A Year in the Life of a Czech Plush Monkey.

Week 48:  12 - 18 Dec. 2004

A nerdy arts-n-crafts project:
How2 make Star Trek's USS Enterprise from an old floppy disk.


Floppy bottom
Floppy bottom/top views
Floppy top

Sunday, 12th
Step 1
Harvesting the parts

Carefully remove the sliding door from the floppy box. It's not hard. Gently pry the door away from the plastic case on both sides at the same time. Push it downward and it will slip out of its guides and off of the case. Try not to bend it wider than necessary.

Next use a flat head screwdriver to pry the case open where the door came off.

Lastly pull the metal spindle out of the floppy's disk center. Keep the door and spindle. These are the parts you need.

The parts.
Remove door, open floppy, remove spindle disk.

 

Demo of first cut.

The first cuts

Monday, 13th  Step 2  The first cuts

Cut the floppy's door flush along the edge (both sides) as shown above. Kitchen (poultry) shears or wire cutters cut the metal best.

NOTE: every step in this project is symmetric. That means each action is mirrored on both sides of the part involved.

 

Carefully cut lengthwise.

Tuesday, 14th
Step 3 The last cuts

Carefully cut the door's "tabs" as shown.

Do not cut down the middle; rather cut off center leaving the outside piece 2/3rds wider than the inside.

Move the mouse over the picture right to see how all 4 cuts you made look.

The final 2 cuts.

 

Bends 1 and 2.

Wednesday, 15th
Step 4 The first bends

Fold outward the door's top portions, bending about midway or lower as shown left.
(Monkey is using needle-nose pliers.)

The folded portion will become the star ship's warp nacelles. Monkey demonstrates below if you roll over his foto.

Making the first 2 bends.

 

Bends 3 and 4.

Thursday, 16th
Step 5
2 easy-peasy bends

This step's so simple, Monkey said, "Let's do a 2-step!"

5A) Bend the narrowest flaps outward.

Make 2 tiny bends before slipping on spindle.
Attaching the ship's detachable saucer.

5B) Simple-spindle: thread the remaining upright flaps thru the spindle's large hole to attach the Enterprise's command saucer.

(Did you know in the original Trek series the saucer was meant to be detachable?)

The disk sits onto flaps to form command saucer.

 

Securing the saucer.
Very close-up view of saucer tabs.

Friday, 17th  Step 6  Secure the saucer

Bend the large flaps outward atop the spindle.

Bend the 2 narrow flaps up around spindle's edge from underneath to finish securing the saucer.

 

Saturday, 18th   Step 7

Bend up the warp engine nacelles.

"Scotty, I need more power!" Opice commands from the captain's chair. "Warp factor 9, Mr. Sulu! Get us out of here!" (Click to help sulu.)

The last 2 folds.
The last 2 bends complete the warp nacelles.
Another starship ready to boldly go...

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