Sirius - Interlocking puzzle by Stewart Coffin (STC #4)

Sirius

Interlocking puzzle by Stewart Coffin (STC #4)

Sirius is the first and simplest puzzle in a long line of related designs by Stewart Coffin. It consists of six interlocking pieces, each identical in shape but with various color permutations, that assemble into a star-like interlocking shape. (Mathematically, it has the shape of the first stellation of the rhombic dodecahedron.)

The interlocking mechanism predates Coffin; his innovation was to introduce a color scheme that yields the striking color symmetries shown in the photos. While there are many ways to assemble the six pieces, just two of them have three-fold color symmetry. They are shown in the first two images.

Printing Instructions

Print six copies of coffin.sirius.stl, two each in three different colors. Then assemble the pieces as shown in the third image: pair each color base with exactly one color tip, so that you wind up with three sets of two identical pieces. You must assemble them this way, or you will not achieve the intended color configuration.

The pieces are assembled from multiple colors using "snap joints": simply snap the male and female connectors into place. If they come out too loose, they can be reinforced with a few drops of superglue (but this usually isn't necessary). The joints are designed to be printed without supports.

The Printable Puzzle Project

The Printable Puzzle Project aims to make available high-quality open-source models of many puzzle designs. All of our models are posted with the generous permission of their designers and are licensed for non-commercial use only. Anyone may print copies for their own personal use, but selling or otherwise monetizing them is not permitted, and puzzle designers retain all rights as copyright holders of their work.

Our puzzles are modeled using the open-source puzzlecad library. The .scad file is included with this model in case you want to modify any of its design parameters; more information on how to do this can be found in the PPP Puzzle Modeling tutorial.

About the Designer

Stewart Coffin has been called "the most outstanding designer and maker of interlocking puzzles that the world has ever seen". He is credited with over four hundred designs, has pioneered numerous ingenious puzzle forms, and has written extensively about puzzle design and craftsmanship. More information on Coffin, along with many other printable models of his designs, can be found on the Stewart Coffin Puzzles overview page.

Happy puzzling!