Needles 'n' Knowledge

Monday, June 8, 2015

Tackle Box Reel Spin Card Assembly Guide

A tackle box shape is the card base

with a reel that spins on a brad fastener.

Inner circle layer (clear in thumbnail sample)

has message "spare not the rod" mounted cutout,

with reel and handle on the card front.

Hold and turn the slice-form dimensional handle to reveal words ring.

Brad prong covers give a finished look to the card back

where the pocket can hold a note or gift card.

(This post is under construction.

Please return soon to view

the completed tutorial.)

ASSEMBLY:

1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A main card base shape (bottom fold)

B card front build up shapes (4 to 5)

(to allow lower layers of spinning mechanism to clear upper card front layers)

C box front with "TACKLE" accent panel

D box upper front with accent

E buckle

F "spare not the rod" words reel circle positioning template

G words cutouts

H clear carrier circle

I spinner brad shaft build up (6)

J spinner handle base

K handle foundation

L left & right dimensional handle shapes

M net frame and net

N fish layers and eye layers
Not shown: brad prong covers, large (1) and small (6)

2. Prepare the card front build up layers by carefully aligning and gluing together 4 or 5 shapes in a stack, taking care that punch holes and edges line up as exactly as possible.

3. Prepare the card base front/back by folding the lower portion (back) under.

4. Position the build up stack over the front of the card base, taking care to line up the upper and side edges, and hole punches. Glue the stack in place.

The stack should provide a "built up" area where the spinner words circle can rotate without interference from the overlapping card layers.

5. Prepare the tackle box front panels. Layer the lower accent panel over the corresponding portion of the box base panel, taking care to line up the hole punches, with panel offset inside the base panel edges as shown.

Layer the upper accent panel over the upper box base shape, with shaped "cutout" at upper right corner edges of each lined up, and other edges offset as for the lower portions.

6. Prepare the dimensional handle by folding on center perforation as "valley" folds. Bring the two shapes together so that left and right halves that jut away from the plane of the side halves line up. Glue these two halves together. This is a "slice form" arrangement, and will provide the finger hold for the spinner handle.

7. Glue the bottom of the dimensional handle assembly onto the flat handle shape, aligning edges.

8. Glue the underside of the handle assembly to the whole handle shape.

9. Prepare the reel housing by centering and gluing the circle with punch holes ring over the whole circle.

10. Note the slot cut that will accent the brad prongs later in the construction in both the reel housing and the handle hub. Orient the handle hub so that the slot cuts of both will line up.

Glue handle hub in place . . .

. . . then while the glue is still a bit pliable, insert a blade tip into the slot to ensure that both layers line up as desired.

11. Prepare the words reel circle. Suggested method is to use a template of the words with circle shape, position the clear carrier circle over the top with center slot cuts lines up, then attach the words to the clear carrier in the positions indicated by the template.

(Use an appropriate adhesive to attach card stock words to clear acetate or vinyl circle.)

Here you can see the words attached to the clear carrier, with the template being separated away.

Discard the words template.

12. Prepare the shaft stack by gluing together the 6 "washer" shapes.

13. Attach the washer stack buildup on the top of the carrier circle, taking care to center the washer center opening over the slot cut.

14. Begin to assemble and attach the spinning mechanism. Push the accent brad prongs through the reel/handle housing.

Then place the reel housing assembly beneath, and insert the brad prongs through the slot cut of the carrier with words circle.

(PLEASE NOTE: the handle shown here is slightly covering the "the" word. It should actually be rotated 180 degrees so that it falls in front of the "spare" word. See the image in step 17.)

15. Slide the tackle box card front between the carrier and reel layers. This assembly is now prepared to attach to the built up card front.

16. Apply adhesive to the build up top surface . . .

. . . then, in the same action , insert the brad prongs through the punch hole in the card base front, while positioning the box base shape over the build up shape. Adjust to make sure the tackle box and build up edges are lined up as precisely as possible, then apply pressure over all to attach where glue was applied.

Fold the brad prongs back on the backside of the card "upper" panel. NOTE: it may be helpful to not make the brad attachment as tight as possible to allow the mechanism to spin more easily.

17. Fold the bottom portion of the card back into its final position. Attach brads through side holes of front and back layers, and fold the prongs back on the backside.

18. Glue the buckle shape in place.

19. Position and glue brad prong covers over the brad prongs on the card's back side.

20. Assemble the net handle and netting base shapes.

Layer and assemble the fish:

bottom to top: whole base shape; tail half with whole fins; tail half with fin "stripes"; back body half; eye base (black) and eye (white).

Attach to the net assembly. Position and glue in place over the front of the card as shown.

21. Test to make sure the spinner works by holding the dimensional handle and turning it counter-clockwise as shown in this series of three images.

22. (Image to follow) Cut a message shape rectangle (max size approx. 5.625" x 4.25") that you can insert into the back pocket.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Fisherman Canister Character Assembly Guide

Unique gift box to fill and gift, or display.

Assemble the tubular "canister" box,

then decorate the box with "tee shirt" base front panel,

waders, fishing vest fronts with bobber,

rod & reel and whimsical fish on the line,

and jolly angler face ready to exaggerate the size of his latest catch.

Dimensional bucket hat is assembled in six segments,

decorated with hat band and accent shapes,

eyelets and brad top button, hooks, fly and lure.

Another in a series of canister characters.

(Search this blog with "canister" to see others.)

ASSEMBLY:

1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A canister body

B canister bottom ring rim and insert

C canister top ring rim

D "tee shirt" front panel

E wader front panel

F vest fronts, pockets

G face base shape

H face details

I fish shapes

J rod and reel shapes

K bobber shapes

L hat panels (6)

M hat flange strip

N hat base hex

O hat bands (2)

P hat band accents

Q opt. top button circles (5-8)

R hat rim shapes (6)

S hat top

T hat accents: fly, lure, hooks

2. Build the canister box. Follow this link to view canister construction steps 2 through 6, then return for the remaining fisherman canister assembly steps.

3. Prepare the lower front panel (which shows through as the "tee shirt") by bending back on the vertical perforations. Position with bottom canister and panel edges even, perforations lined up, and glue in place.

4. Prepare the "waders" front panel in similar fashion, then position and attach with bottom edges even.

5. Prepare the vest left and right panels by gluing the vest pocket rectangles and triangle flaps in place.

Prepare the bobber decoration by layering the smaller shaped onto the base silhouette.

6. Attach the bobber to the left upper vest by creating a loop with twine and inserting the ends through the punch hole, then . . .

. . . glue ends in place on the back.

7. Position and attach each vest front on top of the wader panel, aligning the top outer corners of each, and keeping the vertical side edges parallel to the panel edge.

8. Prepare the head/face unit, beginning with the base silhouette (includes the ears that show when all other shapes are in place), then layering on the lower face, upper face, nose. Fit cheek circles into lower face cutouts. Layer eye (pupil) dark shape and top eye (white) shapes. Position and attach mouth, eyes, eye brows.

NOTE that the eyebrows must NOT extend above the top straight edge of the face unit.

9. Position - centered - face unit over the front of the canister assembly, with top straight edges even, and attach in place.

10. Prepare the fish unit by layering the body front and back shapes onto the base silhouette (optional fin and tail shapes may be included in the file). Layer pupil and eye top shapes, then position in the cutout area of upper body.

11. Prepare rod unit by attaching pole and grip to the base silhouette shape.

12. Position top portion of fish unit over the corresponding partial shape at the end of the line, and glue in place.

13. Assemble the reel unit by layering the circle punch top shape over the plain circle base shape, also layering the handle end shape over the handle and winder base shape.

Position and attach the handle unit to the reel assembly.

14. Position and attach the edge of the reel unit to the grip/rod unit.

(NOTE: when the fish is allowed to take it's natural position, a small portion of the dorsal fin will overlap the pole. Attach fin to pole with a small dab of glue.)

15. If desired, add a series of ink lines to the exposed fins and tail.

16. Position and attach the rod/fish unit to the lower right portion of the canister assembly.

Take care that the bottom of the grip does NOT extend below the bottom edge of the canister, or the canister will not sit properly flat.

17. Assemble the hat. Prepare each of the six segments by folding upper perforation line back, lower perforation forward. Fold side tabs back.

18. Position the straight edge of one segment over the corresponding tab of the adjacent segment, with top and bottom edges or perforation lines lined up, and glue in place. It is recommended to begin at the top section, then bend and align the mid section, then the brim section.

19. Repeat the joining process to add a third segment to the first two assembly, then continue to add remaining segments until all six are attached.

Complete the hat crown/rim ring by joining the final edges and tabs.

20. Prepare the hat band by folding back on all perforation.

Join the two halves into a ring by overlapping the straight end edge of one strip over the tab perforation of the other strip, adjusting top/bottom edges, and attaching. Repeat for the other ends.

21. Position the accent shapes over each section of the band and attach in place.

Apply the decorative eyelet accents through the two layers of hat band.

(OPT 2: if preferred, small brad fasteners can be inserted through band AND hat layers once the hat band is in position.)

22. Slide the hat band into place over the crown of the hat assembly.

Glue the lower edge of band only in place.

23. Position and attach a rim arc shape at the edge of each brim edge of hat assembly.

24. Prepare the flange strip by bending back on all perforations. Fold bottom tab series up behind the main flange area and glue in place, leaving the end tab opposite the end connector tab flat and not glued back.

(NOTE: it may be helpful to NOT fold back the upper tabs, to assist with insertion into slots in step 22.)

25. Form the flange strip into a ring, overlapping the straight end edge over the tab perforation, and glue in place.

Fold the final bottom tab toward back and glue in place.

26. Prepare base hex shape by folding tabs back.

Rotate flange ring to orient the long tabs with the long slots on the base shape.

Insert tabs into slots . . .

. . . push fully in, fold toward center on the backside of the base shape, and glue in place.

27. Insert the base/flange assembly into the bottom opening of the bat assembly . . .

. . . push in so that the place of the base shape is exactly even with the crown perforation of the hat assembly (indicated by pointing finger) . . .

. . . then apply pressure to the tabs to attach in place. Since the top of the hat is still open, finger pressure can be applied from both inside and outside to complete these joinings.