http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

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T-Rex Dinosaur Puzzle with different sizes and positionsby stevemoseley on October 10, 2012

Table of Contents

T-Rex Dinosaur Puzzle with different sizes and positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro:   T-Rex Dinosaur Puzzle with different sizes and positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1:   Materials and Tools Needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 2:   Trace a Picture And Make The Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 3:   Balance The Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 4:   Lay Out The Parts and Print The Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 5:   Cut Out the Pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 6:   Assemble the Dinosaurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 7:   CNC File Prep, Digital Files, and Moving Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Author:stevemoseleyJust a guy who likes building things for my family.

Intro:  T-Rex Dinosaur Puzzle with different sizes and positionsThis Instructable is to show you how I designed and built my own 3-D T-Rex dinosaur puzzle.

There are a lot of different dinosaur patterns that you can find to cut out with a scroll saw. I wanted to make one of these for my son, but couldn't find a pattern that I liked.I also wanted to be able to make a large scale pattern that was somewhere between 4 and 6 feet tall. After looking for one for a while I decided to make one myself. Theplan was to make a pattern and then cut out a small size dinosaur and then scale it up for a larger size with any improvements I wanted to make.

Image Notes1. 16-inch tall dino.2. 48-inch tall dino.3. 61-inch tall son.

Image Notes1. Head in the "UP" position.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Image Notes1. Head in the "DOWN" position.

Step 1: Materials and Tools NeededMATERIALS

1. Baltic birch plywood for the dinosaur pieces.2. All wood pieces were left unfinished as adding a finish coat like polyurethane could affect the tightness of the interlocking joints of the pieces.3. Spray adhesive for sticking the template pieces to the wood for cutting.

Tools

The tools I used on the project were as follows:

1. Computer and computer program to draw the parts. I used Autocad, but Sketchup or 123D should work as well.2. Printer - for printing out the template pieces.3. Band saw - for rough cutting the pieces into more manageable sizes.4. Oscillating belt and spindle sander - for sanding the faces of the smaller pieces and the edges of the pieces when needed.5. Random orbit sander - for sanding the larger pieces.6. Scroll saw - for cutting out the dinosaur pieces.7. Sanding block with sandpaper - for some additional spot sanding when needed.

Not all of the tools in this list are required, but will make the construction much easier.

NOTE: If you plan on using any tool for a project please make sure you are familiar with the tool and all of the dangers associated with it. If you are notfamiliar with a tool then you should ask someone who is to show you the proper way to use it. A lot of communities have classes at local colleges on theproper use of tools and machinery. There are also local woodworking clubs that offer classes at very reasonable rates for beginners. I highly recommendusing these resources for your safety and for the most efficient use of the tool.

SAFETY FIRSTAlways wear eye and hearing protection.Always work safe with the proper safety equipment and guards on your tools.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Image Notes1. The bandsaw I used. It's a great machine.

Step 2: Trace a Picture And Make The ModelI looked for patterns for a long time and couldn't find anything I liked and there didn't seem to be anything for a large size dinosaur. I decided to download a bunch of T-rex skeleton pictures and have a crack at it myself.

1. I started by just tracing the outline of the skeleton to create the spine which most of the other pieces attach to. Due to the length of this section I made it into two piecesthat connect together with a simple puzzle piece outline. Another piece slips over the connection location to hold these two pieces together. The spine has a duplicatenotches at the top for the head and at the mid-point where it sits on the legs to give the model four different positions. This way the body can be in the upright or runningposition and the head can be pointing forward or looking up.

2. At each of the rib locations I made a notch the thickness of the wood for the rib piece that would go there. Each of the ribs is a scaled version of the other, but they areall different sizes.

3. I then made notches in the tail for those parts that stick up. The pieces that go on the tail are all scale versions of one piece, so they get smaller as you move closer tothe tip of the tail.

4. Next I traced the skull and the lower jaw. The pieces on each side of the head are the same.There is one key piece that fits on the end of the spine (at the head) that allfour pieces of the head tie into. Having pieces on each side of the head gives the model the thickness that it needs.

5. The arms were mostly traced off the skeleton. Small notches for the arms to rest in were added to one of the ribs.

6. Next I added the pelvis (I guess that's what you would call it). It is a key piece that holds the dinosaur together. The spine of the dinosaur sits on this piece. It alsoaccepts the legs and the two bones between the legs although I don't know what they are called. There are also a couple other bones on the top and side of the pelvis.The dinosaur looks a little strange without these two side pieces. I think they add the mass to the center of the body that is needed.

7. Next the legs were added. These are connected to the feet with a connecting piece.

8. Next I added the feet. I decided to make these a little wider than I had seen in some previous patterns to give it a little more stability and also add more thickness to themodel.

The 16-inch tall dinosaur is made out of 1/4-inch baltic birch plywood.The 48-inch tall dinosaur is made out of 1/2-inch baltic birch plywood.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Image Notes1. The skeleton I used for most of the pieces. The outlines of the pieces areshown in white.

Image Notes1. Here you can see the outline of the backbone piece and the individual slots forthe rib pieces.

Image Notes1. Head pieces.2. Some of the ribs.3. Lower spine.4. Upper spine.5. Feet.6. Pelvis piece.7. Head connector - holds head pieces and connects to upper spine.8. Leg pieces.9. Arm.10. Some of the foot pieces.

Step 3: Balance The ModelNow that I had the model complete I needed to check it for balance. I needed to make sure the center of gravity of all of the pieces was somewhere over the midpointbetween the feet of the dinosaur. If not, the dinosaur would not stand up on it's own. Since I was using autocad, I extruded all of the pieces of the dinosaur to make thema solid piece of material the same thickness as the plywood I was using. Then I assembled them in 3D into one model as you see in some of the pictures below. Once Idid this I was able to use the software to find out where the centroid of the model was.

In the following video you can see the centroid of the dinosaur as a small yellow circle just in front of the legs in line with the farthest right rib piece. I added a yellow lineand projected it straight down to make sure it was aligned between the two feet. In the pictures below and in the video you can see that the center of gravity ends upbeing in the right position to allow the dinosaur to stand on his own two feet. The first model I made had this point just in front of a line that would connect the front edgeof the feet. I modified a few of the pieces and made the rib pieces a little smaller to lose some of the weight in the front. My second attempt at locating the centroid of thedinosaur put it where you see it in the pictures and video.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Image Notes1. Yellow dot is the centroid (center of gravity) of the dinosaur model.2. This line projecting down from the centroid needed to be aligned between thetwo feet in order for the dinosaur to stand on his own two feet.

Image Notes1. Here you can see the center of gravity lines up between the two feet.

Step 4: Lay Out The Parts and Print The TemplatesNow that I had all of the parts correctly sized so that the dinosaur would balance I labelled all of the notches with matching letters or combinations of letters so that thedinosaur could be easily put together. You can label each of the notches on the inside end of the notch so you don't see them when the model is fully assembled. This isextremely helpful that is unless you want it to be a challenge for anyone trying to put it together.

I took all of the parts in a plan (flat) view and arranged them so I could print the parts on 8.5 x 11 inch paper. I then took the paper and used spray adhesive to attachedthe paper to the 1/4-inch baltic birch plywood that I was going to cut the pieces out of. For the 16-inch tall dinosaur this ended up being 5 pieces of paper. Due to thelength of the spine pieces being longer than 11 inches, I had to extend those two pieces across two sheets of paper. I added a match line so I could more easily align thetwo pieces of paper when gluing them to the piece of wood.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Image Notes1. Five 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper were needed for the prints of the parts for the 16inch tall dino to cut out on a scroll saw.

Image Notes1. Forty 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper were needed for the prints of the parts for the48 inch tall dino to cut out on a scroll saw.

Image Notes1. This is one of the 8.5x11 sheets that were printed out for the 16-inch talldinosaur.2. Two of the 8.5x11 sheets with the longer pieces of the dinosaur backbone.

Image Notes1. One of the sheets with the legs, feet, and some of the backbone pieces.2. Some of the rib pieces and the arms.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Image Notes1. This is the print out of one of the lower backbone pieces and some of theother pieces for the 48-inch tall dinosaur. It took 6 pieces of 8.5x11 paper to getthe one backbone piece to fit.

Image Notes1. A layout for a 60 inch by 60 inch baltic birch sheet of 1/2 inch plywood. Thesheets were printed on 8.5 by 11 inch sheets and then stuck to the plywood withspray adhesive.2. This is the 6 sheets from the previous picture.

Step 5: Cut Out the PiecesNext you need to cut out the pieces from the single sheet of plywood if you have glued all of the template pieces down on one sheet.

With the 16-inch tall dino I started by cutting the single piece into smaller manageable pieces with 4 or 5 dino pieces on each piece of wood. That makes it much easierand safer to cut out the smaller pieces.

With the 48-inch tall dino I started by cutting all of the individual pieces out of the one single piece of plywood.

Once you are done cutting out the pieces you will need to peel the remaining template paper off of the wood. You will need to give the pieces a light sanding on the facesof the piece and a little on the edges to remove the sharp corners.

Image Notes1. All of the parts for the 48-inch tall dinosaur ready to be put together.

Image Notes1. Label each notch with the appropriate letter or letters and you will never havetrouble putting the dinosaur together.

Step 6: Assemble the DinosaursThe finished dinosaurs are really a fun project for kids to put together. The 16-inch tall dinosaur easily fits on a shelf.

The 48-inch tall dinosaur is a great addition to a kids room. One of the nice things about this is that when taken apart it easily fits under a bed or in a closet.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Image Notes1. 16-inch tall dino.2. 48-inch tall dino.3. 61-inch tall son.

Image Notes1. 16-inch tall dinosaur.

Image Notes1. Grrrrrrr!

Image Notes1. Notice from the shadow of the tail that the dinosaur is standing on just thetwo feet.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Image Notes1. All of the parts for the 48-inch tall dinosaur ready to be put together.

Image Notes1. Here the two pieces of the backbone are put together and held in place bythe piece on top.

Image Notes1. The four head pieces are heald in place by the piece I am holding on to.

Image Notes1. Label each notch with the appropriate letter or letters and you will neverhave trouble putting the dinosaur together.

Image Notes1. Here the dinosaur is put together with the pieces remaining pieces being theribs, arms, and head. By putting these pieces on last the dino is able to stand onit's own two feet while they are added.2. Assembled head waiting to be installed.3. Arm.4. Ribs.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Image Notes1. Head in the "DOWN" position.

Image Notes1. Head in the "UP" position.

Step 7: CNC File Prep, Digital Files, and Moving ForwardIn order to prepare the dinosaur pieces to be cut with a CNC machine I needed to remove all of the sharp inside corners of the pieces. This included the inside corners ofall of the slots where the pieces come together. The picture of one of the head pieces below shows how the square inside corners of the slots were modified for the use ofa router bit.

Attached is an Autodesk dwg file and dxf file with the pieces for the 48-inch tall dinosaur using 1/2-inch baltic birch plywood. If you decide to use the files then make surethe slots in the files match the thickness of the material you are using so the pieces fit together tightly.

Also attached is an Autodesk dwg file with the 3D model for the 16-inch tall dinosaur.

I have added PDF files for the 16 inch tall dinosaur made out of 1/4-inch thick baltic birch plywood and the 48 inch tall dinosaur made out of 1/2-inch thick baltic birchplywood if you would like to download the files and give it a shot at making one yourself. They make great gifts for kids!

I have started on plans for several other 3D models of dinosaurs, but haven't had an opportunity to finish one yet.

I would love the opportunity to try to print the 3D model of the autocad version of the dinosaur to see how a model like this would turn out on a 3D printer. I think anothergreat exercise would be to print the individual pieces and then assemble them like the wood ones in this Instructable.

I would love to get some feedback from others on Instructables who have built models like this. It would be great to get some input on the challenges of a project like thisfrom others.

UPDATE: I added three new files for download at the request of a few members. I have uploaded Acad 2004 versions of the 3D model, the CNC dwg and DXF files. AndI guess I'll say it anyway, but use any of these files at your own risk. Enjoy.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Image Notes1. The slots had to be modified to allow for the spindle bit. If this wasn't done thenthe pieces would not be able to fully nest together.2. The teeth were modified as well to not have any sharp inside corners.

Image Notes1. Head pieces.2. Some of the ribs.3. Lower spine.4. Upper spine.5. Feet.6. Pelvis piece.7. Head connector - holds head pieces and connects to upper spine.8. Leg pieces.9. Arm.10. Some of the foot pieces.

Image Notes1. Dinosaur model imported into Autodesk 123D.

Image Notes1. Closer view of the dinosaur model in Autocad.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

Image Notes1. Dino in running position with head tilted up.2. Dino in standing position with head tilted down. Since the body is in the uprightposition then it looks like he is looking straight ahead.

File Downloads

CNC file.dwg (168 KB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'CNC file.dwg']

CNC file.dxf (543 KB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'CNC file.dxf']

Trex 3d model.dwg (6 MB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Trex 3d model.dwg']

16 inch trex.pdf (194 KB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to '16 inch trex.pdf']

48 inch trex.pdf (658 KB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to '48 inch trex.pdf']

CNC file 2004.dxf (715 KB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'CNC file 2004.dxf']

CNC file 2004.dwg (170 KB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'CNC file 2004.dwg']

Trex 3d model 2004.dwg (2 MB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Trex 3d model 2004.dwg']

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http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

ewilhelm

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Comments

36 comments Add Comment

 OkThailank says:  Oct 6, 2013. 3:01 AM  REPLYIt a very nice model and many thanks for your sharing a T-Rex model. I am looking for "Make Your Own Model Dinosaurs" book to make them for my 10year daughter to join her school dinosaur exhibition next month, but I can not effort now.

I tryed to buy it from Amazon.com. but unfortunately he did not has that service for my country at Thailand.Can anyone suggest me where can I find an ebook version of this book?.

 awesomecreations says:  Sep 8, 2013. 11:28 AM  REPLYJust a suggestion, why not make the theropod posture more accurate to what we now know is more accurate to bipedal carnivorous dinosaurs; with ahorizontal tail and the neck starting downwards then curving up a little. These types of dinosaurs did not drag their tails like some herbivorous types mayhave.

That said, nice idea and good instructable :)

 meodowla says:  Aug 27, 2013. 11:10 AM  REPLYGood Work...

 mothershipto6 says:  Jul 12, 2013. 9:35 AM  REPLYI work at a public library in Idaho, and we are going to attempt to make this out of 1/2 in polystyrene insulation and cut it out with those un-sharp pumpkincarving knives. Like pgeelen, I'll do it as a group project and have the children cut out the smaller pieces, and then we'll put it together. Wish me luck!

 JesusGeek says:  Jun 28, 2013. 8:53 PM  REPLYSaw this on 123D

 pgeelen says:  May 5, 2013. 5:09 AM  REPLYYesterday we made the dinosaur. The kids had great fun making and puzzling. MDF 4 mm was ideal for jigsaws but the dinosaurs can not stand by itself.We go glue it and paint it! Steve, thanks for the drawing!!.

 stevemoseley says:  May 5, 2013. 3:22 PM  REPLYThanks for posting the picture. The dino looks great and it looks like the kids had fun with it.

 pgeelen says:  Feb 1, 2013. 6:05 AM  REPLYThis is very very very nice! I'm cub leader en i think i'm gonna use this. We have 32 boys in group en they are 7-11 years old. Every year we have aprogram: hand jigsaw cutting. Normal we have boomerang, birdhouse, etc. But this is amazing! Cause we have only 2 hours in a week, I will make the bigpieces at home with machine en the little pieces the kids can cut with handsaw. I will use thinner wood (MDF 4 mm) en will change the holes but Thanks forsharing this! All the kids like dino's so i need to do this! (I'm sorry for my bad english, just want to thank you very much!)

 stevemoseley says:  Feb 1, 2013. 11:17 AM  REPLYI am glad you can use this for your program with the boys. That will be great to have them all work on pieces and then put them all together into onedinosaur. Please post a picture of it when you have it complete.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

 claramecium says:  Jan 23, 2013. 3:46 PM  REPLYwas this very hard to make?

 stevemoseley says:  Jan 24, 2013. 10:52 AM  REPLYI don't think it is a very hard project. If you are cutting the pieces out by hand then you just want to take your time and make sure you don't cut the slotswhere the pieces fit together wider then the thickness of your material. It's a lot easier to take some additional wood out of the slot than to put it back in.

 poofrabbit says:  Nov 14, 2012. 3:58 PM  REPLYCongratulations on being a winner in the digital fabrication contest! I really really want one of these and I'm trying to find a saw to borrow so I can make one!

 stevemoseley says:  Nov 14, 2012. 5:07 PM  REPLYThanks so much. I was really hoping to win the Shapeoko so I could try cutting out a really small version of the dinosaur. Hmmm......Someday.

 p3nguin says:  Oct 25, 2012. 10:27 AM  REPLYThis was an excellent post. I cut one out of 3/4 plywood for Halloween and it works nicely. Great job.

 stevemoseley says:  Nov 14, 2012. 5:05 PM  REPLYIs that a CNC in the garage behind the dinosaur? Did you build it yourself? I am so envious!

 stevemoseley says:  Oct 25, 2012. 10:31 AM  REPLYThat is great. Thanks for sharing that funny picture. What a terrified look.

 Merlin047 says:  Oct 15, 2012. 8:40 AM  REPLYgreat work. But I can not download the dwg and dxf files.

 Merlin047 says:  Oct 15, 2012. 10:49 AM  REPLYThank you, I already download, so I'm cutting on my cnc.Best regards

 stevemoseley says:  Oct 15, 2012. 9:05 AM  REPLYIn Google Chrome browser I just right click on the file name "Trex 3d model.dwg" and choose the option "Save link as ...". It will give you a same dialogbox. I have noticed on my computer it changes the name of the file to save to a different name with a ".dwg" file extension. Just rename the file to yourliking and same it in the best location on your computer. Remember to keep the proper extension.

Hope that helps.

 janunes65 says:  Oct 15, 2012. 10:11 AM  REPLYliked a lot, I'll try to make a

 stevemoseley says:  Oct 15, 2012. 10:20 AM  REPLYPlease post a picture if you build one.

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

 mindykin says:  Oct 15, 2012. 5:45 AM  REPLYGreat work! For people who don't want to draft their own pattern, here's a book:http://www.foxchapelpublishing.com/product_p/2445.htm

 mindykin says:  Oct 15, 2012. 5:43 AM  REPLYGreat work! For people who don't want to draw their own pattern, here's a book of oversized dino skeleton patterns:http://www.foxchapelpublishing.com/product_p/2445.htm

 lucidmonkey says:  Oct 14, 2012. 6:58 AM  REPLYGood stuff!I did a similar one a few months ago (velociraptor) with a cheap 16inch scroll saw and some half inch ply and wood stain to give it a more fossilised look.Also a coat of clear to protect it from the elements as we keep our pet dino outside.

 deathmango says:  Oct 14, 2012. 4:39 PM  REPLYThis looks great -- I like the dark stain for an outdoor display. Dynamic pose and hilarious photo. What a treat! :D

 stevemoseley says:  Oct 14, 2012. 8:28 AM  REPLYThat's a great idea to add the stain and clear coat. I don't think our dinosaur would like being outside for the Iowa winters where we live. That stonetexture spray paint could be a neat texture as well.

 lucidmonkey says:  Oct 14, 2012. 12:56 PM  REPLYI hear you, we get lots of snow and occasional -30C days in winter here in Ontario.I like your idea about the stone spray paint.

Another thing you could do with the patterns you have made would be to cut out the shapes in a thicker substance (maybe that foam insulation youcan get at hardware stores) but discard the "pieces" and keep the negatives instead and use them as a mold to fill with concrete or resin.

Then you could do cool looking stepping stones in the garden or an archaeological dig in the veggie patch. I think i will give it a try this spring.

 stevemoseley says:  Oct 14, 2012. 3:05 PM  REPLYGreat idea for the molds for stepping stones. I think the head pieces would look cool, but the teeth would have to be supported somehow.

 deathmango says:  Oct 14, 2012. 9:50 AM  REPLYWhat a great model, and your instructions are exceptional!

I can't load steps 3 and 5; is it possible that something happened to the links?

I'd love to see the whole instructable - this is one of the best I've seen in some time.

 stevemoseley says:  Oct 14, 2012. 3:06 PM  REPLYThanks for your kind comments.

Not sure what would cause steps 3 and 5 to not load. Did you ever get it to work for you?

 deathmango says:  Oct 14, 2012. 4:38 PM  REPLYHey, the pages are loading now! Darn gremlins must've been in the tubes again...

I may have to try a mid-sized cardboard model for fun. Maybe an oreodont, using your methodology (I'm a fan of prehistoric mammals).

I love that your method makes for accurate proportions (tracing from a fossil or reconstructed skeleton picture). I also think it's great that the posesare adjustable. Clever work, and generous of you to take the time to document and share so clearly!

http://www.instructables.com/id/T-Rex-Dinosaur-Puzzle-with-different-sizes-and-pos/

 adf says:  Oct 14, 2012. 1:04 PM  REPLYAwesome project! FWIW, I built a slightly larger one for my daughter using a CNC router & 3/4" MDO (weatherproof fiberboard). "Jaws" stands about 7 ft talland guards our garden.

 stevemoseley says:  Oct 14, 2012. 3:03 PM  REPLYOh Man! That is awesome. What I would give for my own CNC router that would be great. It can get a little hard to cut the larger pieces on a scroll sawwithout help supporting them.

 gilleseg says:  Oct 12, 2012. 6:04 AM  REPLYFantastic job. Looks amazing. I am going to make a 48" one for my son. When using the pdf do i need to take it to a print shop or print it out as is. In otherwords is it to scale or does it need scaled up. Thank you so much for the PDF I am very excited.

 stevemoseley says:  Oct 12, 2012. 6:22 AM  REPLYThanks so much.

When you print the PDF you should be able to just print to normal 8.5x11 inch sheets and then line up the adjacent sheets as necessary.

Print with NO page scaling (at 100%). Each page should have a scale on it that you can use to check they are printed to the proper scale. Maybe printone sheet as a check and then print the rest.

Make sure you adjust the width of the slots in the pieces for your thickness of material. Just hold a small sample piece on edge over the slots on theprinted templates. Then draw a line on each side with a pencil for the proper width of your material.

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.

 timmolderez says:  Oct 12, 2012. 2:52 AM  REPLYWhoa, I'm a 76-inch tall "kid" and I think that looks awesome :) Yet another reason I should get a scroll saw..