The Origami Forum

Inspired by a spam entry I decided to make a quickhelp-guide for special folding processes. I don't want to make a basic gulde like "what is a mountain fold" or "how to do a squash fold".
what's already on it is the following

how to devide a paper into
- 3rds
- 5ths
- 7ths
- 9ths
- 11ths
these are looking like this (that I made for a different topic in this forum)


how to make (all from a square)
- a dollar bill
- a equilateral triangle
- a regular pentagon
- a regular hexagon

just adding a regular octagon

I also implemented a ruler.

so do you have any ideas what could be nice to have on such a quickhelp guide?


- Christian

something that has come up already in the forum is:
"how to cut a perfect square out of a non-square paper"
I think it should be:
"how to obtain the largest possible square from a non-square piece of paper"

Thanx Christian, this sounds like a great thing you're doing!

thanks, but obviously we both are the only guys that think its a good idea

qtrollip wrote:something that has come up already in the forum is:
"how to cut a perfect square out of a non-square paper"
I think it should be:
"how to obtain the largest possible square from a non-square piece of paper"

Just so that it doesn't seem like you're the only ones interested in it I'd like to second that.
There are a few introductions on how to cut a perfect square out of an almost square or totally non-square paper, however, what I'm missing is indeed a way to obtain the largest possible square.

I regularly cut perfect squares out of rectangular self-made tissue foil (using the method explained by Sara in some youtube video). However, I always feel like cutting away too much. Then again it might be hard to derive a maximal square from what is basically only known as a convex polygon.

getting the biggest square is easy. fold the diagonals and use a ruler and a knife... thats it.
I have metal-templates in different sizes, thats the easiest way to cut a square, but you don't get the maximum square.

Metal template? Is it commercial? Or you made it at home? And how about corners?

I got them from a friend that got it from a friends company. it's thins steel templates so they will probably last forever




I use them as templates and don't cut directly when using them, so I just draw small spots in the corners to have reference points to cut with my metal-ruler.

OK, thanks, now it is clear (about corners and cutting).

Thanks also for photos, I think it is not usual method to make square. It is very inspirative...