This Essential Mechanism is an alternative version of the square shaker mechanism here. In this version, the vertical shaft is positioned towards the front of the box. This makes it suitable for a character shaking its head such as the bear shown below. Turn the handle and the vertical shaft twists quickly back and forth by around 30°.

Members can download the model for free at the link. Non members can join in the fun for £2.50.

Print out the parts onto thin card. (230 micron / 67lb) I used coloured card for the moving parts to make a colourful model.

Score the dotted and dashed lines and cut out the holes then carefully cut out the parts.

Roll round the two axle tubes and glue them down.

Make up the handle in three steps.

Fold over the cams and glue them down to make double thickness card.

Cut out the cam part.

Glue the cams to the cam shaft.

Thread the axle into place in the cam shaft.

Fold round the glue the tabs on the box top and box base to make right-angled triangle tubes.

Fold round and glue down the tabs on the box front and back to make triangle section tubes.

Glue the box front to the base as shown.

Glue the box back to the base.

Glue the striker plate to the vertical axle tube then fold it round and glue it into place.

Thread the vertical axle tube into place.

Fit the vertical axle into the hole in the base. Thread the box top onto the vertical axle and glue it to the box front and back.

Fit the cam shaft into place. Glue the box sides into position.

Fold the four flaps in and glue them to the inside walls of the box.

Glue the handle into place to complete the model.

Use the shaker model as an exercise in pure mechanism or as the starting point for your own paper animation characters.