Use a standard wooden
“spring” clothespin
(approx. 3.25” long x .5” tip height x .375” tip width)
to build a
miniature bat.
Watch as its wings flap with the pin’s press-n-release action.
The bat is fun by itself, even for school-age child’s fingers,
but spookier
when it can flap in front of
the eerie halo moon background.
Bat measures
approx. 3.75” wingspan x
1.5” body top to bottom.
ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes:
A body with ears (top layer)
B under body (with bend-over tip)
C wings main shape with center area perforation lines
D & E over wings left & right
F mechanism connector strip
G & H under wings left & right
I opt. moon base
J opt. eerie halo ring
K opt. bat opening reinforcement ring
L opt. backside "handle"
2. Prepare under body by bending back at tip
perforation line. Then . . .
. . . position on top of clothespin tip with sides even
with pin sides, and tip bend at pin ridge,
and attach in place with
bend-over tip attached to front "nose".
3. Position and attach top body on top of
under body shape, tail and sides of each
matched, ears extending beyond pin front edge.
4. Prepare mechanism strip by bending back
at near-center perforations, and bend forward
at end tab perforations.
5. Identify the guide mark at top of head shape
which will assist in placement of mech strip.
Position strip under pin with center panel
perforations aligned at pin corners, AND . . .
. . . top edge aligned with guide mark on head.
(One way to check this position is to fold the strip
ends up along sides of pin where they can be
aligned at guidemark.)
Glue in place ONLY at bottom panel - side "arms"
of strip remain unattached.
6. Prepare the main wings shape by bending forward
on center pair of perforation lines, and bending
back on outward pair of perforation lines.
7. Position the center of main wings over the center
of pin, with center perforations aligned at pin sides,
and top edge align just below guide mark.
Turn the bat/pin face down to view the mech strip
to verify positioning of main wing: trip should
be aligned so that it would be hidden from TOP,
in bottom-up view surrounded top and bottom by wing.
Glue center portion in place on top of pin.
8. Apply glue on wing top panel, then . . .
at center, and press (and hold) in place to
glue in place. Wings should still be able to bend
up to vertical position at the center "seam".
9. Position and attach the overwings on top of
corresponding wing, with slight offset at upper
an lower edges. NOTE that straight edges should
meet at centerline.
10. Bend the wings up to full vertical position with
faces touching. Bend mech strip up into position
on each side.
Carefully bend tip tabs back to apply glue,
then re-position and attach in place,
on each side.
11. Position and attach each underwing,
aligning cutout at inner edge around mech strip.
Bat is now completely assembled, so flapping action can
be produced by pressing on pin tails:
left - closed with wings together vertical
center - half pressed with wings half open
right - fully pressed with wings full open.
12. Assemble the optional moon backdrop by positioning eerie
halo ring shape within edge of moon base.
(NOTE the sample project moon has been highly
shaded and accented with distress ink.)
Also position and attach the hole reinforcement ring
on backside with inner hole edges aligned precisely.
13. Prepare the optional handle by bending back
on center perforation, and forward at end tabs.
14. Apply glue to one of the half panel inside surface,
then fold together, align cut edges, and press
until fully attached in place, as shown, with tabs
extended.
15. Position and attach the handle toward the top
of moon backside, on side where most convenient
for non-dominant hand.
16. To insert the bat into position in front of moon,
compress pin clips and slide through cutout hole,
then release when moon edge is approx. at
pin spring position.
Operate the bat's flapping motion from behind moon.
Here is a view from above.
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