I have one and remember playing with something similar as a kid, some toy of some sort. I would think (high end) spring steel flat bar stock. Low end or high tech would pe some type of plastic or nylon. Getting the joint right so it stays togeher would be a trick IMO.
I have seen items close to this used in banding pallets of things., I have seen white plastic and black metal. The metal might be too thin, or perhaps doubling it up would work.
Find a factory and try some of the banding that has been removed from a pallet (free as it's trash to them, right?)
Maybe walmart or a tire store? I think i say the plastic stuff used on motorcycle or ATV tires. HEY - home depot or a garden tractor store -i think they use this stuff on those crates.
I don't know where you'd get it as a base material. If I wanted something cheap to take apart and get something like that, I'd go to Bed, Bath And Beyond (or similar) and get one of those pop-up laundry baskets that run about $10. They have some of the flex framing. Good luck.
Theyve got em inside those sun sheild things you put on your windsheild when you park to keep your car cool. I dont know if they have these things all over the country or just southern parts, but theyre pretty similar to refelectors.
I tried finding a source for this stuff as well. It's called flex steel or spring steel and the closest I could find to a source was in thousand pound rolls out of China. It comes in various widths, thickness and several other criteria. I suspect that any steel distributor here in the US can come provide it (if you know exactly what to ask for), but the trick is to find a source that sells in small quanities... feet rather than large rolls by the hundred weight. I don't have sources in the steel industry or anyone in China that could track it down for me. But I'd like to find a source of about 100' or so myself. I suspect the ends are just spot welded to join them.
If you just want a little, an old children's toy may work. There are pop-up playhouses and games that use this stuff. There are even pop-up tents in Walmart that aren't too expensive.
