1063: Just Dandy

Anyone who owns a lawn realises it is a constant battle to keep it mowed, tidy, healthy and weed free. In a tropical climate like ours, doubly so:

dandelion

So we have a dandelion problem – hundreds of the little buggers pop their flowers up after I mow and I am loathed to resort to spraying them, chemical solutions are my last resort. I googled the problem and found a no-bend weeding prong that seems custom built to pluck the little suckers root and all.

weeding prong

We ordered 2 (a his and hers set) on the off chance we both would want to do this, the arrived in pieces and after a simple set of instructions they were assembled, ready to go. In our first session on the lawn we easily filled a large bucket with extracted dandelions and realised this was a solution, albeit manual and long term.

dandelion scale

In the latest Tanteidan magazine, by pure synchronicity, there were diagrams for a modular dandelion designed by Toshikazu Kawasaki. I set about folding the pieces and, after a fairly simple set of instructions, the dandelion was assembled and ready to go.

899: (349/365) Spikey Cube

Continuing the modular bent, I had bookmarked this fold in my collection of Tanteidan magazines as a “must try”:

This is Jun Maekawa’s “Spikey Cube” – a 6 part modular that only holds itself together when the last part is slotted in place. The locking mechanism is difficult to master initially, and seemingly different each corner. Continue reading →

864: (314/365) 6-part Rhombicuboctahedron

…yes, I know, a day late but, meh! Always on the look out for fascinating geometry, I had put this 6-part Rhombicuboctahedron, designed by David Mitchell, in my “fold this when you get a moment” pile:

6 relatively simple modules interlock to make a fascinating ball-like structure but the devil is in the details. Continue reading →

833: (283/365) Porous

It is interesting how things sometimes just work themselves out:

Here was me, panicking because I had nothing ready or in mind for today’s fold, came home and the latest Tanteidan Magazine was in my mailbox. Continue reading →

729: (179/365) A Whole Lotta Love

Searching for daily folds, O came across an interesting 6 part modular cube that has much development potential:

each face features a colour changed heart but I imagine that with a little inventiveness you could fashion diamonds, spades etc, or other things as the basic module solves the problem of liberating colour-changed flaps rather nicely. Continue reading →

631: (81/365) Four Cubes

Sometimes a modular is deceptively complex, this 6-part modular from David Mitchell is no exception:

Four cubes, interwoven in evil ways has done my head in for days now, I simply could not (1) imagine the shape it was going to end up; and (2) make the modules connect in ways that made sense. Continue reading →

583: (33/365) Hearty Cube

This delightful 6-part modular cube is designed by Meenakshi Mukerji:

The modules cleverly isolate a colour-changed heart at the centre of a “U” shaped module that forms one side of the cube. Continue reading →

580: (30/365) Jun Maekawa’s Six-Roofed Regular Dodecahedron

Trolling around in my collection of Tanteidan magazines, as one does, I came across a little 6-piece modular designed by Jun Maekawa:

Oddly named until you notice that each of the modules is a little “house” shape, complete with pitched roof.  Continue reading →

237: Fuse’s Triangle Box

Tomoko Fuse is renowned for her intricate boxes – this one is a version of her triangle box:

A modular, top and bottom each made up of 3 modules that interlock and lace together to create a curious container

I must explore these modular boxes some more, when I have more time, quite happy with this as my first fold however.