Cluster Buster

thingiverse

This six-piece puzzle is one of Stewart Coffin's iconic designs! It's called the Cluster Buster because it's extremely difficult to disassemble, but once you do, the real challenge begins due to the high level of physical dexterity required to hold the pieces properly in the correct orientation. Three versions of this puzzle are available: the original Cluster Buster features six identical pieces, while the "Improved Cluster Buster" has three distinct types of pieces that come in pairs. The Truncated Cluster Buster is essentially the same as the original, but with some pointy tips squared off to make it more visually appealing for display and handling purposes. To create the original "Cluster Buster," print out six copies of the "CB piece finger finger" STL file. To create the "Truncated Cluster Buster," print out six copies of the "TCB piece" STL file. To create the "Improved Cluster Buster," print out two copies each of all pieces except for the "TCB piece" STL file. For geometrically precise pointy tips on puzzle pieces, use the "sharp" folders. Otherwise, I recommend using the "snub" folders, which require less post-processing cleanup work. The folders are organized by surface offset amount, so start with the "minus-75" folders and adjust as needed: increase to "minus-100" folders if the puzzle fits too tight or decrease to "minus-50" folders if it fits too loose.