The Origami Forum

Hey all,

I'm folding this elephant. It seems pretty easy... until something peculiar happens at step 35...

http://www.zingman.com/origami/oriPics/ ... agrams.swf

There are 2 folds from which I am meant to "swing out the flaps"... only problem is... how did those folds get there?

My model at the moment looks exactly the same as the one in the diagram, MINUS those folds.

If anyone can solve this mystery, post it up!

Thanks,
Shu

The folds were not there before, you have to make them at this step.

The fold that is shown with a dotted line over a triangle, is and X-ray of the paper below it, meaning that you have to make a valley fold on the layer below. On the layer above (where the dotted line is) you have to make a mountain fold bisecting the angle.

Look carefully at the next step and try to turn the model you have into it and you will accomplish it. The step is a spread squash fold.

Thanks Brimstone!
You rock!

Ok... I finally had the time to try the elephant again from step 35... At first I thought that your post (Brimstone) was on how to create the trapezoidal flaps in step 35... not how to get from step 35 to 36 (which is what I later realised in comparing your response to the diagram).

So, I'm still stuck on how to create those flaps in step 35 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/68547441@N00/397054705/)

don't you just lift up the flap and valley fold it out?

No, I think he's not getting to 35 from 34 correctly. Step 34 is not just refolding the pleat you just unfolded. It is more like a pair of outside reverse folds along the creases from step 30 and 31. I hope that helps.

Shu, I thought I have met the same question, my continuously all attempt is folding this elephant, but has not succeeded.
Because my English too is bad, down to cannot understand everybody the reply, if could paste on the picture to be good.

I don't know how to add a photo, but I think theorigamist is correct when he says that step 34 is not just a simple mountain-valley pleat. It's not very clearly shown, but it's almost like doing a double sink at each of the edges. If this is done right, the flaps in step 35 are just simple swivel folds. (Not sure if that helps...)

Another question, though: does anyone know an easy way to capture these diagrams in order to make a conventional set of diagrams that you can keep? I don't really want to print out 50 pages and cut them all up, but I can't see any other way, apart from perhaps contacting John Szinger. It's a nice model, and a pity it's only available in this form.

It's nothing difficult. Here's an analogous situation: Take a square, and fold two parallel edges in just a little bit, say 1/8 on each side. Now make a pleat, say 1/8 wide that is perpendicular to those two folds. Unfold the pleat, and unfold the edges. Now pleat all the way along the existing pleat creases. Finally fold the edges back in.

That's basically what's going on.

Thanks origamimasterjared!

I was doing something similar to that while I was trying to figure it out... Don't know why it didn't work.

Thanks again,
Shu