4x4x4 Rhombic Triacontahedron

Justin · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2010 8:21 pm

My first 4x4x4 shape mod. According to my calculations, my first 7x7x7 shape mod should be appearing in the year 2016

It was made from a genuine Eastsheen brand 4x4x4. The sides were first built outward with mini Dian Sheng 3x3x3 pieces. I don't like white puzzles very much, but I had no choice due to mini Dian Shengs only being available in white.

In order to get this pattern of cuts, the Dian Sheng pieces had to be trimmed to L*(phi-1) where "L" is the length of one mini Dian Sheng piece and phi is the Golden Ratio.

The geometry of the rhombic triacontahedron was then cut out and the "skeleton" plated with 1mm styrene sheet before stickering in 10 colours with handcut vinyl.

The geometry is a little off in places, but considering the number of sides, I'm happy with it. Also, with all the extra material piled on, movement is tighter than the base puzzle - I prefer the term "comfortably resistant"!

It's probably possible to make one by truncation-only of a Rubik's brand 4x4x4. I think the movement would end up poor with all that material removed.

Edit: Video added 04/01/10

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I like pictures of "cut and paste" skeletons, so here's a couple...

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elijah · **Joined:** Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:55 am **Location:** WA, USA

wow. I'm just guessing, but I think this is the first.

fireburner80 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 09, 2009 11:03 pm

That's awesome looking and very proffessionally done. I love it and really want one! It looks like so much fun to solve!

Steryne · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2010 9:35 pm

Justin wrote:

My first 4x4x4 shape mod. According to my calculations, my first 7x7x7 shape mod should be appearing in the year 2016

Is that linear or quadratic :wink:

Clay n Eva Creations · **Joined:** Sun Dec 14, 2008 9:17 pm

the quality is amazing!!!!!

PepeLopez07 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2010 9:59 pm

Grats on your first 4x4x4 shape mod, I'd say it's a success

greeneye · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2010 10:07 pm

wow thats nice!

nicest looking puzzle iv seen in a while that wasnt casted

Jared · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2010 11:10 pm

...Wow, that's awesome.

ndiamond · **Joined:** Fri Jul 17, 2009 5:32 pm **Location:** Tokyo

Steryne wrote:

Justin wrote:

My first 4x4x4 shape mod. According to my calculations, my first 7x7x7 shape mod should be appearing in the year 2016

Is that linear or quadratic :wink:

Cubic of course.

Alex · **Joined:** Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:36 am **Location:** Europe

Great job, it looks perfect.

Thomas · **Posted:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:06 am

Simply beautiful.

Thomas

APJ · **Joined:** Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:09 pm **Location:** My House

Awesome. Great Puzzle!

Alex

MonkeyZ · **Joined:** Tue Aug 11, 2009 3:59 pm **Location:** NJ

It's beautiful, great job!

MarkSS · **Joined:** Sun Nov 25, 2007 7:29 am **Location:** UK

You've given us another great puzzle or to coin an anagram "A Trance Donor Hit".

Jared · **Posted:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:06 pm

MarkSS wrote:

You've given us another great puzzle or to coin an anagram "A Trance Donor Hit".

If you include "Rhombic" you can get "A Cab Chimed North In Rotor" or "Iron Horn Chromed A Tit Cab".

Andreas Nortmann · **Posted:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:49 pm

That could have been made by me

An instant buy if it makes its way to Ebay.

Alokin · **Joined:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:03 am

Amazing as usual Justin

Congratulations you made the 1000th New Puzzle's topic!!

Clay n Eva Creations · **Joined:** Sun Dec 14, 2008 9:17 pm

i still cant believe how beautiful this is!

Justin · **Posted:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:00 pm

Thanks for the comments

MarkSS wrote:

You've given us another great puzzle or to coin an anagram "A Trance Donor Hit".

I like creating anagrams too...

Triacontahedron = Erno can't hoard it

traiphum · **Posted:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:40 pm

it very nice.

Roddy · **Joined:** Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:53 pm

Clay n Eva Creations wrote:

i still cant believe how beautiful this is!

Ive been thinking the same thing.... this looks flawless.
Im pretty well inspired to make my own... i want one soo bad

Leslie Le · **Posted:** Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:34 am

wait...is this the first hands on triacontahedron? I think YES!

Leslie

Skarabajo · **Joined:** Wed Jan 21, 2009 12:58 pm

What a great mod! I particularly like the skeleton pictures.

Skarabajo.

theVDude · **Posted:** Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:13 pm

I love the skeleton pictures.

My favorite skeleton pictures are of the ghost cube, though.

This is amazing, I should actually do my 4x4x4 mod.

Tony Fisher · **Joined:** Sun Mar 27, 2005 7:37 pm

Leslie Le wrote:

wait...is this the first hands on triacontahedron? I think YES!

Leslie

There's been a few but I am pretty sure this is the first 5x5x5 version.

Great puzzle Justin.

malevolant · **Joined:** Thu May 14, 2009 9:58 am

Tony Fisher wrote:

Leslie Le wrote:

wait...is this the first hands on triacontahedron? I think YES!

Leslie

There's been a few but I am pretty sure this is the first 4x4x4 version.

Great puzzle Justin.

Fixed

Synester · **Posted:** Mon Jan 04, 2010 2:38 pm

This is why you are one of my top five favorite builders well done!

Justin · **Posted:** Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:29 pm

Leslie Le wrote:

wait...is this the first hands on triacontahedron? I think YES!

Leslie

Quite a few of them out there. I've always seen it as a rhombic dodecahedron on steroids

Carter Tarrer made a handmade Impossiball version which others have reproduced from a Megaminx (corners-only) mentioned here. Unfortunately the photo links in the thread are broken.

Hidetoshi made a handmade "full" Megaminx version. A photo of it next to Carter's version can be seen here.

A "work in progress" 3x3x3 CAD version by xsportx was first seen here. I don't know if it was ever finished and stickered - it would be nice to find out!

A Skewb version with CAD extensions, seen here was made by matt523.

I've just added a video to the beginning of the first post.

Also, here's a MathWorld link that I found quite useful, showing a rhombic triacontahedron built on a cube.

4x4x4 Rhombic Triacontahedron

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