Math Monday: What to Make from Binder Clips?

Craft & Design Science
Math Monday: What to Make from Binder Clips?

By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics

binder

Binder clips are one of the office supplies that aren’t always appreciated for their mathematical possibilities. Where many people see little architectural potential, Zach Abel has been pushing forward the boundaries of binder clip assembly research and offers a number of novel constructions. Here are three. Start with this six-clip exercise in which the clips are positioned along the positive and negative XYZ axes and are each held open by the loops in the handles of their neighbors.

binder

Next, consider this open ball featuring twelve five-pointed stars and twenty hexagons. Its shape derives from a soccer ball, but there are stars instead of pentagons. A total of 120 clips are used to construct this, but sixty of them (at the concave points of the stars) have only one handle.

binder

And for a maximum density spherical packing, check out this sturdy little ball made from 132 clips. The handles of each clip wrap around the bodies of their neighbors to make a regular weaving pattern. At the triangular openings (corresponding to the eight corners of a sphere) the handles lock in a cycle, as a nice touch.

binder

Check out all of Zachary’s amazing mathematical sculptures here.

8 thoughts on “Math Monday: What to Make from Binder Clips?

  1. Stefanie Mixon Kompathoum says:

    These will look so pretty with paper-clip chain garlands.

  2. Anonymous says:

    That giant ball is insane. I hope you didn’t suffer any injuries doing that. My fingertips hurt just looking at it.

  3. Noah Dennis says:

    How do you make this???!?!?!!!??

  4. Anonymous says:

    “The eight corners of a sphere” – am I missing something? The eight corners of a box enclosing it?

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Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

View more articles by Gareth Branwyn

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