To start off I first began experimenting with the possible folds that could be achieved with Xanita board, this allowed me to understand the material and to see where its boundaries lay.
The first folding method is to make two 45 degree angle slice cuts 18mm apart, with the center being where the cuts meet, being careful though not to slice through the bottom layer of card. Once cut, the upside-down triangle piece remaining should be able to be removed with ease. Now just a careful fold making the new incisions meet, creates a clean 90 degree fold.
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The second fold is created by cutting a strip 10mm thick, making sure not to cut through the bottom layer of card. The card must now be flipped with the cuts facing down, heat must then be applied using a heat gun for about 30 seconds. The cut strip can now removed leaving the bottom layer of card clean. The board can then be folded at 90 degrees.
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The third fold I experimented with, is created by cutting a strip through the first layer of card 10mm thick. Heat is then applied with a heat gun to cleanly remove the top layer of card. The board can then be folded with the removed strip facing inside the fold. This should then achieve a clean curve fold.
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Now with the three folds out of the way, I began experimenting with the locking system that would hold the square shape in place once assembled. What I also wanted to achieve with the locking system is for it to be hidden on the outside, to keep the model crisp and clean.
The first locking system I experimented with was created by cutting out a rectangle shape out of the edge of a piece if board keeping the bottom layer of card intact, and then cutting the negative shape out of the second piece of board, again without removing the bottom layer of card.
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I found that this design wouldn't work well with the rest of the model as although is will connect the two ends of card together, it can quite easily disconnect from the spring-back force of the third curve fold. I then realised, I would need to have the locking system be able to be connected and disconnected from one direction holding the side of the curve fold in place.
From there I decided the same idea will be used except with the addition of a dovetail design to lock the two sides in place. I achieved this by cutting through one side of the board a rectangular shape that has a 45 degree cut going through the honeycomb.
The other side having the negative shape of the 45 degree angles cut out through the board, that looks like a dovetail. This design is the more successful method of locking system for this model.
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Now that all the experimentation has taken place it was time for me to attempt the model as a whole. I found that practice makes perfect, as my first attempt failed creating the correct shape. This was because the 45 degree cuts for the first fold failed, affecting the entire outcome.
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My second attempt was much cleaner and more resolved then my first. All the folds worked well together and the locking system did its job in holding the forms shape and keeping the curve fold in place.
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