Card stock. Tape. ALL DAY.

June 20, 2010 8:40 AM

Easy Paper Toy of Endless Fascination

Variations
Blue Cylinder - Medium
Brown Disc - Hard
Fireworks! - Expert

posted by carsonb (23 comments total)

I must try this.
posted by Xany at 8:59 AM on June 20, 2010

I can still solve the Rubiks Magic, of which this reminds me of.
posted by Mwongozi at 9:01 AM on June 20, 2010

Very cool. Thanks for this post. It qualifies on so many levels -- hand porn, toy porn, girly-scissors porn, it's slightly mathy, really foldy, it looks like fun, and it seems challenging. Yay!
posted by heyho at 9:30 AM on June 20, 2010 [1 favorite]

Metafilter wins Rule 34 again with the only online use of the phrase "girly-scissors porn". Nice work, heyho, now every one of those perverts are going to end up here!
posted by HuronBob at 9:35 AM on June 20, 2010 [3 favorites]

....use tape bound.
posted by sanko at 9:37 AM on June 20, 2010 [6 favorites]

3. You must cut 8 sprips.......
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:40 AM on June 20, 2010

i am FUSTRATED
HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
posted by greycap at 9:40 AM on June 20, 2010

That was cool!!! Thanks for posting it carsonb! I might use some of these with my math students.
posted by garnetgirl at 9:57 AM on June 20, 2010

Oh man, I love these videos. Many hours have been spent making these awesome CD holders.
posted by junques at 10:02 AM on June 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

Mm. Girly-scissors porn.
posted by Michael Roberts at 10:03 AM on June 20, 2010

OH GOD WHERE'S MY CARD STOCK
posted by middleclasstool at 10:22 AM on June 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

I would love to make these but need much slower instructions with very detailed diagrams.
posted by not that girl at 10:28 AM on June 20, 2010

need much slower instructions with very detailed diagrams.

Yeah, the vids move fast, maybe overcompensating for the tedium of repetitive steps. But I paused the videos on relevant parts (diagrams, where to tape) and worked from stills more than trying to follow the video.
posted by carsonb at 11:18 AM on June 20, 2010

THIS IS AWESOME.

(I made my Easy Paper Toy at ten inches in length instead of twelve centimeters. It's sort of unwieldy but I think it enhances the Endless Fascination.)
posted by magnificent frigatebird at 12:43 PM on June 20, 2010

Try this: if you are right handed, see if you can run through a sequence of configurations using just that hand. Then try it with your left hand. If you are like me and my friends, you'll find that it's easier to do it with your left hand. Some kind of brain lateralization effect.
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:26 PM on June 20, 2010

Yay, cubecrafts with a purpose!
posted by Juicy Avenger at 1:54 PM on June 20, 2010

Cool.
posted by OmieWise at 2:15 PM on June 20, 2010

Brilliant. Must find card now.
posted by tawny at 2:52 PM on June 20, 2010

WTF! Amazing!
posted by DarkForest at 5:39 PM on June 20, 2010

Goodbye, tomorrow's work productivity! It would've been nice to meet you!
posted by elmer benson at 7:47 PM on June 20, 2010

Heh, I made five of the easy ones at work today.
posted by carsonb at 8:42 PM on June 20, 2010

God, I had one of these years ago - I think something to do with the Sunday Times' "Funday Times" kids section.

Mine was made of cardboard cubes, but it also had holes punched in them so that it made a marble maze.

I keep meaning to make one out of wood...
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 6:53 AM on June 21, 2010

Tried out the first one yesterday, during lunch. Wasn't too bad, and took me about 15 minutes all in all. Very fun!

I'm with others who found the first video a little too zippy. I took photos of my progress, and have a more step-by-step guide posted on my blog, if anyone's interested:

How to Make a Crazy Paper Thing

I also made a PDF template, that has all the cut and fold lines marked... which will hopefully help folks save a bit of time.
posted by avoision at 7:29 AM on June 22, 2010 [5 favorites]