Build your own SMIDSY cut-n-glue model
(1) You will need:
The pattern for the SMIDSY model. You can download
it by clicking here, the file is an 88k Adobe Acrobat PDF format file. You will need to
print it out on a sheet of good quality A4 or Letter paper. If you do not have one already you will need an
Acrobat viewer program. We suggest Adobe's own Acrobat viewer, available from
http://www.adobe.com. Whichever software you use when you
print, be sure to enable the "fit to page" option.
Some paper glue. We have used both liquid glue (Gloy) and solid glue (Pritt), and we would
recommend the solid glue.
A good pair of scissors. For a good quality model your paper cuts will need to be tidy
and accurate.
(optional) A craft knife and a surface to cut paper on with it. It is possible to
complete the SMIDSY model using only scissors. However some people might find a craft knife
useful for the more fiddly bits. WARNING!! Craft knives are SHARP!! We'd rather not
see any of SMIDSY's fans cut themselves, so craft knives are for ADULTS ONLY.
A good straight edge for bending sharp creases in paper. To ensure that the corners on
the finished model are straight and well defined you need something to help fold the paper
against. We used an ordinary ruler.
(2) Cutting out the pattern:
The first step in building your model SMIDSY is not to cut out the pattern itself but to cut
out those parts of the pattern which form openings in the body for the wheels and disk.
These are the blank areas clearly marked "cut here". There are nine of these, four each in the
top and bottom of the robot for the wheels and one in the rear for the disk.
Once you have cut out the openings for the wheels and the disk it is time to cut out the rest
of the pattern. Carefully cut out the smaller components, the disk and the eight wheel strips,
then cut out the main body.
(3) Folding the pattern:
Once you have cut out your SMIDSY components the next step is to fold them into shape. Using a straight edge fold the paper to a sharp crease along the black straight lines on the main body and the disk.
Once all the folds are complete the basic shape of the finished robot should begin to appear.
(4) The first bit of gluing:
Now comes your first bit of gluing. Find the side tab, along the side of the bottom of the robot next to the wheel holes. Apply some glue and carefully locate it with the back of the side panel next to the Team Ixion logo. Once you have stuck this tab to the side panel put everything down and leave it for a while until the glue has set. This might be annoying, but it is a very important step as it ensures that the body is firmly assembled for subsequent stages.
(5) The disk:
Before continuing with the robot body we have to fold and fit the disk. Fold the disk component into the shape shown in the photograph above, glue the two tabs and slot the completed assembly through the slot that you cut in the end panel. Again, leave the glue to dry before proceeding.
(6) Shaping the sides:
If you look at the real SMIDSY you will notice that it has curved sides. This feature stops the robot being put out of action by being tipped onto its side. We now have to copy those curved sides in our SMIDSY model. Do this by pinching the side panels between forefinger and thumb, or by rolling them over a curved surface such as the side of a ballpoint pen.
(7) The rear panel and the jaws:
Make sure that the jaws are bent into shape, then glue the three tabs and stick the jaw assembly together. Then glue the tab on the rear panel above the disk and carefully stick it to the rest of the robot body. If the rear panel does not quite fill the space available, try to bend the side panels a bit more.
(7) The wheels:
You should have eight band-aid-like strips, each one of which will form half of one of your model SMIDSY's wheels. These do not require any glue, but they do need some careful work with the scissors to get them right. You will need to make four partial cuts into the strip of paper, at each of the four points where the black colouring starts. Make a cut about 3 mm long, just on the black side of each boundary between white and black. You should end up with eight components like the one in the picture below.
Once you have your components your next step is to fit them into the rectangular wheel holes on the model itself. Slot one end of the wheel strip into the hole so that the partial cuts engage with the sides of the hole. Then bend the strip so that the other end locates in the same way. The springiness of the paper should keep the wheel in place. If your paper is not springy enough just print the model out again on a thicker sheet of paper. Repeat this process for all 8 of the components.
There. You should now have a finished model SMIDSY! Happy roboteering!