The Origami Forum

I could really use some help with this model and quick because I have to give it as a present tomorrow.
The model is Robert J. Langs Cuckoo Clock. The first version!! The one thats on "the complete book of origami".

I'm already far ahead with the model but I'm having trouble in step 28 and the following ones. What troubles me is when it says that I have to "PIVOT" the hed of the clock with the body, but I have NO idea what that means!!!

Please help!!
Thanks...

In step 28 you have a long horizontal strip of paper at the top of the model, a wider vertical strip that comes down to the clock face, and the clock face at the bottom.

You are widening and shortening the vertical strip in step 28. In order to do that, the horizontal strip at the top will have to fold down (towards you) and the clock at the bottom will have to fold up (towards you) as that vertical strip gets shorter.

It might help to look at step 29. In which you are doing the same thing, but the strip at the top and the clock face at the bottom both fold away from you. The mountain fold is drawn at the top on that diagram (step 29). And again in step 30 -- they fold towards you this time -- valley folds are drawn at both the top and bottom.

That's what you're doing on both the top and bottom on steps 28 - 30.

Hope that helps.

Thank you, finally got past that step!!


But now I have a tiny problem with step 39. My model doesn't look like the picture. I still have that tiny flap with a shape of a square that is shown on step 28.
Also, the book constantly says that I have to: "pivot the clock fce and the rest of the model closer together". I don't even know what pivot means!! The clock face and the rest of the model a really apart because of this long strip of paper. And I dont't know how to pull them closer together!

Help again, please

Pivot means to turn; in regard to your question about step 39, you should post a picture of the progres; there should be just a long flap beneath the the side flaps.

The model isn't very complex, just very long to fold. I would suggest unfolding the model to a step that you know you did right, and re-old it from there.

It's been a long time since I folded this, but I have a dim recollection that the diagram in step 39 may be supposed to still show that square flap from step 28.

You can still do step 39 even if there is a square flap there. The two loose vertical flaps pointing down in front (one short, one attached to the rest of the clock) will swing (pivot!) over to the right while you valley fold through the vertical layer behind it that is attached to the clock face (to make it look like the diagram in step 40.)

Thanks for all the help!!

I't came out real nice the clock!!

What size paper would you recommend for folding this model?

I used a rectangle 28x168cm. From top to buttom the final result is about 27cm long.