Die Puzzle

myminifactory

The author of Thing 31685 mentioned that their design was inspired by an old puzzle book from around 1893. This led me to read that book online and stumble upon the "Spots" puzzle, found on page 98 of http://archive.org/stream/puzzlesoldnew00hoff#page/98/mode/1up , where a large die is cut into nine simple blocks. The challenging task is to reassemble the oversized die. My version takes advantage of 3D printing's ability to create complex shapes. Instead of just painting dots, I've created conical hollows that are an integral part of the design. Additionally, internal edges feature an interlocking pattern of conical hollows and bumps, making the assembled die hold together slightly. However, this added complexity also makes the puzzle at least as difficult to solve because internal and external hollows appear identical - I even painted them similarly. The die's face pattern matches the modern dice I had at home. Unlike the book's design, all opposing faces on my dice sum to 7. In the 20131213 version, I've added a small 3D-printed box to hold the assembled die and improved print quality by rotating a few pieces. The box serves as a reference for dot placement while assembling the puzzle and holds the die together, but it also presents a little puzzle of its own - how does it open?