You can see videos of both projects here…

This project is aimed at laser cutters though it would also be possible to hand cut with a sharp knife. Laser cutters are commonly available at maker spaces and hack spaces. Look online to see if you can find one near you.

1440 micron card is usually used to make mats for picture frames. It turns out it cuts nicely with a sharp knofe and even better with a laser cutter.

To be able to make moving things from thick card I’ll need to come up with some new ways of putting things together. Hence these two projects.

Here is the solution I’ve come up with to make a hinge.

The slot in the card is very slightly wider than the card. The two circular pips stick out making a gap narrower than the card thickness. These match with the circular hole in the other piece allowing the parts to rotate!

There are two projects for you to try in the downloadable file. The arm, shown here, and the gear, shown further down the page.

The downloadable zip file contains a pdf if you would like to try cutting out the parts with a sharp knife. there is also a dxf file to upload to your laser-cutter.

Cut out these parts to make a slot together gear mechanism.

The small 12 tooth gear goes with the wider base, the 16 tooth gear with the narrower base.

Fit the gears into place so that the pips sit in the hole in the centre of the gear.

Slide the semi-circular cover into place. These stop the gears from wobbling.

Slot the two pieces together so that the gears mesh. No glue needed!