From @relay.cs.net:AGIN@cgi.com Thu Dec 13 23:25:58 1990 Return-Path: <@relay.cs.net:AGIN@cgi.com> Received: from RELAY.CS.NET by life.ai.mit.edu (4.1/AI-4.10) id AA18336; Thu, 13 Dec 90 23:25:58 EST Message-Id: <9012140425.AA18336@life.ai.mit.edu> Received: from relay2.cs.net by RELAY.CS.NET id ab06193; 13 Dec 90 23:25 EST Received: from cgi.com by RELAY.CS.NET id aa27113; 13 Dec 90 23:09 EST Date: Thu, 13 Dec 90 14:26 EDT From: AGIN%cgi.com@relay.cs.net Subject: Re: construction project To: cube-lovers@life.ai.mit.edu X-Vms-To: IN%"cube-lovers@life.ai.mit.edu" I was successful in creating Peter Beck's Christmas Tree ornament. The project requires 50 modules, not 120. There are 30 outside modules and 20 inside connecting modules. The outside modules correspond to th edges of a dodecahedron. The inside modules create an interior icosahedron. I used 3M Post-It notes cut in half, each starting rectangle being 3" by 1- 1/2". I folded the adhesive to the inside on the first step, so the adhesive was not holding the project together. It probably would have been possible to use the adhesive to keep each module together. This would have required a lot of extra care in the assembly, but produced a much sturdier product. As it was, once I got the hang of it, I didn't have any major problems with modules coming apart. The finished construction required no staples or extra glue. A previous attempt using 1" x 2" rectangles cut out of graph paper kept falling apart. I've got a partially finished ornament made with dollar bills, which seem to work fine. The ideal shape for an outside module is not an equilateral triangle, but an isosceles one with an apex angle of about 42 degrees. I took care of this by allowing the outside surfaces to bow outward. To finish the assembly I left three outside modules and their common connecting module until last. The outside modules were threaded into place but not closed, with the ends of the paper pointing outward. The connecting module was placed over the nearest ends of the three outside modules, then the outside modules could be closed.