Queen of Cardboard: APT Nigeria Project

My friend Benneth Edeh lives in Lagos, Nigeria. He just graduated from the first Occupational Therapy program offered there. Rehabilitation is a relative new-comer to healthcare in the developing world. At the moment, although he is very interested in working as an Occupational Therapist there is no job available for him. He has agreed to coordinate a project to bring Appropriate Paper Technology to his country. There will be a two week long workshop in August, 2006. The "Government of Nigeria Occupational Therapy Program" will sponsor it, and I will be the presenter.

The long range plan is to set up a permanent workshop space complete with the necessary tools and a coordinator to ensure that therapists who learn APT are able to continue to develop their skills. Fundraising to achieve this important aspect of sustainability is underway. The target is $10,000 by August 2006 and approximately one thousand has been collected so far. Please email Benneth at: bennethbenneth@yahoo.com , he would love to hear from you.

Here are some details about how to attach the top of a small stool.

If the project is small, then it is not really necessary to tie the top onto the base. Strapping with single layer cardboard so that all the corners (inside and outside) are attached securely will be
sufficient to hold the piece together.

If you do want to tie the top and bottom together to add extra strength and stability, first mark where the holes will be made. One hole on each side of the leg piece, and one going through the leg piece about an inch up from where the two pieces (leg and top) meet.

The picture above shows the hole markings for the holes that will go through the top piece of the stool. The view is looking down onto the inside of the top piece. The part of the legs that will rest on the floor is closest to the camera. The next view shows where the holes will go through each of the legs (upper hole markings).

The following examples are shown on small pieces of cardboard.
First mark the outline of the leg piece, then mark the three holes. Use an awl or a large nail to make the holes. Twist the awl around and around in the hole to make sure it is big enough for the needle to pull the loop through.

Place the pieces together with glue on both sides. They will be at 90 degrees to eachother. Then insert the loop (or other tie) into the holes and tie it securely on the inside of the project. What will be left showing on the top surface is a straight line of the tie, between the two holes. All the extra material where the knots is made will be tucked into the hole, or under the edge of the glued cardboard.
This shows how the two pieces are joined at right angles, with the tie holding them securely together.

Below is a view of the loops securely tied on two legs, the ends will be tucked back into the holes, or under the edges of the cardboard to make a smooth surface for the strapping that will be the next layer to cover the project.

The next picture shows a bench, it has two sets of the cross piece legs. You can see the ties on the right of the picture, this is the underside of the bench, the ends are tucked in neatly.

Making the Ties
You can cut 1 inch wide strips from old nylon stockings or pantyhose. Other strong string or cord can be used if you do not have the stockings. The loop made by cutting across the leg of a stocking is very easy to thread through the holes made in the cardboard by using a wire needle. The stockings are stretchy and relatively easy to tie. Get another person to hold the first knot tight while you tie the second one. This can be a tricky job if your hands are covered in slippery paste. The needle can be made from a large paper clip, or a large staple taken from a shipping box, or other wire that you have. Bend a narrow loop into one end of the wire (the needle should be about 3 or 4 inches long).