The Origami Forum

Hello everyone! Thank your for taking your time to help me.

This summer I started taking up Origami as a hobby. Since then, I've folded quite a lot and consider myself a fairly intermediate folder by this point. I've managed to fold models such as the Buddha by Hojyo Takashi, Tadashi Mori Angels, complex models from Jo Nakashima and so on. So I don't think my technique is the problem here. However, I always seem to get stuck when it comes to collapsing. Some models just have a step in which they simply say: collapse.

For example, I am now stuck at Fred Rohm's impossible vase from the book teach yourself Origami. I managed to get the pre-creases perfectly, but I don't know how to collapse the model. I am stuck at step 19:

https://s5.gifyu.com/images/Untitled933 ... f63da3.jpg

I thought I managed to do it, but the way I do it (essentialy by creating pleats), I can't fold the back.
See steps 31, 32: https://s5.gifyu.com/images/Untitled-23 ... 423075.jpg

So I need help with two things:
1. How do I collapse this specific model?
2. How do you know how to collapse in general/how do you read these steps?

If the diagram says "collapse" and you don't know what to do, it's not your fault but the diagrammer's.

This specific one doesn't tell you what to do with the diagonals. You're stuck because you did pleats (good guess but that's not exactly what needs to be done here) and the pleats trap the paper, what you need to do is some kind of windmill that makes paper layers independent.

Something like this:

@Brimstone

Thanks alot, kind sir!

I have to say, you have a really amazing collection of models on your Flickr account!

You're welcome, if you run into more trouble, just let us know.

Thanks for your kind comment.