438: Jason Ku’s Bicycle

Perusing a Tanteidan, I noticed a crease pattern challenge, set by Jason Ku, and filed it as a “that’s impossible” fold:

Needing to unwind from a hectic and punishing term at work, I cut a 55cm square of light weight Kraft paper and set about working out, geometrically, where the myriad of creases were.

Although there was some regular geometry to place landmarks, there were some “mystery meat” creases that I just sort of fudged really – professionals would have measured it but I know I am an amateur.

Collapsing, after 5+ hours pf pre-creasing was … interesting. To be honest, I really had no idea what I was doing but sort of assumed it would sort itself out, eventually.

Forming the wheels was an adventure, and I fatigued the paper firstly forming them inside out (stupid man!), then sort of wrestled it into shape.

I have no doubt with appropriate paper (thin tissue foil) and/or some methyl cellulose I could have posed this more accurately but in the end I was just glad to finish it more or less correctly.

It is untidy – a product of much not knowing what I was doing and tiny inaccuracies in the prefolding that accumulated in ugly and tricksey ways, but I am happy that the resultant fold looks like a road bike, has round wheels (with tyres and spokes), handle bars, pedals and the majority of a frame – remarkable given it originated from a square, used NO cuts and the like.

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