Also see our new Propeller Propulsion add-on, to have your Strandbeest walk autonomously!
The mechanism is printed assembled, and will work without further assembly right after birth from the printer.
A few tips to consider:
- After birth there might be a little powder left in some joints, or it might not go supersmooth. This will fix itself after the animal has a little bit of practice!
- Some surfaces work better than others. The legs require a little friction, and a flat surface. So for example: A rough table or floor, thin flat carpeting, or a thin rubber sheet. It will slip on a too smooth surface.
- The best way to push it is by its nameplate. Do not push down, but forward.
- The beest is light, but quite strong. It can actually be dropped without breaking. It is not a "toy" however, and not suitable for children. The 3D printer material is easy to stain so clean hands are advised.
How to Use the Nocturnal:
The top of the nocturnal is where you see a bit of a ring around a spike. This ring can be strung with a chain and makes it possible to wear the nocturnal as a pendant. When reading the nocturnal, this end of the piece should always be up.
Your first step is to set the outermost dial on the date. The months are shown as letters, with January and December at the top, and the progression of the months running *counterclockwise*. Note that the exact position of the letter actually marks the middle of that month. Look closer at the piece and you will see the line that separates the months between the letters.
Now, hold your nocturnal up to the starry night sky, making sure that the date is still properly set. Locate the North Star centred in the hole in the middle of the Nocturnal. Then use the central dial (the one that looks like a pointer) to point to the two stars at the end of the bowl of the *big* dipper.
Once you have this all set. Look closer at the pointer and you will see that within the pointer is an eliptical ring and within this is a smaller pointer. This smaller pointer points to a roman numeral, which shows you the time.
Note again, that the roman numeral is centred on the middle of the hour. So, if the little pointer points in the centre of the numeral, it is in fact half past.
So now you can tell time at night without a powered time piece. This is great for night owls, vampires, and those who appreciate a gothic or steampunk look.
Here it's shown in a Schlegel diagram so you can see all 120 dodecahedral cells, though most are transformed by perspective: in this projection, the only regular dodecahedra are the biggest one on the outside and the tiniest one at the center.
A bigger model is here.
Update:
The edges are now almost 18 cm (7 in) long and it stands about 14.5 cm (5.7 in) high.
The model has been updated because the smallest struts were a bit too small to be printed. So it's now 1.5 times bigger in all directions.
The pictures are of the previous smaller version, the new version has been ordered successfully a number of times in WSF.
I created the model using POVray and MeshLab.
Roll a Ball on Plastic Rails Inside a 3D Cube. Reach the Exit to Solve the Maze Puzzle. Rolling Ball Maze Puzzle & Brain Game for Kids, teens & Adults.
New 3D Rolling Ball Maze Puzzle. Roll the ball inside a Plastic 3D maze
cube to the exit to solve the puzzle. New 2011 brain toy game. A Work of
Art.
Color and material options are in the "Select Material" drop-down list on
the right. If you want an option not shown or would like a quantity
discount, please click on the "Contact Designer" button to write me an
email.This pack includes the mazes listed below. Each maze includes it’s
own ball.
Escher’s Playground - Reminiscent of the upside-down staircase paintings
by Escher, this 7x7x7 maze will soon have you forgetting which way is up
and down. The dimensions of this maze are 40mm by 40mm by 40mm and the
ball is 9mm in diameter.
Floating Labyrinth - The ball appears to float through an intricately
connected matrix. What appears to be open paths are mysteriously blocked
in this 6x6x6 maze. The dimensions of this maze are 31mm by 31mm by 31mm
and the ball is 8mm in diameter.
Zig Zag Zog - You will learn to zig zag
in three dimensions to solve this 5x5x5 maze, but watch out for the
pitfalls! The dimensions of this maze are 24mm by 24mm by 24mm and the
ball is 7mm in diameter.
Start
by pushing the ball into the spring loaded entrance ( it looks like a
backwards “J”). Tip the maze in different directions to roll the ball
along the paths through the maze. Don’t worry, if you make a wrong turn,
the ball will not fall out of the maze. If the ball runs into a dead-end
you can just roll the ball back the opposite way and try another path,
that’s all part of this fun brain game. When you reach the exit there is
a spring loaded button to press to release the ball from the maze. The
exit is in a corner of the 3D maze, where you will find a bar with the
little button sticking out from the side of the maze.
Each maze game come with the ball attached by a little chain link cage for shipping. This needs to be cut off and cut open with scissors and the ball will fall out. Note that each larger size maze comes with a larger ball. The balls can quickly and easily be colored with a highlighter or marker. Let the ball dry for a minute after applying then roll between clean white paper to remove excess color so it does not rub off on the maze. Paint for plastic models can also be used. The orange, green and black balls in the pictures were colored with highlighters or markers. Coloring the ball makes it easier to track in the Labyrinth maze.
See for yourself how Ethereal
Maze Puzzles take maze puzzles to a whole new level of challenge and
fun. With their convoluted lattice structure they can also be enjoyed as
captivating and intriguing sculptural works of art.
For updates, news and reviews please visit the Ethereal Maze Puzzles YouTube channel and Facebook Fan Page
Show off these unique Works of Art in a quality display case. The medium
size case is about $3 and is perfect for "Escher’s Playground". You can
see a picture of the display case with a maze inside in the photos above.
Use the link below to get your Display Case with Free Shipping.
Medium Size BCW Maze Puzzle Display Case
If you are in the UK you can get a similar one for about GBP 5.30 with Free Shipping with the link below:
Display Case for Bare Bones for UK Customers
This model does not print perfectly. Shapeways will do their best, which is darn good, but the smallest holes must be cleared by hand, and it takes time.
Enjoy, but please read the comments below before ordering.
