Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 5The butterfly body
I wanted to make a unique body for the butterfly. Everyone always uses a simple "stick" theory with two antennae stuck on it. Or, they choose to coil wire and put a marble on top. Plus I needed some way for the butterfly to hold, and support, a light bulb with water in it. So here goes...
Picture1 - Enter the secret bending tool, a sharpie marker. Let's bend a circle in the middle of a 2 foot wire.
Picture2 - Put a 90 degree bend in the circle, as well as bringing the excess wire in to lay against each other.
Picture3 - Tricky move here. Bend the circle over to touch the two excess wires. Then form a "V" as seen in the picture. This will force the two wires to seperate, yet again. It's ok, they are about to be re-worked anyway.
Picture4 - Form curves with the excess wire, let them long for now, do not begin cutting yet. But, set this aside, your done with the top of the body.
Picture5 - Grab another 2 foot wire and bend it over to touch itself. We want a good bend here, sharp angle, so you might squeeze it slightly with some pliers.
Picture6 - Form a curve with this piece and bring the ends together as in the picture. Notice it also has a spoon like curve. Now set this piece aside, you're done with it.
Picture7 - Now get another 2 foot piece of wire and lets find something to coil it on. I used a screwdriver bit. Simply because we want the coil to taper at one end. So I started on the large side, and ended on the actual bit side. You will have long excess ends, leave them!
Picture8 - Now lets seperate the coil a bit. I ran a small screwdriver inbetween the coils, which gives it even seperation.
Picture9 - Time to piece it together. Grab the top half of the body and solder the coil to it at the back end. Notice the excess towards the front is at a 90 degree angle to the body...leave it! It will later become the hook for the bulb!
Picture10 - Now get the bottom half and solder it to the assembled top and middle. Notice I used wire to hold it in place.
Picture11 - This is what I used for extra support. A copper plate I cannibalized from an old PC motherboard. You can bet, if it's copper, I'm keeping it. I clipped one of the fingers off and wrapped it around the base of the body.
Picture12 - Body secure. Straighten out the excess to run parallel to each other, but do not cut yet.
Picture1 - Enter the secret bending tool, a sharpie marker. Let's bend a circle in the middle of a 2 foot wire.
Picture2 - Put a 90 degree bend in the circle, as well as bringing the excess wire in to lay against each other.
Picture3 - Tricky move here. Bend the circle over to touch the two excess wires. Then form a "V" as seen in the picture. This will force the two wires to seperate, yet again. It's ok, they are about to be re-worked anyway.
Picture4 - Form curves with the excess wire, let them long for now, do not begin cutting yet. But, set this aside, your done with the top of the body.
Picture5 - Grab another 2 foot wire and bend it over to touch itself. We want a good bend here, sharp angle, so you might squeeze it slightly with some pliers.
Picture6 - Form a curve with this piece and bring the ends together as in the picture. Notice it also has a spoon like curve. Now set this piece aside, you're done with it.
Picture7 - Now get another 2 foot piece of wire and lets find something to coil it on. I used a screwdriver bit. Simply because we want the coil to taper at one end. So I started on the large side, and ended on the actual bit side. You will have long excess ends, leave them!
Picture8 - Now lets seperate the coil a bit. I ran a small screwdriver inbetween the coils, which gives it even seperation.
Picture9 - Time to piece it together. Grab the top half of the body and solder the coil to it at the back end. Notice the excess towards the front is at a 90 degree angle to the body...leave it! It will later become the hook for the bulb!
Picture10 - Now get the bottom half and solder it to the assembled top and middle. Notice I used wire to hold it in place.
Picture11 - This is what I used for extra support. A copper plate I cannibalized from an old PC motherboard. You can bet, if it's copper, I'm keeping it. I clipped one of the fingers off and wrapped it around the base of the body.
Picture12 - Body secure. Straighten out the excess to run parallel to each other, but do not cut yet.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
 |
Add Comment
|
