After my last post on folding bucky ball from triangles, I got a couple of emails asking for a tutorial to fold and cut triangles from a square. There are quite a few methods of cutting out equilateral triangles from squares. The simplest way is to create a Word Doc with rows of equilateral triangles of required size and printing it out on an A4 and cutting along the lines.
But for me, I had used square sheets of paper and I found the method I have detailed here, the simplest way to fold triangles. Using this method, we get 4 triangles from 1 square sheet. Remember that for the bucky ball, we need 60 triangles, so that translates to 15 squares. Getting on with the triangle:
Click on the picture for a bigger, clearer one.
Step 1: We will be using 1 square sheet
Step 2: Cut the square in half to get 2 rectangles in the ratio 2:1. We will proceed with folding 2 triangles from one of the halves. Repeating the procedure on the other half will give 2 more triangles.
Step 3: Fold the rectangle in half horizontally. It is enough if the fold is only till the middle of the sheet.
Step 4: Unfold. Using one of the corners as the centre point, fold the other corner to the central line (shown in dots BC).
Step 5: In Step 4 (pic), I have marked another dotted line AB. The next fold is going to be along this line. Fold the top edge along AB.
Step 6: Turn over. I have marked a dotted line at the edge of the red triangle. This is for Step 7.
Step 7: Fold the lower white bit along the dotted line in Step 6.
Step 8. Crease all the folds well and open out. You will be able to see the 2 triangles, marked with dotted lines. Cut out the extra bits. Repeat on the other half to get 4 triangles in all. And repeat on 14 more squares to get 60 triangles for the bucky ball.