Trichromat: A Great Caged Burr Puzzle

I've built and solved, over 100 caged burr puzzles from various designers. Trichromat by Yavuz Demirhan is one of my favourites. Now you can print your own copy and assemble it easily without requiring (or discovering) its solution.

Trichromat, designed (and this distribution approved) by Yavuz Demirhan is one of the best caged burr designs I've come across. A similar puzzle is Neighborhood by Stephan Baumegger. This design is great because of its medium-level complexity and the stability of the larger flat burrs. It requires just over 40 moves to remove the first part. But don't be daunted, it is easier than many other caged burrs of the same level.I have found no rotations which can short-circuit the intended solution. I spent a week or so solving and so this is intended for puzzlers who want a medium-level challenge and enjoy really digging into how the burrs work together to hold and release other pieces. 

You print and assemble the puzzle as described below and as shown in the included video. Then move each burr in a linear movement (up, down, left, right, back, forth). You should not rotate a burr in any manner.

NEW UPDATE: I've put 5 hints in PDF files in the files section. Each contains a picture of a goal you should attain along the path for the solution. I urge everyone to spend a few days (maybe a week) learning how the burrs interact before viewing. 

In the words of the Printable Puzzle Project: Yavuz Demirhan is one of the most prolific active puzzle designers, with over five hundred published designs, ranging from simple and bite-sized to highly complex. His designs have featured at the International Puzzle Party and have been realized by some of the world's top puzzle craftsmen.

I  have given caged burrs as gifts and often have children play with them for hours at my house. One problem is that, once disassembled, they cannot be easily re-assembled without the solution. Some complex puzzles require a software app called Burr Tools to discover how to reassemble a puzzle. This is beyond the ability of some puzzlers and many children. However, once you have the solution it defeats the play value of the puzzle. One friend had his daughter successfully disassembled one of his new caged burrs and, to his chagrin, I don't think he ever got it together. 

To solve this issue, I've modified this design, with the aid of 3d printing, so it can be assembled easily, without revealing its solution to the user. 

There are 3 coloured burr pairs. Each pair has a “O” marked and they are aligned so the circles are over top of each other. There are additional marks that align the pairs to each other. Once the 6 burrs are aligned, you place them in ½ of the cage. The top is then placed over the burrs and you can screw the top into the bottom (with heat inserts or directly into the plastic). 

Once you've removed the burrs, you likely haven't learned how to reassemble it. Removing the top and resetting the puzzle is easy so you can try again. See the video for complete assembly instructions. 

I've included Prusa Slicer 3MF files (Version 2.9) but I've also included settings below if you are using a different slicer. 

Printing:

Material: PLA

Burrs: 0.2 layer, 3 perimeters, 4 walls top/bottom, 20% infill

Cage:  same as above with 15% infill. Check seams. I use Aligned. 

The text color can be obtained using a color change by layer height. The 3MF file has settings for this option.

Assembly:

Four M3x8 (or 10)mm screws. I use Socket Head, but other heads will work fine.

Four heatset Inserts (optional) are M3D5L4 (see picture above). There is a version of the frame bottom where you can just screw the M3 screws directly into the plastic bottom.

Easy technique for inserts is to use a soldering tip to heat the insert and push down until it is nearly flush with plastic and then use a flat metal tool/plate to press the top of the insert onto the plastic flat top. This ensures the insert is flat with the plastic surface.

I have not provided the solution, but could make up a solution video, if there are enough requests. However, I strongly suggest to enjoy the puzzle for the time it takes to discover its solution.