Model #808 continues to make steady (if slow) progress. I had some prototypes machined from aluminum by a fantastic machine shop, Cantabrigian Mechanics. They are gorgeous, if I may say so myself. Take a look: The prototype at the top of the picture was bead-blasted, then anodized in black. The one at the bottom of the picture was anodized in black and engraved with lettering, which I then infilled with red. Actually, only the top piece in the bottom prototype was […]
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On the Asymptote to Perfection!
I just received my latest prototype back from the 3-D print service I use (i.materialise – whom I recommend highly) and I’m very happy with this latest revision (the sixth I think!) The puzzle has two major pieces, the top and bottom, and the biggest design challenge I’ve had so far has been to keep the two pieces aligned while the puzzle solver is manipulating the puzzle. If the pieces move out of alignment, it can put the puzzle into […]
MorePuzzle Prototyping with 3D Printing
The summer was way too busy but I nonetheless was able to design and prototype my first mechanical puzzle. It even works! Building a working prototype turned out to be much easier than I expected now that 3D printing has become so affordable and so widespread. All I had to do was create .STL files (I used OpenSCAD) and take them to a local outfit called Einstein’s Workshop whose fantastically helpful staff (thank you Katy and Matt!) printed […]
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