Introduction: Win Pro Membership for a Year... Solve This Puzzle

About: Old inventor, reverted back to my 10 year-old self. A shop full of tools, a boat, race car, 3D printer and a beautiful wife who wants me to invent things for around the house... Now how cool is that?

This is a 3D printed puzzle that has as much to do with illusion as it does with problem solving (I'll explain that after it's solved).  Two very simple pieces shaped exactly alike, need to be assembled to form a pyramid.

It's not that easy...

...And I'm not disclosing the solution.

What I'll do is give a year's pro membership to the first person who makes these, solves the puzzle and adds a photo of the finished pyramid in the comments below to prove it.

The stl file is for 6 sets.  The pieces are small, will fit into your pocket and allow you to take them with you to hand out.  If anyone wants a single piece, let me know and I'll publish the file for a single piece.  

Trust me, you'll want a lot of them.  They make great hand-outs.

Enjoy.

Update - June 22, 2012:
New Pro Member Mathlas has won this contest using "old" technology.  He posted a photo that looked so much like it was computer generated, I had to make sure he really made it.  Sorry for the delay, Mathlas and congratulations.  

Update - July 18, 2012
It's been a month since the contest and time for me to explain the difficulty behind this puzzle... First, there's a mild optical illusion going on with the rectangular part of the shapes.  The square looks a tiny bit longer in one direction. your subconscious, like your boss, will tell you that rectangles only fit together in one direction, but won't tell you why.  

Next, and this is more diabolical: when asked to make a pyramid, everyone will think of an Egyptian pyramid.  Egyptian pyramids have 5 sides... 4 triangular and one square (the bottom),  This pyramid, is a true pyramid with only 4 sides,,, All of them triangular.  It's very difficult trying to solve a puzzle when your blueprint is of something else.




And thanks to everyone else who replied.  I'm going to be busy sending off badges for quite a while :)

And while you're voting for me, why not check out all of my other Instructables using my own Chindogu SMARTPHONE APP (It's free, kinda cool... But, clearly worthless.  Ya gotta check it out at http://app.cat/bfksinstructables/  

Step 1: Anyone Can Win:

It's not fair that the only people who have a chance to win the pro membership are those with a 3D printer.

Here are the dimensions you'll need to make them yourself out of anything you want.  Just make sure the triangles on the ends are equilateral.  The other dimensions tie the 2 triangles together and if both pieces match, you'll be good to go.

Make a pair of these, solve the puzzle and win a year's pro membership.  I'll send a badge to everyone who publishes a picture (until I run out).  I really don't know what badges are, except for the kind in Blazing Saddles, but I have a bunch of them and I'd like to give them away to people who make stuff.

Good luck to everyone.

Step 2: Come On...

For cryin out loud... I said MAKE them, not CG or draw them.  The first person who sends me a PHOTO of a set of these will win.  Don't just send the drawing or graphic in... Take the next step and make something that you can carry with you.

As of early 6/21/12, the prize is still up for grabs.

Step 3: All Done

All of the prizes (even those I've decided needed to be awarded after the fact... Having your own contest with your own rules has it's perks) have been awarded and I don't have any available memberships left.  If I get more, I'll most likely give them away, for this, or some other, unofficial contest.  Hope you have enjoyed it.

If you like this Instructable and would like to carry around easy access to more of my "stuff", you can download my mobile phone app at: http://app.cat/bfksinstructables

Ain't technology great? :-)

Pocket-Sized Contest

Participated in the
Pocket-Sized Contest