Paper Automata Phoenix

Hello Makers!

I made this paper automata toy during lock-down and I would like to share how to make it with you all.

It works on hand cranked, cam and follower mechanism which animates the flying Phoenix.

So lets get started!

Construction of Automata

The automata is mainly made up of three parts:
1. Box

• The box acts as supporting structure for the mechanism and the moving parts.

2. Cam & follower mechanism

• This mechanism is what animates the flying motion of the Phoenix.
• It has a crank handle attached to rotate the mechanism.

3. The Phoenix (the object you want to animate)

• This is the piece which gets animated or moved in a sequence by the cam & follower mechanism.
• In this case, I have chosen a Phoenix but you are open to explore other birds too.
• You can see in the diagram, the skewer sticks act as follower rod and transfers the motion from the cam to the bird.

List of materials:

1. Mount board 2mm
2. White cartridge paper (or any paper above 180 gsm)
3. Colored papers
4. Skewer sticks
5. MDF 5mm
6. Wooden dowel : diameter- 6mm, length - 20mm

List of Tools:

1. Paper cutter
2. Steel ruler
3. Pencil
4. Tweezers
5. Glue
6. Cutting mat (makes it easier to cut paper and cardboard)

I have attached a pdf file with schematic diagram for each part with its dimensions. Print the diagram on an A4 sheet and use it as a stencil.

Material needed:

1. 2mm Mount board
2. White cartridge paper
3. Paper cutter
4. Glue

Step 1: Use the diagram to cut out all 5 sides of the box.

• The bottom and front side do not have any hole cutout on them.
• The two side wall have 1 hole of size 8mm diameter each.
• The top side has 5 holes of size 5mm diameter each.

Step 2: Using glue, paste all the 5 sides to make a box as shown in the gif animation. Set it aside to dry out completely.

Note : Make sure you align and match the hole positions on the side faces while pasting.

Step 3: Till the box is drying, cut out a clean white paper to paste it on each side. You can use the same diagram to cut out the hole position on each side.

Step 4: Finally, make 5 paper cylinders of height 15 mm and diameter 5 mm.

The easiest way to do this is to find a straw or a stick of 5mm diameter and roll a 15mm wide paper strip around it to make a roll.

Step 5: Paste these cylinders around each hole on the top side as shown in the gif animation. These cylinders act as guides for the skewers stick.

You box is ready!

I have attached pdf files with schematic diagram for each part with its dimensions.

Print the diagram on an A4 sheet and use it as a stencil.

Material needed :

1. White cartridge paper (180 gsm or above)
2. Paper cutter
3. Glue
4. 5mm MDF sheet
5. Wooden dowel (Diameter - 6mm, Length - 20mm)

Steps :

• Using the diagram, cutout all the parts from white cartridge paper and keep them ready.

• Important Note : There are 5 cams and each cam has a unique square hole position, so make sure you don't mix them up while cutting and pasting.
• Refer the gif animations for step wise instructions
• Follow the diagram and make 5 cams and arrange them as shown in the image.

I have attached pdf files with schematic diagram for each part with its dimensions. Get all the parts laser cut in 5mm MDF.

Material needed :

• 5mm MDF sheet
• Wooden dowel (Diameter - 6mm, Length - 20mm)
• Glue

Step 1: Make the crank handle

• Refer the gif animation and insert the dowel in the MDF laser cut part and glue it together.
• This is the crank handle you will use to rotate the cam assembly.

Step 2 : Assembly

• Refer the gif animation to assemble the axle and 5 equally spaced cams inside the box. You can also refer the schematic diagram inside the pdf file.
• After inserting all the cams, attach the stopper on one end and the crank handle on the other end to lock the whole assembly. You can glue it together if the fit between the parts is loose. Refer the gif animation.

Note: For the cam and follower mechanism to work properly, they both have to be in contact with each other all the time so that the motion is transferred completely. In wooden automata toys the weight of wooden objects is enough to make this happen our case our animating object is made out of paper, so we have to work around to keep up the contact between the cam and follower.

For the sake of simplicity I am naming the two parts that we are going to make :

1. Loop - This is the part that will be attached around each cam

2. Loop holder - This is the part that will get attached to the Loop as well as the skewer stick (which is our follower)

Step 1: Making Loop and loop holder

Refer the pdf file attached for schematic diagram for each part mentioned above. Make 5 loops and loop holders.

Step 2: To assemble, wrap the loop around the cam, and paste the loop holder joining the two ends of the loop.

Refer the gif animation for better understanding.

Repeat the same for each cam.

Step 3: Cut all the skewers into 120mm length each.

Step 4: Insert all the skewer stick one by one through the top hole of the box and glue it together with the loop holder which is directly below it. Keep it aside to dry out completely.

I have attached a pdf file with the outline of the Phoenix. You can print it on A3 size paper to use it as a stencil.

Step 1: Using the diagram cut out the Phoenix from a orange colored paper ( or any color of your choice) and fold it from the center line.

Step 2: Cut out individual feather and start pasting them over the wings and body. I have used 3 different colors ( yellow, orange and red) to give it a fiery look.

Tip: Tweezers will come handy while pasting each feather precisely.

Step 3: To make the tail long and flowy, I have cut out longer wavy feathers and glued them together to form a dense feather tail.

Note : Do not paste the two folded halves of Phoenix yet.

Step 1: Insert central skewer stick through the Phoenix as shown in the gif animation. Adjust the position such that it is aligned centrally with the box and parallel to the ground.

Step 2: Apply glue and paste the two halves together in the exact same position.

Step 3 : Refer the second image above, to paste the remaining skewer sticks to both the wings. Using a strip of paper, create a roll (like quilling) and paste it around the tip of the skewer. This will create enough surface area to glue the skewer to the wings.

Set it aside to dry out completely.

You automata is ready!