Sphere puzzles, anyone?

[gibell]

I have gotten interested in puzzles made from spheres.  The idea is to glue them together to form "polyspheres", and the puzzle is to stack the pieces up into pyramids or other shapes.

I bought a bunch of 5/8" wooden balls at a craft store and started gluing.  Now I realize the quality of the balls I bought is terrible, the radius I estimate varies by 5-10%.  Anybody know a good source of cheap, but accurate wooden spheres?  I found that Woodworks, Ltd. sells them in bulk for less than 5 cents a piece.  Is this a good source?

One can also make such puzzles from rhombic dodecahedra, as shown in Stewart Coffin's book.  Has anyone made his "four-piece pyramid"?  There is a photo of this puzzle in his book, but he does not show the design of the 4 pieces.  Is this puzzle still interlocking when made out of spheres?

http://www.puzzleworld.org/PuzzleWorld/puz/four_piece_pyramid.htm

I would also be interested in buying a bunch of rhombic dodecahedra for making these puzzles.  However, googling "bulk rhombic dodecahedra" does not return anything useful!!  According to Stewart Coffin, rhombic dodecahedra are pretty easy to make (certainly easier than spheres, I would think!).

-George

[Canuck]

Hi George,

I can't say I've ever looked for spheres to make puzzles, although the one link you mentioned sounds promising, the price is good that's for sure!

Now for Stewart's 'Four Piece Pyramid', I made a run a few years ago but I made them with 6 sided center blocks, which is much easier to do than making RD blocks...I can send you the solution diagram for all of Stewart's puzzles based on those RD blocks, just let me know and I'll send them to your email

[rolly_wood]

Hello George

One can also make such puzzles from rhombic dodecahedra, as shown in Stewart Coffin's book.  Has anyone made his "four-piece pyramid"? 

Yes, one is John Devost: http://forum.eagleswoodworking.com/index.php/topic,179.msg1988.html#msg1988

There is a photo of this puzzle in his book, but he does not show the design of the 4 pieces.  Is this puzzle still interlocking when made out of spheres?

I do not think so tightly, on the other hand blossom (by Bernhard Wiezorke) with spheres is interlocking in sequence, blossom with RD must be assembled by matching two halves...

According to Stewart Coffin, rhombic dodecahedra are pretty easy to make (certainly easier than spheres, I would think!).

well, if one wants to do them accurately it is not so easy. Stewart Coffin, in one of his books describes how to produce spheres from cubes by means of a long lasting random action of abrasive particles in a tumble. In that case, I never tried, spheres should be very easy to make....
Others will be more exhaustive than me but, in the meantime,  hope this partially help. 

EDIT John you are faster than light.. 

[rolly_wood]

IMHO beveled cubes aka truncated rhombic dodecahedra are easier to make than RD and aestethically more appealing... but they do not completely fill the space.

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[Canuck]

IMHO beveled cubes aka truncated rhombic dodecahedra are easier to make than RD and aestethically more appealing... but they do not completely fill the space.

Yes Rolly, I had forgot that!  Actually puzzles made with 'beveled cubes' in fact are much harder to solve as well, probably as you mentioned because they don't completely fill the space...

[gibell]

Thanks for all the replies, guys!  I can attest that gluing spheres accurately is tricky, although I am a total gumby with no shop or skill whatsoever.  I am tempted to post some photos of my clumsy efforts for your amusement.

The other thing is that puzzles from spheres tend to fall apart rather easily.

[Canuck]

I am tempted to post some photos of my clumsy efforts for your amusement.

By all means post some pics George, I would like to see what you came up with

[rolly_wood]

hmmm my only experiences with spheres were with blossom and cuball... I needed to strenghten joints with dowels.. otherwise the point of contact (literally) offers a too small glueing surface. I am very interested in your photos. 

[Arc Light]

Hello George, I have made Stewart's 'Four Piece Pyramid' using wooden balls.  because the contact points are so small I chose to pin and glue the balls together, however I used copper wire to pin the balls, that way if my alignment was off I could just bend the wire a bit to get a perfect fit.  Worked fantastic, and it made for very strong pieces.  See attached photo!  although I have to say Rolly's beveled cubes would make a nicer looking puzzle!

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[Canuck]

Very cool Peter!

[gibell]

Excellent, Peter!  I was wondering if the "four-piece pyramid" puzzle is still interlocking made from spheres?  How easily does it hold together?  Can the pieces still only be assembled in one order?

I was not serious about posting photos of my efforts.  You pros would only laugh!  To solve the "single point of contact" I just use loads of glue!

[Canuck]

  I was wondering if the "four-piece pyramid" puzzle is still interlocking made from spheres?  How easily does it hold together?  Can the pieces still only be assembled in one order?

Yeah Peter, stop teasing us with a pic of the assembled puzzle, let's see those pieces

[Arc Light]

Whoops, sorry my version is not interlocking    I posted thinking the copper wire method might be of some help.  Sorry this is simply a put together.

[rolly_wood]

This is maybe my first experiment as puzzlemaker. Cedar balls for wardrobe and toothsticks as join pins, no finish, nothing, holes made with hand drill.... however blossom is a great design and is interlocking!

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[Canuck]