1063: Just Dandy

Anyone who owns a lawn realises it is a constant battle to keep it mowed, tidy, healthy and weed free. In a tropical climate like ours, doubly so:

dandelion

So we have a dandelion problem – hundreds of the little buggers pop their flowers up after I mow and I am loathed to resort to spraying them, chemical solutions are my last resort. I googled the problem and found a no-bend weeding prong that seems custom built to pluck the little suckers root and all.

weeding prong

We ordered 2 (a his and hers set) on the off chance we both would want to do this, the arrived in pieces and after a simple set of instructions they were assembled, ready to go. In our first session on the lawn we easily filled a large bucket with extracted dandelions and realised this was a solution, albeit manual and long term.

dandelion scale

In the latest Tanteidan magazine, by pure synchronicity, there were diagrams for a modular dandelion designed by Toshikazu Kawasaki. I set about folding the pieces and, after a fairly simple set of instructions, the dandelion was assembled and ready to go.

899: (349/365) Spikey Cube

Continuing the modular bent, I had bookmarked this fold in my collection of Tanteidan magazines as a “must try”:

This is Jun Maekawa’s “Spikey Cube” – a 6 part modular that only holds itself together when the last part is slotted in place. The locking mechanism is difficult to master initially, and seemingly different each corner. Continue reading

864: (314/365) 6-part Rhombicuboctahedron

…yes, I know, a day late but, meh! Always on the look out for fascinating geometry, I had put this 6-part Rhombicuboctahedron, designed by David Mitchell, in my “fold this when you get a moment” pile:

6 relatively simple modules interlock to make a fascinating ball-like structure but the devil is in the details. Continue reading

833: (283/365) Porous

It is interesting how things sometimes just work themselves out:

Here was me, panicking because I had nothing ready or in mind for today’s fold, came home and the latest Tanteidan Magazine was in my mailbox. Continue reading

729: (179/365) A Whole Lotta Love

Searching for daily folds, O came across an interesting 6 part modular cube that has much development potential:

each face features a colour changed heart but I imagine that with a little inventiveness you could fashion diamonds, spades etc, or other things as the basic module solves the problem of liberating colour-changed flaps rather nicely. 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

583: (33/365) Hearty Cube

This delightful 6-part modular cube is designed by Meenakshi Mukerji:

The modules cleverly isolate a colour-changed heart at the centre of a “U” shaped module that forms one side of the cube. Continue reading

580: (30/365) Jun Maekawa’s Six-Roofed Regular Dodecahedron

Trolling around in my collection of Tanteidan magazines, as one does, I came across a little 6-piece modular designed by Jun Maekawa:

Oddly named until you notice that each of the modules is a little “house” shape, complete with pitched roof.  Continue reading

237: Fuse’s Triangle Box

Tomoko Fuse is renowned for her intricate boxes – this one is a version of her triangle box:

A modular, top and bottom each made up of 3 modules that interlock and lace together to create a curious container

I must explore these modular boxes some more, when I have more time, quite happy with this as my first fold however.