The Stretch Horse is a simple project based on the zig-zag scissor action mechanism that is great fun to make using card strips and split pins. Made from three sections, the front section forms the head and front legs, the middle section forms the body, and the rear section forms the tail and hind legs.
Print out the parts page onto ordinary printer paper, cut out the pieces leaving a small margin around each one, and glue them onto thin corrugated card. E-flute card, approximately 1.5 mm thick, works well.
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I’d hoped to post the source of this little rabbit trail but I can’t find it now. I think it was my friend Nozomi (@kuralica_nozomi on Instagram) who had been making zig-zag mechanisms with a group of students. They were something I’d experimented with before, and it got me wondering what else they might be useful for, apart from making really long grabbers. I had a vague notion whilst on a train journey and sketched it in my notebook so I wouldn’t forget it.
The idea was to start with three crosses joined together to form a linked zig-zag, then extend a few of the sections to create a head, tail and four legs. Back at the boat, I cracked out the card and split pins, built the zig-zag section, then freehand-cut the various extremities and glued them into place.
After a couple of drafts and a bit of tinkering, I scanned the prototype, imported it into Affinity and traced out the various elements to create the downloadable template.
With the addition of seven split pins, here’s the finished project. Rather than using standard sized split pins, I found some smaller ones on eBay which I think look rather nice. These are 6mm in diameter with 10mm-long legs.
The mechanism behind this project could easily be adapted to create other animals besides the horse. I sketched out a few ideas that I’d like to try at some point. For now, they’ve been added to the ever-growing list of future projects!
Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter. If you have a go at creating your own stretch animals I’d love to see how they turn out! If you enjoyed this project and would like more simple automata, paper mechanisms and making adventures delivered straight to your inbox, please consider subscribing and sharing the newsletter with a fellow maker. Meanwhile, I hope you have a good weekend filled with crafty shenanigans!