Dancing Dog
A #2.5D Project
Definitely not 2D but not quite 3D, this 2.D project is a quick and fun build.
The project comes as a downloadable PDF file, which you can access here. If you’re a premium subscriber to this newsletter, first of all, thank you! You’ll also find the project available at the foot of this page.
The model uses thick card and split pins/brads to create the moving parts. I’ve used 1.5 mm corrugated card (also known as E‑flute). Since thick card won’t go through my printer, I’ve printed the template parts onto standard printer paper, glued them to the card, and then cut them out with a sharp knife.
I’ve been exploring a few ideas in the 2.5D theme, including this model and the previous two featured in Workshop Notes. Using gears has been a fun and productive direction. I’ve been using Matthias Wandel’s gear‑designer software to create gears of various sizes, and I’ve settled on 12 mm teeth as a good standard. I pasted a whole page of different gears into a PDF and printed out several copies. Premium subscribers will find that document at the foot of the page.
For the dog project, I chose a nine‑tooth gear for the arm and a twenty‑tooth gear for the body. I cut out the gears and glued them to corrugated card with a Pritt Stick, then sketched the shapes of the various parts in pencil. Once everything was cut out and assembled, I was delighted to discover that the gears worked perfectly.
This was the first prototype. From there, I took it apart, scanned the pieces, and developed them into the final project. With the gears sheet included, I hope you’ll have a go at designing your own 2.5D creations too.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful week of crafting ahead. If you enjoy these projects, please consider supporting the newsletter by signing up for premium membership. If you sign up for annual premium subscription I will be happy to add a premium membership to www.robives.com giving you access to dozens and dozens and dozens of downloadable projects!