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http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rapidproto/activities/cardboardcube.html 1/2

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RapidDesignthroughVirtualandPhysicalPrototyping

CarnegieMellonUniversity

Spring2010

MakingaPerfect3"x3"CardboardCube

Pleasebecarefulnottocutthetablesorgetglueonthem.

1.Assemblethematerialsyouwillneedforthisexercise

packageofExactobladesandExactoknife

metalstraightedge

hardcuttingsurface(canbeExactocuttingsurface,woodenboard,etc)

306090or454590triangle

whiteglue

sheetofcardboard

2.Familiarizeyourselfwiththemediumyouareusing,thatis,cardboard.

Lookatthecardboardandunderstandit

Notehowitisconstructed.Notethatithasagrain.Cardboard:

consistsofthreelayers:aridgedinnerstructuresandwichedbetweentwosmoothfaces;

isstrongestparalleltoridges;and

isweakestperpendiculartoridges.

Takeapieceofcardboard.Usingthemetalstraightedgeasaguide,cutthecardboardwithanewblade.

Donotusemuchpressure;Donottrytocutthroughthecardboardallatonce.

Trytocutjustthroughonelayer,withoutcuttingotherlayers.

Trytocutthroughjusttwolayers,withoutcuttingthethirdlayer.

Notehoweasilyasharpbladecutsthecardboardinjustafewstrokes.

Thinkaboutwhichsideofthecutisthegoodsideandwhichsidewillbescrap.Putthemetalguideover

thegoodsidesothatifyourknifeslips,itwillcutthesidethatwillbescrapped.

3.Makethecube

Whenyouaredonewiththestepsinthissection,youshouldhavea6piecesofcardboard.Thesquaresthatwillbethe

4sidesofthecubeshouldhave1/8"cutoutson3edges.Thetopandthebottomshouldbe3"squareswithnocutouts

a.Constructthefoursides

i.ChangetheExactoblade.

ii.Createaclean,straightcutclosetooneoftheedges.Makeanotherclean,straightcutperpendiculartothe

firstcutandclosetotheadjacentedge.Makesurethatthecornermadebythesetwocutsisperpendicular.

Usethetriangletocheckthatyouhavearightangle.

Note:thisstepisnecessarybecausetheedgesofasheetofcardboardareoftencrushed.Wewant

clean,straightedges.

Note:UseonlythemetalstraightedgewhencuttingthecardboardwiththeExactoknife.Donot

usethetriangleasastraightedge:thesharpbladewillruintheedgeofthetriangle(unlessyouare

usingametaltriangle).

iii.Fromthisestablishedcorner,cuta3"square

Makesuretomarkintwospotsforeachedge,toensurethatyou1makeanaccuratecut.

Donotuseapenciltomarkthecardboard;UsetheExactobladewhichproducesamoreaccurate

mark.

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