Cube-16 - Interlocking puzzle by Stewart Coffin (STC #205)

thingiverse

## ## Cube-16 ### Interlocking puzzle by Stewart Coffin (STC #205) Assemble the five pieces into a 4x4x4 cube. This is an interlocking puzzle based on the same ideas as Coffin's earlier [Patio Block](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3435733). In Coffin's words: "It represents a conversion of Patio Block #82 from an eight-piece box-packing problem to a five piece interlocking cube." This is one of Coffin's more obscure designs, often overlooked in favor of his better-known interlocking cube puzzles such as [Convolution](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3351526). If it doesn't quite rise to the level of genius of Coffin's greatest designs, this is nonetheless an excellent puzzle, fun but not too difficult, and well worth the effort to print. UPDATED February 2020 with a new design and larger size. ### Printing Instructions Print either `coffin.cube-16.stl` _or_ `coffin.cube-16-smaller.stl`. I prefer the larger version, but the smaller one will use around 40% less material. After you print it, first connect all the joints before attempting to solve the puzzle. Snap each male connector into a corresponding female connector (for example, the male connector labeled "A" should connect to the female connector with a matching "A" label on the interior). The joints are designed to be tight, and depending on the printer and filament used, you may need to hammer them into place. If they come out too loose, a drop of superglue will make them more solid (in most cases this shouldn't be necessary, but unfortunately tolerances vary across printers and filaments). The snap joint concept is discussed further in this blog post: [Adventures in 3D Puzzle Printing](https://normalplay.blogspot.com/2019/01/adventures-in-3d-puzzle-printing.html). The puzzle is modeled using [puzzlecad](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3198014), and I have included the .scad file in case you want to remix it. ### About the Designer Stewart Coffin is perhaps the most influential designer of interlocking mechanical puzzles, having produced a wide range of ingenious designs of various shapes and complexity. More information on Coffin, and a variety of other printable models of his designs, are available in the [Stewart Coffin Puzzles](https://www.thingiverse.com/asiegel/collections/stewart-coffin-puzzles) collection. Happy puzzling!