Fold Precision

[skippa]

Let's discuss fold precision & precision folding! Multiple starters:

- How anal are you when you are doing folds? Are you ok when you miss one mil from corner on first several folds? When you got 10 layers how precisely do you line them up?

- Are you satisfied with your precision?

- Any advices for improving precision? For improving speed? (some models are highly time-consuming)

- What's your technique for performing difficult folds? Zillion of layers? Open/closed sinks? Tiny folds?

- Do you know any video of masters folding?

And to be fair here's my reply:

- When doing test folds or very-very quick folds I can easily live with 1mm off. More - I'll probably throw away the square (if it is cheap paper) or correct otherwise.

- More-or less for fine very slow folds. But because I don't have much time I'd like to folds much faster. Anything I'm doing fast doesn't look that good.

- Oh I hate sinks. Usually because they require to make a sharp crease of multiple level. I'd say lots of levels is bugging me the most.

- The only I know of is Satoshi Kamiya:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k64BDUir3_Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIcIL8d6__I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXcnAhaZCJ8

[phillipcurl]

I'm satisfied with my precision, though I am quite lazy sometime and take shortcuts. My only tips for improving your accuracy is simply to slow down, and make sure you are lining up the folds right. there really is no secret to folding accuracy other than patience. When I am dealing with a heavy amount of layers, i tend to use MC to hold them together if they are not needed later. Open and closed sinks annoy the hell out of me. I avoid them whenever possible. For tiny folds, I use tweezers.
finally, those three videos are the only ones I know of. Good idea for a topic, by the way!

[malifold]

I have noticed a large improvement between my current folding and my folding 3 years ago. Just keep at it, for a looooooooooooong time. A useful trick to learn is how to cover up errors that inevitably accumulate.

[jsu718]

I tend to be REALLY precise when I fold. This of course isn't so great when I end up folding with copy paper or even thicker 28+lb papers that I find laying around or have paper that isn't perfect squares, just like phillipcurl mentioned with the layers. With that many layers I just make sure the innermost is lined up and hope for the best as for the rest of them. For anything really truly difficult I will just unfold, crease properly, and then refold everything back together.
As far as technique for speed with mostly being precise, I basically just make sure the middle is lined up, and as long as you are on a flat surface the rest will come together... or to be extra careful, line up the middle and also the two ends, kind of smoothing the rest of it out. Definitely making an easy crease the first time and then sharpening it up once you verify it is on line is a good idea.
For videos, don't count out all the instructional youtube videos. I just watched one the other day from Jeremy Shafer who had Chris Palmer on doing his flower tower. Didn't watch the whole thing since you get the idea from the first iteration, but I got plenty of technique tips (twist and flatten and fix) just from watching that.

[skippa]

When I am dealing with a heavy amount of layers, i tend to use MC to hold them together if they are not needed later.

What's MC?

[skippa]

For anything really truly difficult I will just unfold, crease properly, and then refold everything back together.

This is interesting. What do you mean unfold? Unfold almost to CP? What if reference is not available on all layers?

I just watched one the other day from Jeremy Shafer who had Chris Palmer on doing his flower tower.

This one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FVH157LdME

[jsu718]

That's the one. And as far as unfolding, not necessarily all the way flat, but enough to crease the individual layers at maybe a 2 or 4 thickness so they are in the right place.

[phillipcurl]

When I am dealing with a heavy amount of layers, i tend to use MC to hold them together if they are not needed later.

What's MC?

Methylcellulose, or sizing. It stiffens your paper and acts as a natural glue.

[gordigami]

I have found it worthwhile to spend extra time to ensure that my paper is absolutely square.
With models of many steps or layers, squareness seems essential.
Resist the urge to make shortcuts.
When practical or possible, I will unfold a model in order to make a really clean, straight fold, rather than speedily just folding several layers at a time.
Obviously, the complexity of the model will oftentimes dictate the necessity, or even capability, of doing this.
Absolute squareness is generally a bit more challenging than it might seem.
Also, I don't find that speed and precision are compatible goals .

[bethnor]

one of the hardest parts of precision is learning when to not be precise and to account for drift from multiple layers. good examples of this include kamiya's lyrebird and phoenix. if you are too precise, you will actually introduce imprecision to the final formation of the tails.

[skippa]

gordigami, jsu, is it possible for you to shoot a 45 sec video showing this in practice? E.g. I'm folding Komatsu's wolf and tried to figure out a step to do this. I don't understand your technique.

[gordigami]

@ bethor : I have yet to find precision to be a liability for most of my folding.
However, one exception does come to mind, in that when , after folding many steps, and the model calls for folding in half, extra attention does have to be made to allow extra room to fold in half, so as to avoid cracking the several previous layers.
@ skippa : I'm sorry, but while I agree that many youtube videos might be helpful, personally I don't have the acumen, or talent, to produce a truly worthwhile one. I am reluctant to add to already plentiful "casual" ones existent .
For whatever its' worth, when I say perfectly square, I mean of course that all four diagonal points meet up exactly when beginning to work with a square sheet.
Regarding unfolding, I believe that " jsu718 " was more informative than I , when he pointed out that one does not have to unfold a model completely, but only partially, in order to make a proper clean fold, which is what I meant.
Finally, my observations primarily apply to intermediate & high intermediate models . Complex models are " beyond my pay grade " , thus undoubtedly possess challenges of which I am woefully unaware .

[Benlewisorigami]

Hm well my precision kinda depends on what paper I am using. If it's a difficult model, and it's Tissue foil, sometimes I wont do every step as clean as I would with expesive papers...

[easysid]

I try to be as precise as the square allows, atleast in first few creases. I use an L-ruler to cut my squares out of 50x70 cm sheets, and it has an error of about a 2mm or less. With me, the precision generally drops as layers stack up, esp while doing folds through multiple layers, as the topmost layer takes more paper.
Also, I use a ruler and an empty ball point refill to do the creases between the points when I am not very sure of the alignment.

While dealing with layers, I always hold them into place first (say by putting a finger under the fold) and then make the crease. It prevents them from slipping and improves the creasing.
Also, I use glue (diluted PVA) to keep the layers together when model is finished (Otherwise it opens up like an accordion), and other places where it may be required.

I find that "fault tolerance" (if I can call that) is different for different models. In some models (mainly animals), you can get away with a few mistakes in creasing as it won't affect the final model too much and you could tuck away the misbehaving edge or flap later. In something like tessellations, even the slightest of mistake could ruin the whole model.

As for speed, I can't help you there. I am a terribly slow folder. I start a model, fold a few steps, take a break, do something else, then come back to it. Most of the modern models have this unending sequence of precreasing which gets to me and I have to stop . I resume later though

As for being 'satisfied with precision', I judge it by the finished model. If it looks good, then all is well.

Finally, my observations too, apply only to intermediate models. I cannot fold CPs and rarely fold complex models.