This started as a desire to have the most unique coffee Table imaginable.
The design also had to have the look and feel of the original cube yet still be fully functional.
The size was limited by the width of the doors in my house and the actual weight of the cube. It had to be no larger than 27 inches wide and light enough to handle and move easily.
Corner to corner this cube is just under 4 feet yet it weighs less than 30 pounds!
Yes this took over 1 month to build...
STATS: 27 inches cubed VS 2.25 inches cubed. you will need 1728 standard cubes to occupy the space of this one!!!
Quick note: in the video the cube is still new and sticks a little. some wear and lube will have it running speed trials in no time...
The design also had to have the look and feel of the original cube yet still be fully functional.
The size was limited by the width of the doors in my house and the actual weight of the cube. It had to be no larger than 27 inches wide and light enough to handle and move easily.
Corner to corner this cube is just under 4 feet yet it weighs less than 30 pounds!
Yes this took over 1 month to build...
STATS: 27 inches cubed VS 2.25 inches cubed. you will need 1728 standard cubes to occupy the space of this one!!!
Quick note: in the video the cube is still new and sticks a little. some wear and lube will have it running speed trials in no time...
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I used 3 sheets of 1/8 inch plywood (4 X 8) I went to a specialty lumber yard for this and got Mahogany for $11 per sheet.
the wood joints were from 1/4 inch square dowel. I ended up using around 50 4 foot pieces. I also used several 1/4 X 1.5 X 48 pine slats.
I experimented with 3 types of wood glue from Gorilla and LePage. All worked equally well.
The cat is optional!
I toyed with the idea of making a master mold for each of the individual parts then casting them from polyurethane foam but that proved to be rather expensive for the mold making supplies and raw materials. The wood construction is more time consuming but careful work yielded a great working and looking cube in the end.
You will also need some way of clamping the wood while it is being glued. I chose some scrap metal and exercise weights.
The finished cube is broken down into 27 individual "blocks" .
It is easier to describe the build in the terms of blocks but in actuality I made all of the parts in steps. Some of the pictures may appear out of turn but it should all make sense in the end.
the clamping was accomplished with painters tape and binder clips. Along with massive free weight.
the wood joints were from 1/4 inch square dowel. I ended up using around 50 4 foot pieces. I also used several 1/4 X 1.5 X 48 pine slats.
I experimented with 3 types of wood glue from Gorilla and LePage. All worked equally well.
The cat is optional!
I toyed with the idea of making a master mold for each of the individual parts then casting them from polyurethane foam but that proved to be rather expensive for the mold making supplies and raw materials. The wood construction is more time consuming but careful work yielded a great working and looking cube in the end.
You will also need some way of clamping the wood while it is being glued. I chose some scrap metal and exercise weights.
The finished cube is broken down into 27 individual "blocks" .
It is easier to describe the build in the terms of blocks but in actuality I made all of the parts in steps. Some of the pictures may appear out of turn but it should all make sense in the end.
the clamping was accomplished with painters tape and binder clips. Along with massive free weight.
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"The center block is constructed from 1 8.78 inch piece and 4 pieces 2 15/16 inches. These are glues and held together with metal angle brackets"
Are these numbers correct?
Did you mean
1 x 8 7/8"
4 x 2 15/16"
I'm looking at photo that you have where they are posted over a ruler, and it looks like the 4 pieces are closer to 4"
Thanks!
Like others, my first thought upon seeing this was "A coffee table that looks like a Rubik's cube. That's nice." Just as I was about to leave I noticed one of the thumbnails with the colors scrambled and had to find out what was going on... let's just say that this project greatly exceeded my expectations.
Boy was I impressed to find out the level of work you put into this. The only remaining question is:
what is your record for 'solving' it?
Great Work
Single cube solving is definitely more complex. I will have to wait for my next house party to get a true solving speed!
Due to the size I am thinking I have to make another and have team solving competitions. Next Olympic sport... Synchronized cube solving!
Thanks!
I love the photos in step 9 that show the insides of all of your actual pieces fitting together. Wow. Very good work!
How about a video to see it in action?