firstly the overall proportions are correct – no mean feat as it is comprised of 21 A3-cut squares, each piece designed to slot together, each piece correct in relation to the others – wow.
If you carefully consider – the head is 2 pieces (top of skull and jaw), neck (snarly pleated sculpture) is 2 pieces, each arm/shoulder blade assembly is 1 piece, then the rib cage – 6 varying size/curvature ribs (1 piece each), pelvis (2 pieces), lovely long legs, bastard of a tail (5 segments, each took over an hour in itself).
I am really pleased with the result, and will probably work out a wire armature to run along the spine so it will stand. The school Science Department have expressed interest in displaying this beastie as I certainly have no where big enough – tail to nose it is over a metre long and nearly as high.
This has taken an age to fold – each piece was a complex model in itself and the instructions were only in Japanese – no useful annotations and annoyingly a different symbolism than is conventional to describe the steps – grrrr. I had to ask the Japanese Department to see if there were even any clues as to the suggested paper size of whether it was stated if the paper all had to be the same size – in the end I GUESSED it probably was.
Still, it worked, and wow, no I mean WOW – this guy is amazing.
346: Urchin Star
The “monthly modular” is something that would be suitable for hanging on a christmas tree that YOU could make along with me:
This is an Urchin Star, designed by Martin Sejer Andersen with the folding sequence videoed by Jo Nakashima here. I have made a cutting pattern that requires you to print it out on A4 paper twice – you can download that here: print-me-twice.
You need 30 modules, but they are easy to fold, taking no time each once you get into the zone, and they slot together really easily (certainly the easiest assembly of ALL my modulars so far) – even with fat, clumsy fingers like mine.
You should make these – they are lovely – if you use paper coloured on one side, the tips of the star are white, which is pretty also. Wrapping paper would work well – some of the thicker foil-based paper would work well indeed (not that thin plasticised stuff tho, it does not take folds at all)
Have fun with this – totally try it and post your result as a photo on facebook for me to see how it went please.
325: 3 of 11 Dimensions – XYZ
Now in my understanding, life/existence as I know it exists in 4 dimensions (X, Y, Z and Time):
I am trying to understand physics, it does my head in when they talk of strings and the need for 11 dimensions to make sense of them.
Busy day, a modular to bridge the gap. This nice little modular by David Petty.
Happy with this as a first fold. Other things in the pipelines.
308: Carmen Sprung’s Kantenmodule
I saw this modular and decided I wanted to try it:
Having no idea of scale, I initially used coloured squares cut from A4, but got the colour count wrong – notiing it was in 6 groups of 5, I mistakenly got 5 pages each of 6 colours – dang.
I think the scale was a bit out – this thing turned out enormous – lovely but enormous. It is really strong, structurally – the multiple triangular cross section modules interlock really solidly and make for a nice shaped ball.
I toyed with the idea of doing this over a couple of days, but in the end I got really fast at folding the modules, and the construction process was really fast also – although it was a little tricksey ensuring the colours were distributed evenly.
Very happy with this model – it looks lovely and takes quite a striking photo also.
288: Happy Birthday Gemma
A friend turns 40 tonight, and quite likes roses, so I thought a paper construction might compliment the rose bush we were taking as a suitable milestone:
Made from 40 pieces of paper, this is a variation of Maria Sinayskaya’s “Little Roses” kusudama (rose ball), a curious construction that features triplets of lightly bent petals that interlock in threes, making pentagonal vertices – the maths here does my head in.
Was lovely to catch up, Happy Birthday Gemma, and happy house-warming Mark, Gem, Jake and Kit.
287: Fuse Box (Small Flowers)
Tomoko Fuse is a genius in designing intricate boxes:
this is called “Small Flowers” because of an incidental pattern the overlapping edges make, sort of looks like aflower. I made it in colour only because a monochrome version would not have been remarkable.
The lid and the base are each comprised of 4 pieces of paper, an interlocking modular that is fairly rigid and would make a nice stocking case or filled with some sweet treat.
Why a “Fuse Box”? Well, Energex had a transformer on the street go pop and our school spent the day without power – all interesting. I thought a paper play on words might be fun.