box dividers a-go-go
Aug. 25th, 2008 12:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wombat1138Two modifications of the X/+ 4-compartment dividers into analogous 3-compartment dividers (one half + 2 quarters), a small "2.5" secondary divider for the one of the quarter-sized triangular compartments in an X-shaped divider, and a diagonal subdivider for diagonal halves (or diagonal 2.5).
The modifications are pretty simple; they just collapse one of the divider walls down to produce one half-sized compartment and two quarter-sized compartments. These instructions are going to be fairly shortcutty, as they're mainly meant as self-reminders.
Modified X: Leave one of the corners of the paper sticking straight out from the preliminary base instead of folding it into the symmetrical "brilliant-cut" shape. Normally the divider-shaping step just folds the centerpoint down to meet one of the corners; in this case, fold down the entire backbone of the sticking-out flap. Open up the divider as usual; tuck the protruding corner of the paper underneath both layers.
Modified +: Leave one side sticking out from the waterbomb base; fold its midpoint down to the edge and open up.
Secondary 2.5-compartment divider for X-quarter:
1.) Start with a rectangular half-square; mark the long midline and unfold.
2.) Fold the rectangle in half the other way into a 2-layered square; tuck both short edges of the paper down inside the fold to create a 4-layered rectangle.
3.) Line up the long ends of the rectangles, flipping the original ends of the paper back out; this creates the small slotted fractional compartment in the middle.
4.) This is the twiddly bit: turn upside-down and partially open up the fractional compartment so that the original short midline of the paper is flattened underneath to the corresponding midline of one of the sub-squares; fold the overlapped layers of one long side of the original rectangle up to the midline marked in step 1. Flip the rectangle's short midline onto the the corresponding midline of the other sub-squares, and repeat with the other long side of the original rectangle. This locks both ends of the fractional compartment into place so they don't flop open.
5.) Fold both sides of the divider up around the fractional compartment, exposing the undersides of both square halves of the divider floor. Fold each divider floor in half to form symmetrical right triangles.
6.) Done-- just nestle the subdivider down into one of the X-divider's triangular compartments.
Secondary 2-compartment subdivider for diagonal halves:
1.) For each subdivider, start with a rectangular half-square. (Optionally, prepare a template from a quarter-sized square by folding it into diagonal quarters, or just figure out the 1/3-division points for the side of a quarter-square.)
2.) With each rectangular half-square, fold two corners down to form a right triangle (ideally with the torn edge meeting in the middle). Fold that in half again to make a smaller right triangle with the extra layers on the inside, where one corner of the hypotenuse is the former midpoint and the other corner has two separate layers.
3.) Nestle the template onto one of the smaller right triangles to determine the refold points-- fold the former midpoint toward the right angle, then pocket-fold along that line to fit the width of the diagonal half-compartment; fold each layers of the other angle up over the right angle to set the divider height.
4.) If the existing diagonal divider is actually a central-trough 2.5-compartment instead of just diagonal halves, the inner edge of the subdivider can be eased inward to accommodate objects in the central trough. Unfold it to a truncated right triangle, with the two corners of the original torn side directly under the triangular pocket-folded flap. Fold each torn corner into a right triangle up along the underside of the subdivider; using those folded hypotenuses as a guide, bisect the exposed 45-degree angles with careful valley folds. Fold the truncated right triangle in half again, using those valley folds to create a smaller pocket fold at the center of the former main hypotenuse.
The modifications are pretty simple; they just collapse one of the divider walls down to produce one half-sized compartment and two quarter-sized compartments. These instructions are going to be fairly shortcutty, as they're mainly meant as self-reminders.
Modified X: Leave one of the corners of the paper sticking straight out from the preliminary base instead of folding it into the symmetrical "brilliant-cut" shape. Normally the divider-shaping step just folds the centerpoint down to meet one of the corners; in this case, fold down the entire backbone of the sticking-out flap. Open up the divider as usual; tuck the protruding corner of the paper underneath both layers.
Modified +: Leave one side sticking out from the waterbomb base; fold its midpoint down to the edge and open up.
Secondary 2.5-compartment divider for X-quarter:
1.) Start with a rectangular half-square; mark the long midline and unfold.
2.) Fold the rectangle in half the other way into a 2-layered square; tuck both short edges of the paper down inside the fold to create a 4-layered rectangle.
3.) Line up the long ends of the rectangles, flipping the original ends of the paper back out; this creates the small slotted fractional compartment in the middle.
4.) This is the twiddly bit: turn upside-down and partially open up the fractional compartment so that the original short midline of the paper is flattened underneath to the corresponding midline of one of the sub-squares; fold the overlapped layers of one long side of the original rectangle up to the midline marked in step 1. Flip the rectangle's short midline onto the the corresponding midline of the other sub-squares, and repeat with the other long side of the original rectangle. This locks both ends of the fractional compartment into place so they don't flop open.
5.) Fold both sides of the divider up around the fractional compartment, exposing the undersides of both square halves of the divider floor. Fold each divider floor in half to form symmetrical right triangles.
6.) Done-- just nestle the subdivider down into one of the X-divider's triangular compartments.
Secondary 2-compartment subdivider for diagonal halves:
1.) For each subdivider, start with a rectangular half-square. (Optionally, prepare a template from a quarter-sized square by folding it into diagonal quarters, or just figure out the 1/3-division points for the side of a quarter-square.)
2.) With each rectangular half-square, fold two corners down to form a right triangle (ideally with the torn edge meeting in the middle). Fold that in half again to make a smaller right triangle with the extra layers on the inside, where one corner of the hypotenuse is the former midpoint and the other corner has two separate layers.
3.) Nestle the template onto one of the smaller right triangles to determine the refold points-- fold the former midpoint toward the right angle, then pocket-fold along that line to fit the width of the diagonal half-compartment; fold each layers of the other angle up over the right angle to set the divider height.
4.) If the existing diagonal divider is actually a central-trough 2.5-compartment instead of just diagonal halves, the inner edge of the subdivider can be eased inward to accommodate objects in the central trough. Unfold it to a truncated right triangle, with the two corners of the original torn side directly under the triangular pocket-folded flap. Fold each torn corner into a right triangle up along the underside of the subdivider; using those folded hypotenuses as a guide, bisect the exposed 45-degree angles with careful valley folds. Fold the truncated right triangle in half again, using those valley folds to create a smaller pocket fold at the center of the former main hypotenuse.