Walking Papercraft Mech Warrior

 by J_Hodgie
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A paper Mech Warrior made to appear to walk when a crank is turned. This model is designed after the Madcat/Timberwolf type from the video games.

This is my first attempt at designing my own papercraft automation. It was inspired by an addiction to the Mech Warrior video games and was originally a birthday gift for someone similarly addicted.

There are two options for downloading. the first is a template I have coloured and the second is blank template for people inspired to make their own
If you would like the Photoshop, SVG or just about any CAD file type, just let me know and I will upload them.
Mech Walker.pdf(612x792) 3 MB
Mech Walker - Blank.pdf(612x792) 186 KB
 
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Step 1: Gather The Materials

For this project you will need:

- Paper
- Printer
- Sharp knife
- Metal ruler
- Cutting mat
- White glue

To get the paper I suggest checking around common printers, people tend to print off some doubles, nearly blank and blank pages. At my university you can get scrap paper that will work for this by the handfuls. If you are lucky you can get some thicker paper leftover from posters, which is great for this type of project.

With a bit of luck you can even save a printer from the dump and print the pattern for free. To get a printer start by asking people you know who might have such things laying around. It is also good to try asking at corporate offices. I asked at a place I worked and was able to get a black and white laser printer with a full toner cartridge for free. Since there isn't too much colour in these textures it won't make much of a difference if it is black and white or colour printer.

However, it is important to but new blades for the knife and change them when they are dull. Some people will just use a dull blade, which destroys the cutting mat and results in a rough edge on the paper.

The metal ruler is not necessary, but it makes life much easier to cut long straight lines.
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Tanyut Sharma says: May 10, 2013. 5:18 AM
Lovely, would like to build it myself
walkercreations says: Sep 15, 2012. 9:58 PM
Just finished building one of these myself. Build posting at:
http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/alternate-dimensions/21361-walking-papercraft-mech-warrior.html
epierce says: Jun 15, 2012. 8:54 PM
This is too cool! I will try this and then maybe go to a plastic version!!
Shaitan666 says: Nov 21, 2011. 6:35 PM
Hey, thank you for this instructable im looking forward to more like it ;) My brother and I had lots of fun building it. Only problem is with the walking. I have the stuff glued in place but it barely moves. I think I understand it know but whatever its still awesome.
toboboxall says: Aug 27, 2011. 10:47 AM
this is realy cool do u have any more :P
kindar says: Jun 19, 2011. 1:58 PM
Congratulations; you inspired me to try papercraft with this design. I loved your idea here, but I'm not much of a Mech Warrior fan. So I took your initial design and first changed it into a Star Wars AT-ST. Then, because that wasn't complicated enough, I doubled your mechanism and added gears to make it work for four legs and topped it with an AT-AT. The motion isn't perfect, especially since I had to reverse the mechanism for the back set of legs, but it isn't bad.

Since you said drop a note if we built anything, I thought I'd share. Thanks for the inspiration and foundation!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvCIhwmCgXQ
Walking ATAT.jpgWalking AT-ST.jpeg
J_Hodgie (author) in reply to kindarJun 20, 2011. 7:38 AM
Those look awesome!
Nice work on the AT-AT
Mikechum says: Dec 15, 2010. 11:20 AM
What is the estimated time to complete this project?
Mikechum in reply to MikechumDec 16, 2010. 4:15 PM
NM it took me a little past 10 hours
sammetz11 says: Dec 5, 2010. 6:22 AM
Could you please make a video for this part i am entriely confused, but great job on the rest
Data643 says: Nov 16, 2010. 5:28 PM
I used A4 paper on this and it completely failed. The cams got bent out of shape because they were so flimsy.
Zrowny says: Nov 15, 2010. 8:22 PM
Congrats on making it into this week's newsletter!
Loshanagan says: Nov 15, 2010. 4:52 PM
I see walking AT-ATs in my future...
killerAP says: Nov 14, 2010. 3:46 PM
can haz autocadd file?
killerAP in reply to killerAPNov 14, 2010. 5:18 PM
also, the Mad Cat was my favourite Mech. I love you for doing this!
erictank says: Nov 14, 2010. 1:53 PM
This is awesomely cool! Always been a fan of Mechwarrior/Battletech (I actually used to play the RPG, back in high school), and to see a walking Mad Cat makes a big smile break out on my face. Well done!
bd5 says: Nov 14, 2010. 11:48 AM
That is SOOoooo Cool! Great instructable!
shylevari says: Sep 14, 2010. 2:13 AM
i made a video of it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrEPFmnwJFY
9ale7 in reply to shylevariNov 14, 2010. 9:25 AM
love it nice adding !
J_Hodgie (author) in reply to shylevariSep 22, 2010. 3:53 PM
That looks great, thanks for sharing.
tom123il says: Nov 12, 2010. 5:26 AM
FYI

•The Lincoln, Memorial Reverse penny (mid 1982 to present) weighs 2.5 grams
D00M99 says: Nov 4, 2010. 12:33 AM
Whoa. The wolf in the back must have taken some time. Good work.
limppimento says: Aug 1, 2010. 6:01 PM
Great project. It inspired me to make this. Thanks! Check out the other views here. http://picasaweb.google.com/Limppimento/HalloweenStuff#
malc01 says: May 2, 2010. 1:17 PM
A brilliant build (which I am doing right now)... but, on page 9 of step7 in the instructions it says, regarding the base part 8, and I quote 

>>1. You actually want the base to be oriented the opposite direction of what you see here, but it still works this way, just not as well.<<

..... so is the picture not correct, and should part 8 actually be rotated 180 from where it is in the picture? This would reverse the position of the numbers 11,10,12, 16.  What makes it " just not as well" if it is done as the picture shows?


Zappa021 says: Apr 20, 2010. 3:41 AM
step 16 looks like the bottom of an AT-ST walker off starwars
atst.jpg
Halo41293 says: Feb 15, 2010. 1:06 PM
i dot know if tyhis affects anyone else but the so vibrant "purple" that his  camera shows actualy printed out for me as a moderate kind of sky blue color so yeah hats why i wentcrazy thinking purple what the hell wher are the purple and they were all a sky blueish color for me
Joe22c says: Nov 29, 2009. 3:31 AM
Quite possibly the coolest thing EVER
Duct Tape Dude in reply to Joe22cDec 20, 2009. 6:10 PM
AGREED!! too bad i cant afford printer ink... i gotta draw and color everything!!! so i dont do much papercaft except for companion cube (who?)
i can make in my sleep ( i have 5 of the things (people?) that are poorly drawn and dont fit together right ^^.... (poor cubey... it (she?) didnt deserve to die for NO REASON AT ALL!!! )LAWLS XD 
ferrari484 says: Jun 22, 2009. 11:32 AM
i am making a mech from knex it's getting quite heavy to be supported by it's legs which you can move by hand
ferrari484 in reply to ferrari484Jul 29, 2009. 5:54 AM
didn't work out
davison112 in reply to ferrari484Dec 17, 2009. 12:47 PM
wow... i feel sorry for you. How many peices broke?
ferrari484 in reply to davison112Dec 19, 2009. 1:30 AM
None, but if there just was a way for a better baljoint of some sort. 
Well i wasn't using a balljoint but at least some way of suporting it and being still able to move it.
davison112 in reply to ferrari484Dec 19, 2009. 7:28 PM
oh. Well, Id use two white connectors, spacers and a blue rod for Waist/knees/elbows/sholuder/you get the point/ etc.

If only I had enough knex to make a mech...
davison112 says: Dec 17, 2009. 12:51 PM
sweet. If only I could do thi with a thor/blackhawk/daishi 40/10
Zrowny says: Nov 11, 2009. 3:33 AM

This is an awesome design, but I'm having the opposite problem with the cam followers. They keep falling towards each other and getting in the way. Any help?

Zrowny in reply to ZrownyNov 11, 2009. 3:38 AM
Oh wait, I think they will be fixed at the end when i glue the top down. I think the part 27, 28 will keep them from falling towards each other.
Kryptonite says: Sep 27, 2009. 6:30 AM
Would you happen to have instructions on making gifs?
Chromatica in reply to KryptoniteOct 17, 2009. 9:30 AM
gifninja.com Works for very short .wma clips but you can also use a a simple gif app to compile and control the animated image
Kryptonite in reply to ChromaticaOct 18, 2009. 12:45 AM
Thanks!
Chromatica in reply to KryptoniteOct 18, 2009. 10:14 AM
Your welcome, my favorite app for gifs is Beneton Movie Gif. You can get it here http://www.benetonsoftware.com/Beneton_Movie_GIF.php
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