Folding Fan

For my project, I made a handheld fan that would be able to fold for storage. This portable cooling option is perfect for a summer accessory while also being functional.

I used AutoCAD to design this fan and that is all you will need to recreate the project. If attemping to make this in real life, a nice, foldable fabric will be needed. for the fan material while the boning could be made out of a structured material like wood or plastic.

For the first step, you will need to make a number of 3D rods in AutoCAD. Make sure each rod is at a different angle and that they meet near the bottom, creating an overlapped effect. You can make any number of rods you want which will effect the sturdiness of the structure. Make each rod a similar distance apart and make them all the same witdh, height, and position on the Z axis.

Next, you will need to create an outline of the fan's body. I used an arch and lines to mimic the shape of the outermost rods that met the top of each rod.

Now, you will need to convert the lines and arch into polylines. After, you can extrude the object. I chose my height of this portion of the fan to be half of the width of the rods. I did this to ensure that the boning would be visible through the body portion of the fan. The height of the fan in the image is exaggerated to see the extruded effect.

Next, you will need to use all 3 axes to position the body of the fan so it overlaps with the boning and is in the middle of the rods on the Z axis. This will keep the boning exposed but connect the rods to solidify the fan's structure.

Now, you will have a finished fan that serves an aesthetic and a fuctional purpose. This design is easily replicable and easy to make in real life!