Tehanu's Flight

An apology, and potential finish

2009-06-21T19:42:00.002-04:00

Hello to anyone who's come across the instructions. I'm sorry that they stop so abruptly. As I've said in some replies, I am having trouble with arthritis and fibromyalgia. As such, my energy levels are rather low.

However, I'm considering completing the instructions. I don't know when, sorry.
Just "soon".

You can hopefully make sense of the assembly by using the instructions for the sitting dragon and following the pictures. I managed without knowing any Japanese.

Until then, best of luck with making your own dragons!

Flying Dragon, External Scales

2007-10-06T04:22:00.000-04:00

Now your flying dragon will begin to look much better and more realistic. Begin from the tailtip, and work your way towards the head. Start at piece FC-01,

paying attention to pieces FC-331, 321 and 341, these are the pieces that go around the special rib pieces.

Note the FC-332, 342, and 322 pieces, these go over the small piece that will later go over the wings to finish the dragon's back.

Add the pieces, going until you reach FC-47, and you're done!

Flying Dragon, Internal Ribs

2007-10-01T18:14:00.000-04:00

Begin with the left side, and start with pieces Fb-L27, and go til piece Fb-L31.

You'll notice the pieces have different numbering -- 321, 331, and 341. These are pieces that will have special exterior covering pieces to match. Find Fa-022, L and R, glue these together, make sure you don't glue the tabs, however. While the glue is drying, find Fb-L 322, 332, and 342, these are support structures for the piece that will go over the top of the |__| shape on the back. This will be where you will add the wings later. Glue the pieces on, and move on to gluing the neck supports on.

Go all the way to piece number 47, and then repeat this process on the other side.

Flying Dragon, Internal Structure

2007-09-01T15:17:00.000-04:00

Both dragons are made in very similar methods. The internal support system is pretty much the same, excepting the differences in shapes. There are 47 internal ribs, and 47 exterior coverings.

So find the first pages of the flying dragon. You will see there is a sort of |__| shape on the back, this is where the wings will go. Because this dragon is designed to be hung, its wing design is different. This is where the whole weight of the dragon will be hanging from. The small pieces that are unique to this dragon are Fa-022 L and R, one for each side. Don't glue these in yet.

First, like with the sitting dragon, you will need a wire, and some tape--masking tape will do fine.

Glue the Fa-R pieces together to form the first body side:

Then, get the wire, and tape this carefully along the side:

Check to make sure the body is as straight as possible. You will not be able to fix this after the internal structure is complete.

Next, find the pieces for the other side. Begin by gluing the tail section on, followed by the body, then the neck, and last the head support.

When you are affixing the tail section, make sure you have it aligned just so, it can be challenging. Make sure the tabs on the outside aren't glued together either. These will later support the exterior.

When the glue has dried, make one final pass over the body, making certain it's how you want it.

Sitting Dragon, Wings

2007-08-29T16:28:00.000-04:00

You're almost done!

The last step will really make your dragon look amazing!

Find all the big wing pieces. These have the Sf prefix, L and R, one for each side. Each wing is made of eight pieces. When you fold the wing pieces, make sure you make the wing finger sections into a zig zag pattern: \/\/\/\

For the first one, L side, find Sf-01, and Sf-02. Glue according to the instructions. Do the same for Sf-05 and Sf-06. And the same for Sf-07 to -08, and Sf-03 to Sf-04. Notice how the top of Sf-08 has a more pointed shape? This will be the inside of a wing, while Sf-04 is the outside. Don't worry if this doesn't make sense to you now, the wings come together very nicely.

Next, glue the two halves together. The edges you need to glue together are marked with their corresponding pieces. Ie: Sf-06 to Sf-08, and so on. Now comes the rewarding bit.

Begin by gluing the lower edge of the inside wing to the outside. Only glue the tabs, not the whole of the inside. You'll want to have a nice curve around the outside of the wing.
Next, move on to either edge of the wing, then to the other.

Wait for the glue to dry, then simply slot the rounded strip at the bottom into the wing support. Check to make sure it all fits, the apply glue to the inside of the wing support, and glue in place.

Simply repeat this process in reverse for the right side, and there you are!

You now have a lovely sitting dragon!

If you used printer paper for this, you may wish to spray with sealant in order for the dragon to be more sturdy, especially the wings.

Sitting Dragon, Head

2007-08-29T16:06:00.000-04:00

Almost at the last step! Only the wings remain now.

The last two stages are pretty well documented with photos in the instructions, so I won't have quite as many photos.

Find the only page you haven't completely cut up yet. It's very obviously the head.

Begin with pieces G-01 and G-02. This is the top of the head. Fit G-02 into G-01. Next, cut out G-03. G-01 goes into this. The nostrils, part G-04 go into the front of G-03. Look closely at the two brownish pieces. Make sure you cut out G-05, and not G-08. G-08 is for the bottom of the jaw. G-5 goes into the bottom of the face you have assembled, as the instructions indicate.

Next, find G-07, G-8, and G-09. G-09 is the tongue. When folding the tongue, pay attention to the difference in the indicated fold lines. The top of the tongue needs to have a 'm' shape.
Glue all three pieces together as per the instructions.

At this point, you may be tempted to put the lower jaw into the head. Don't! You still have more extras to glue on, and the lower jaw will only make this harder.

Then come the horns. Here you've got a bit of a challenge. First cut out the horns, leaving white around the edges, then curl the paper. Then you'll want to fold it like the picture in the instructions. A sort of 'z', but seen from the side. Then, glue into a tube. Let this tube dry, then cut out the top of the horns. Finally, glue them on the top of the head, in the middle between the eyes and the end of the head.

Next comes the frilly bits. Cut out G-10, then glue this on the back, like the instructions show.
Then find pieces G-16, L and R, one for each side of the head. These go on slightly before the piece you just added. Then, find piece G-14, L and R again. These go on the lower jaw. They follow the curve, and the shape of the pieces will help you figure out the correct way to add these.
Next, add pieces G-15, L and R once again. These will go on just below and behind the eyes.
Then, look at the bottom of the lower jaw. You can see black outlines. In the front goes G-12, and then behind that, on each side, go G-13, L and R.
Move back to the top jaw. Find G-19, which you will need twice. Look at the pictures of the dragon in the various shots, as well as in the instructions.
Then for the finishing touch, add four of G-18: two on the bottom jaw, just before the fangs, and two on the top, near the nostrils.

And you're almost done with the head! Glue it onto the neck, and voila!

Sitting dragon, legs

2007-08-27T16:23:00.000-04:00

Now comes a step which might be frustrating.

Give the paper, the glue, and especially yourself lots of patience.

Don't do these steps when you've come home from work, are stressed out, your roommate, kid sister, dog/whatever is distracting you.

That said, begin with making the hands for the front legs. If you look closely, you'll notice you have two pieces of the same type. This is a nice foresight in the creators, since these are very small a fragile pieces. For the forelegs, the prefix SD is the one you need. SD-L is left, and SD-R is right. SE is for the back legs, and L and R are the same there.

Find the page with the first hand you want to start with, piece SD-01. This is a different one from the first finger. The hand pieces are grouped together.

Cut out the hand section, and curl it to assist in bending around piece SD-00. SD-00 is like the body support you made earlier, though much more flexible. You'll be working in a similar manner like when you added the exterior pieces to the body when you add the outer leg coverings.

Find SDL2 or SDR2, depending on the side you have chosen to work on. It does matter, since each hand [all four] has a little 'thumb' that goes on differently than the other 4 fingers.

Next, following the picture in the instructions, cut around the piece, but don't actually cut it out. When you've separated it, curl it, then cut around the white tabs to glue. Now comes the patience part. Each tab needs to be glued in.

Tip: Do one side of a finger at a time, starting with the front, then doing the smaller back tab.

Make certain they are totally stuck before moving on to the other side. If one tab comes unstuck, patiently address this one before moving back to the next one. You'll get more skilled at this process after a few time, don't worry.

When you are certain all the tabs are glued securely, carefully cut out the rest of the finger. You might want to use a small nail scissor or a pair of small thread scissors. Again, if a tab becomes unstuck as you are cutting out the finger, take a deep breath, and re-affix it.

Now, glue the second finger on the hand. While you are waiting for this to dry, repeat for the first finger. When this is done, you can glue it onto the first finger's place, thn move on to the third, and so on.

When you've finished the fifth [phew!], find the 00 piece, and glue on the 01 [the hand] to where the number 01 is on the arm.

Make sure it all fits correctly, then find piece 02. Mimicking when you added the outside of the body, cut 02 out, and fit it onto the arm. You can look at the directions for help, there is a nice diagram on the next page.
Piece SD-08 is the top of the arm. Cut this out, and glue it together as the instructions indicate.
When this is dry, glue the tabs on top of the arm, fit SD-08 over the top of the arm, and glue closed. Voila! One arm! Simply repeat for the other arm.

The process for making the legs is a similar one, simply with larger feet and larger fingers. The actual legs have nine, not eight pieces.

When you are done with an arm/leg compare the white patch on the flat side to the white dotted line on the side of your dragon. This is where you will glue on the arm.
As you are fitting the arm, make sure to place the dragon on a large flat surface to make sure the arm is even and doesn't shift the body badly. Double, triple and quadruple check as you affix the other arm, and the legs.

There! Done!

Sitting Dragon, Spikes

2007-08-24T12:04:00.000-04:00

Spikes!

Now it's time to add the spines going down the dragon's body. These are lettered 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', and 'f'. Before you start, locate all the spines. You may also want to place them in piles according to letter. You will have some extra ones.
Fold before cutting out individual spines. The triangular tabs at the end must be folded up. They are -.-.-.- folds, or \/ folds.
Look at the instructions, and start with the letter f ones. You may want to use tweezers to help you position these small and delicate parts.
To glue a spine on, position the triangular end tabs facing towards the head. Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to pinch the spine so it folds in on itself more sharply. Apply glue to the white area on the body, and gently place the spine down. Press the tabs on the body until it stays in place.
Following the guide at the end of the instructions, work through the spines. This can be stressful, so if you feel yourself getting frustrated, go take a break. Even if it means staying away for days, it's worth it to avoid smashing your project in a rush of frustration.

When you're done, stand back and admire what you've done so far. She is looking lovelier and lovelier!

Exernal Scales

2007-08-24T03:49:00.000-04:00

--> As you cut out the sections, make sure you don't lose the accompanying spikes!

Now your dragon will finally start to look nice. Begin, as before, from the tail end, with piece SC-01.
Use a tubular object to curl the paper after you have cut it out to help you bend it around the tail tip.
The line going down the middle of the pieces for the outside is not a fold line. This is another alignment help. The similar line along the bottom of the pieces is not truly one either, but you can fold that if you want your dragon's belly scales to have a more angled look.

When adding tail sections, make sure you add them correctly, refer to the instructions on how to position them.

Continue down the tail with pieces SC-02 to SC-19, paying attention to the slots you cut in the tail support earlier. These will generate the necessary angles for the tail sections.

When you reach part SC-20, you'll see the pieces change. Pay close attention to the type of fold marks from now on. There are -.-.-.- ones, which mean to fold like this: \/. These will help to make the shape of the scales. The ribbing will also help.

Finish the tail, then move on to the body. Looking at the picture of the ribbing when viewed from head on in the instructions, you can see where they reach their widest points. These will need to be folded in, so the scales have a nice curve to them.
Follow the directions again, and make sure you add the section so the top of the letter at the top of the piece is facing towards the tail. Some pieces aren't like this, but make doubly certain the white triangles on top are pointing towards the tail.
Wrap the piece around, slotting the top into where you cut earlier. Bring the bottom around and slot this in. Make sure it all fits correctly, then glue in place, starting with the top section.

Now it's time to secure the tabs on the ribbing to the body section. Begin with the lower one, on the belly half. Refer to the instructions, and make sure you fold in the widest part of the ribbing, just about the lower tab. Don't worry, the places that the instructions show as white do exist on the model, you need to look carefully. This is where the tabs go.

Work til you reach piece SC-31.

Here, you'll need to make sure you fold down the white line in order to allow for the legs which will go here later.

Next, you'll need to work around the wings. Look at the directions, and find the page where you cut out the wing supports. There are the pieces you'll need. Cut these out, and start with 331, wrap this around and affix it. Next, find the top piece, 332. Then move on to SC-34. Make sure you have enough room to add the rest of the wing before moving on to the neck.

Simply continue on with the previous method of fist test fitting a section, then gluing it into a tube, then securing it to the tabs to form the correct shape.
Work carefully all the way up the neck til piece SC-47, and you're done!

Internal Ribbing for the Sitting Dragon

2007-08-22T03:45:00.000-04:00

Now comes the internal supports for the exterior pieces. Follow the directions, and begin from piece number SB-L27 first. Go until you hit the round piece. This is the wing support. Later, you will add the rest of the wing on this point. Spend careful time fitting this and its two support pieces SB-L31 and 32. The main support is not supposed to be round. Think of it more as a flat oval, and you'll have less trouble.

Continue to add ribbing pieces, going up the neck, finishing with piece SB-L47.

Repeat this process on the other side, this time starting with piece SB-R27.

And you're done with the ribbing!

Part 1 of the sitting dragon, continued

2007-08-21T04:00:00.000-04:00

The next step is where the internal structure really comes together.
Start by cutting out the pieces, and then glue on the tail section first. Use the white lines, and glue each section of the tail bit by bit, making sure to align carefully, and that none of the tabs along the edge are glued together as the glue dries. When the section you are gluing is tacky enough, you should be able to move on.
Follow the curve of the wire you taped down as well as the curve of the other paper tail half.

Next, find the midsection of the body, and glue this on. You shouldn't have to be quite as careful as you were with the tail, simply place down the section, and smooth over where the wire makes a bump. You can use this to help fit and align the two pieces on top of one another. Put glue down, and again make certain you don't have any tabs sticking together.

Then comes the neck. Do the same thing, align first, then glue and check tabs as you go, using the white marks as a guide.

Last comes the head support. Just align and glue.

Let the glue dry completely, and you can now make some final adjustments for the underlying wire supports. Fine tune the positions to your liking, and there you go!

Isn't she looking beautiful already?

Part 1 of the sitting dragon

2007-08-21T02:16:00.000-04:00

I've begun to work on the internal support structure.
Using the parts on the first few pages, I've created part of the internal support structure of the sitting dragon. She already feels very nicely heavy and strong.

A view of the basic first side of the internal body from both sides. The folded tabs on the outside edges will be support guides to glue the outside pieces on later.

With the wire structure taped on. When you are taping this on, make sure you have the wire bent in a position you like, especially with the neck and tail. Check from lots of different angles, and untape sections and rebend as necessary. Patience and care are the key here.