Paper Models That Move: 14 Ingenious Automata, and More (Dover Origami Papercraft) Paperback – February 17, 2011

this book is very similiar to the karakuri book the begining is just information on paper animation and the begining is just mechnisms for you to use to create your own models and then it has some full animation kits in it.the first 9 models in the paper models that move book are just teaching you difrent mechnisms and how they create movment and the book gives you ideas of how to use these movments to create your own model but i didnt do any of those the last 6 are compleat animation kits and i just finished the third one.the first one is a pretty simple model and not very hard its calledhappy birthday and its just a stork carrying a baby that flaps its wings and moves back and forth.the seconed model is called ducks on the pond its a very nice looking model it just is a simple turntable that moves a set of ducks around in a circle and thrugh a little lilly turnel.the third model is the one that is the center picture on the cover its called pyrimid lifter this model has alot of little tube pieces and other little pieces that all join together to create the movment it takes a bit of time to do but like with all paper animation kits as long as you are prececise in your cutting of the pieces(the pieces are not pop out and all need to be cut out with scisors and you need an exacto knife to cut out the openings in some pieces)and glue everything accuratly then the movment will be accurate.just finished all the paper models the weight of buracay model is a bit tricky in some parts expecialy when glueing the cams to the inside wheels.also on mine the center tube that conects the handle to the movment on the inside got all twisted and ripped apart so the handle dosnt work but i can turn the inner wheel manualy and i do get the movment.the last two models use a sand mechanism that is ment to run off of fine sand going thru a funnel and then creating the movment.the pianist wasnt very hard to make the folds on the piano are a bit hard to see but otherwise it is fairly simplethe last model is the gymnist it didnt seem to be hard but i cant get the movment when i turn the wheel that the sand should fall in and turn so im not sure what i did wrong on that one but mine dosnt work but the back ground scene looks nice sitting on the shelf with my other paper models.

Bought this for a group of 10-12 year olds, and they were difficult. Many small pieces to cut out and assemble, but directions were well written. Most of the models involve making some type of crank, but there is at least one (we didn't complete all of them) that requires "sand" - and we never could get that one to work. The other ones worked well and were worth the time invested. I would recommend these more for adults or very detail-oriented older kids/adolescents.

I made a few of these moving paper models. The instructions are clear, but detailed. If you enjoy learning about gears and how things move, this is a great book to introduce you to the world of Auotomata.

I bought this as a homeschooling project for my 10 yo son to learn basic mechanics, and to work on his fine motor skills (cutting, folding), as well as his attention to detail following the directions.The first part of the book gives an overview of each of the mechanical principles involved. Perfect for us! Not textbooky, easy to understand, and set in the context of the paper models.Next are the instructions, which were perfect! After trying some origami books where the instuctions left us scratching our heads in puzzlement, this was a very-well appreciated feature.The models themselves are well-laid out on pages, and each part is labeled. I enjoyed the precision involved with making the fiddley bits, but it was beyond the skill of my 10yo (often sharp folds needed 1/4" apart).I would recommend this to any adult who enjoys fine handwork, and to middle schoolers who want a more interesting and relevant way to learn mechanical physics. (I think high school physics requires more formulas and mathwork.)If your child has a meticulous nature, and experience with these sorts of projects, it might be alright for someone a little younger. Or with a parent who doesnt mind doing most of the cutting and making. :)I paid full price for this product. No nonsense about discounts for so-called unbiased opinions.

I have purchased other publications that have pre-cut forms making the projects easier to start. Some experience with a sharp knife and folding is required. Definitely more time consuming because of the preparation required before assemblage.

I bought this for a Christmas present for grandchildren. Haven't given it to them yet. Hope I can keep from putting it together myself. Looks like fun.

Walter Ruffler's models ran the gamut in this book; some are fairly easy to assemble while others can be quite fiddly, especially if you are new to automata or papercraft. I used some of these successfully with middle school aged students (11-14) but the models operated by gravity-fed sand proved too much of a challenge for them. Ruffler's finished models are charming, as always; just be prepared for the detail work involved in getting the mechanisms aligned and operating smoothly.

Fun projects to accomplish and learn

A very good book, plenty of fun to keep you busy, very pleased I got this as part of my collection of these books and projects.

Muy buen producto y llegó en buen tiempo

Muy bien detallado, lo que menos me ha gustado es que viene totalmente en inglés

Il libro è interamente scritto in inglesePer quanto riguarda l' aspetto pratico, cioè poter costruire automata servendosi delle immagini, è un po' più problematico.La mia impressione è che questi creatori siano poco propensi a regalare la loro arte ai più.

オートマタの理論から始まり、基本的な仕組みを実感する作品が8点とストーリー性のある作品が6点、計14点の展開図が収められています。サイズは小さめながら重量配分に至るまで精密に設計されており、このうち12点は確実に動きます。残り2点は動力に利用する砂の選択を誤ったため動きませんでしたが、他の砂を試すところまでハマりそうです。私のせいではありますが、2点動かなかったので星4つとします。第2弾を出版していただきたい。