Paper Models

I like to make paper models of polyhedra. Here are some photograps and pdf files containing the pieces.

I use ruler and compass constructions in Adobe Illustrator to make perfectly shaped pieces. However, the quality of scoring, folding, and cutting also has a dramatic effect on the finished model.

I recommend:

• Leave a tab of about 1/8 in to 3/16 in on each side of each piece.
  Gluing tab to tab is relatively easy, and produces symmetrical looking joints.
• Use sticky glue.
  Glue that takes a long time to dry, is very wet, or does not stick strongly will irritate you.
• Be careful with the scissors.
  You can be fairly sloppy about cutting the tabs, but be careful how you cut the corners of the pieces. Cutting out too much will leave holes in the finished model.
• Making a model takes me about 2 days.

And if that doesn’t work...

You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
You condense it with locusts and tape:
Still keeping one principal object in view—
To preserve its symmetrical shape.

—Lewis Caroll (The Hunting of the Snark)

A Stellation Of The Dodecahedron

There are 5 pairs of opposite pentagonal planes, each plane in a pair receives the same colour.

A picture of it.

The pieces: stellation.pdf.

A Dodecahedron

The 20 edges form 5 sets of 6 edges, the automorphism group A₅ permutes the colours.

A picture of it.

The pieces: dodecahedron.pdf.