Do It Yourself Projects

Golden Grid™

If you have a printer and transparencies, you can print the "Golden Ruler"© grid below and use it to see the golden section and phi in various objects.  Simply hold the transparency in front of you and match the lines up to the object to see if its design is based on the golden section, as shown below.

Here's a small sample grid or click HERE for a larger, printable version.

Golden Section Gauge

Make your own golden section gauge using the template below.  It will work best if you construct it from heavy cardboard stock or plastic.  Drill holes at place a brad at each of the indicated points.  When the gauge is adjusted the middle arm will always show the golden section or phi point between the two outer arms.

Note:  The dimensions listed actually represent the distances between the rivets and the tips, not the lengths of the pieces.  It's best to think of the gauge conceptually as being made of very fine line segments connecting at golden section points. The actual length of piece AF is thus a little longer than the distance from the rivet at A to the tip at F in order to give the rivet some room to hold.  The tips of the gauge should all come together when it's closed.

You can also download this in AutoCad format with an accompanying PDF file, courtesy of Bill Cummins.

6 sided quasi-crystal shape

You can make your own quasi-crystal shape using the template below:

Dodecahedron / Icosahedron structure

You can make your own internal structure for a dodecahedron or icosahedron, both based on phi, using the template below: