Ell of a Puzzle

cults3d

This packing puzzle was invented around 1986 by Leonard Gordon. Originally, it consisted of four spheres connected in an L-shape. I've modified this design to replace those spheres with truncated rhombic dodecahedra, a shape that can be printed without support. Print eight copies of the modified piece. These pieces fit snugly into a specific acrylic box available on Amazon. The box is cube-shaped with an inside dimension of 48 mm. Alternatively, you can print the box and lid provided (colored green in my photos). This puzzle is quite challenging. There are three possible solutions, all with similar appearances, but most people struggle to find even one solution. Here's a helpful tip: once you understand how the pieces fit together, try building your solution on the upturned lid rather than inside the box itself. I've included a PDF file containing the solution. A bonus puzzle is to discover how to interlock four pieces into a truncated tetrahedron shape. This assembly can be placed inside the box. Known as "Blossom," this puzzle was invented by Bernhard Weizorke and works best with 50 micron offset pieces.