Pyramid burr

I was introduced to this puzzle at a friend's place just before I had to catch a train. I took it apart and couldn't get it back together. I didn't have the time to linger and figure it out. Very frustrating.

So I snapped a photo of the puzzle's pieces, and when I got home, built a copy of the pieces and then figure out how it went together. Once I figured it out I made another copy of the puzzle, this one out of cherry.

The pieces are entirely comprised of cubes. Wherever the cubes don't align, they align exactly with the middle of the adjoining cubes.

The cubes are just butt-joined together. I only used plain old yellow glue. I had one piece break apart on me once, and had to glue it back together.

It would be tempting to put dowels between the cubes, but that would make it very difficult to align the pieces just right while gluing them.

The cubes are 35 mm along each edge. That seems like a good size for this puzzle.

How this puzzle goes together is best illustrated with a CAD rendering. The lines show how the pieces slide together.

Even though I have put this puzzle together many times, it still gives me trouble every time. It's just an amazing puzzle that way.

This video might help you figure out how to put it together I'm told this puzzle was invented by Steward Coffin and published in a book titled "Puzzle craft" in 1992. A PDF of it can be found here: http://www.johnrausch.com/PuzzleCraft/pc92.pdf The puzzle is on page 28, though you will probably have an easier time using the illustrations above to figure out how to make one. The other puzzles in the book are quite interesting as well.

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