Insert Tab G5 into Slot A2
Wandering over to Airbag yielded a link that brought me to a lovely pattern for a paper cut-out project. The result was supposed to be a miniature Apple G5, complete with fold-away panel revealing the dual G5’s powering the little beast. I guess I didn’t know what I was in for.
Construction
Beast(ly) is certainly the correct word. With no instructions (not even a handy scissors “cut here” logo for the lines to be cut), one had to make educated guesses about where to cut, where to fold, and where to bend. Still, i’m not complaining: things were pretty simple. However, frusteration could certainly ensue for people who very meticulously cut things out on all the wrong lines. I dutifully cut the corners first and then followed with the longer lines to achieve clean cuts. I used tape and glue during construction to maximize speed of assembly and final torsional stability. Things did not really go as planned.
Problems
If you are going to make one of these, use thick paper. Use thick paper! In the past, I have constructed a clock (which almost worked) and airplanes (from kits) from paper and this important detail is the first thing I should have remembered. There was not any cardstock around, so I had to make do with printer paper. Don’t do something that stupid, folks - you will regret it. Furthermore, using tape was a dumb idea. I mean, things would get stuck before they could be glued in the proper position and I nearly ended up with a crumpled mass of gray paper and half-dry Elmers instead of the ugly-duckling model I did complete. Christ, maybe I should just do origami instead.
Conclusion
Making things out of paper is hard. Damn hard. While enjoyable for most people, I would not recommend intricate paper construction for the mentally disturbed, obsessive compulsive, blind, or criminally insane. If you do fall into one or more of these categories, please refrain from this activity.