Paper Forms

In this project, I designed and fabricated a 3D shape by laser cutting paper and utilizing tabs. My initial goal for this assignment was to create a sleek paper form with sharp edges and tight corners. I was proud of my final outcome because it closely resembled my starting sketch, but I believe that I could refine my final product with more practice at gluing sides together to prevent gaps and creating even larger tabs.

Reading Reflection:

I was influenced by the reading Structural Packaging: Design Your Own Boxes and 3D Forms by Paul Jackson to carefully plan my 2D net to ensure my form would fold and connect correctly. Additionally, I was planning on designing very thin tabs, but the reading inspired me to make my tabs deeper. According to the reading, "A package will hold together without glue because the tabs fit snugly inside." Although I used glue in my form, by creating deeper tabs, I could ensure a more secure and stable form. I was definitely inspired by the images in the Creating with the System section. I liked the forms with curved edges and irregular creases. In my next shape, I hope to create a form that utilizes fold lines to create more irregular objects. Overall, the reading instilled in me the importance of precision and planning when it comes to designing 3D shapes through a 2D net.

Materials

1. Construction Paper
2. Glue
3. Scissors

Programs/Tools

1. Fusion
2. Inkscape
3. Laser cutter

I sketched out a cube with sides of 1.5 inches. Each side of the cube has a pyramid shape on it with edges that are all 1.5 inches to create a more dimensional and intricate shape.

I decided to modify the 3D form to have triangles with side length parameters of 1.75 inches. In Fusion, I used the sketch function to design my 2D net composed of equilateral triangles that would fold into my paper form. I created glue tabs that were 0.4 inches long by 1.0 inches wide to connect the sides of my prism. Then, I extruded my sketch and prepared it to be exported into Inkscape.

I exported my Fusion product into Inkscape and added fold lines in a different color, blue, that would be engraved by the laser cutter.

The shape was cut out by the laser cutter using the construction paper setting. To engrave the fold lines, I originally set the power to 15% and the speed to 100%, but during the process, I increased the power to 20% to create deeper engraving lines for easier folds. I noticed that the engraving did a good job on horizontal fold lines, but it would not engrave deep enough for vertical and diagonal lines. For a few lines, I used scissors and a ruler to score the lines that were too shallow. To fold the paper form, I started by folding and gluing each pyramid together as seen in the image above. Then I finished the form by folding it up and gluing it like a cube. It was very difficult to glue the final tabs to close the form, but I was able to do so by carefully inserting and pinching the sides.