How to preserve King Cobra

SenchaSamurai · Post by **SenchaSamurai** » May 1st, 2008, 6:25 am

Hello friends! I am very honored to start participating in this cool forum through this first post. I have been a reader and observer for a while, but only now I have decided to integrate it more actively.

Now, to the matter of this post. I have just finished folding Koh's fantastic King Cobra model which can be seen here:

http://flickr.com/photos/25792946@N05/2 ... otostream/
http://flickr.com/photos/25792946@N05/2 ... otostream/
http://flickr.com/photos/25792946@N05/2 ... otostream/

It is a fairly large model, measuring about 4.5 meters long, made of craft paper. I have spent so much time in it an I have been very careful folding so I have become very fond of it. Thus, I would like to preserve it somehow. It still lacks the wire structure and such finishing details, so I can still do anything that might help give it its final shape in a definitive way.

What would you recommend me to do? Some ideas I have com up with are:

1. Make an spiral (out of some sponge material) and adjust the paper to it, then wet it slightly and let dry. Is this how wet folding works?

2. Same spiral, add some kind of acrylic spray or some sort of lacquer. Anyone done this before? which product was used?

3. Fill it up with cotton. or anything.

I normally don´t mind about natural origami model decay, but I do mind after it took me so long to make with this one. I even used glue in certain places to hold it good.

Sorry for the long post! Hope to share many more posts in this great forum!

afonsocbs · Post by **afonsocbs** » May 1st, 2008, 9:07 am

Hummmmm... you can make a wire skeleton and glue behind to model your cobra.... i'll try to do that if SOMEONE helps me

Well let's wait for others opinion

Cheers!!!

Jonnycakes · Post by **Jonnycakes** » May 1st, 2008, 9:11 pm

I have used wire to keep the structure of some of my models. My Ryujin design from a dollar bill, for example, has a wire running the length of the body to keep it in shape. The first one I made was hard to get into position, and did not stay for too long. It would be harder with a bigger model, but it could work.

pitboss · Post by **pitboss** » May 2nd, 2008, 12:02 am

SenchaSamurai wrote: 2. Same spiral, add some kind of acrylic spray or some sort of lacquer. Anyone done this before? which product was used?

Eric Joisel does this and he produces some wonderful results. You may even want to try contacting him to see if he has suggestions on brands to use, special techniques, etc.

EDIT: http://www.ericjoisel.com/animals.html Here's the link to his website, and where he mentions the acrylic.

Jonnycakes · Post by **Jonnycakes** » May 2nd, 2008, 12:49 am

Whatever you decide to do, it would probably be smart to try it on another sheet of paper or origami work that you did not put that much time into first, just to make sure that it works and you don't end up ruining your beautiful cobra.

Ondrej.Cibulka · Post by **Ondrej.Cibulka** » May 2nd, 2008, 9:37 am

Welcome to the forum!

Your long cobra is really amazing. How long you folded it?
The best advise here was to test any technique on diferent model to prevent damage your cobra.

Lephantome92 · Post by **Lephantome92** » May 3rd, 2008, 9:55 am

4.5 meters!? I was only able to make a snake about 9 feet long, less than 3 meters long!
To keep the head up, I used some thin guitar wire (mainly because it was the easiest to get), and fixed it to the back of the head. When I taped the wire to the body, I needed to make sure that the head was tilted far enough forward so that it wouldn't fall back.

SenchaSamurai · Post by **SenchaSamurai** » May 14th, 2008, 8:35 am

Everybody, thank you very much for you replies. I have been awfully busy this past week but I am glad to hear responses and am still in the process of putting the cobra on a final position that lasts. I am planning on donating it to the reptile zoo in my city so I want it to be presentable for as long as possible. I will use thick copper wire becuase the head is quite big and heavy and the color kinda matches in case it shows up. Your opinions have all been important.

About the paper, well I used enveloping paper from a local store, nothing special. Here where I live there are no good origami stuff (as far as I know) like foil tissue, or heck, even square paper. So I got this because it was the cheapest. It came as a 12 x 1.5 meter roll (aprox.), like those used in schools for card board. I cut it to the size I started with (about 7.5 meters long) and about 25 cm wide. I have plenty of paper left, but also a lot of origami left to fold. Would like to try a ryujin, but I better start with some more simple projects like chukaryu and others. I am in no way a good folder yet, so CP is hard, specially ryujin. I am sure that you can get a roll like this in any paper store or post office. Its a huge pain "en el culo" to cut it, and to fold from a single paper, but you can say that there was no glue. Although I did use a few glue drops in certain places.

Come on, when it takes you over 24 hours to fold something you surely can allow yourself to use a little glue!

If I ever do a king cobra again, I shall not do it longer than 2 meters. Unless I get a bigger apartment.

qtrollip · Post by **qtrollip** » May 14th, 2008, 3:58 pm

Congratulations!
Can you put up some photos when it's done?
Perhaps some photos of the cobra in the zoo?

Oh, and photos of the other things you fold from the left-over paper

afonsocbs · Post by **afonsocbs** » May 16th, 2008, 4:10 am

Hei Man!!
I did one myself!!!
I´m finishing to position it... and when i get done i´ll tell you and take some pics, but i´m testing some ideas to preserve mine... let´s see what it comes....

Cheers!!

Ps: I kind a little drunk right now, so please ignore my awfull english!!!! lol

SenchaSamurai · Post by **SenchaSamurai** » May 16th, 2008, 6:54 am

Maybe you didn't do one yourself and you are only imagining it by the effects of the alcohol???? Check in the morning if it is a cobra or just a messed up roll of toilet paper!!

You know Im kidding!!!! Sorry if the joke seems hostile or agressive, its just a joke. Congrats on the cobra! I feel that completing it makes you a proud folder. Hope to see pics and post mine soon! What size did you make it?

Surfer330ad · Post by **Surfer330ad** » January 29th, 2010, 7:06 pm

I've been confused about a certain point in a diagram for Koh's King Cobra. Can you guys help me fold the headpiece. I get to a certain point and can't advance every time.

Post by **origami_8** » January 29th, 2010, 8:40 pm

Which point exactly is it?

Surfer330ad · Post by **Surfer330ad** » January 30th, 2010, 11:34 pm

In the diagram I have it's steps 24-26 but pretty much the part where you make top portion of the head and jaws. Not the lower half yet. The making of the eyes and the curvature of the head.

fernandoperezrojas · September 13th, 2010, 4:19 pm

i need helpm with the tail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hlep me please i already make the torso basically everything but not the tail please help me
that would be great

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