Ell of a Puzzle

This is a difficult packing puzzle invented around 1986 by Leonard Gordon. In the original version, the puzzle pieces are 4 spheres connected together in an L-shape. Here I have modified that design to replace the spheres with (truncated) rhombic dodecahedra. These modified pieces can be printed without support.

Print eight copies of the puzzle piece. These pieces are sized to pack into a certain acrylic box I bought on Amazon. The box is cubical with an inside dimension of 48 mm. Alternatively, print the box and lid I include here (green in my photos).

This puzzle is challenging. There are three solutions (all look similar) but most people cannot find even one. One tip: after you see how the pieces pack, try building the solution on the upturned lid (rather than inside the box). I include a pdf file with the solution.

A bonus puzzle is to find a way to interlock 4 pieces into a truncated tetrahedron. This assembly can be put into the box. This puzzle is called "Blossom" and was invented by Bernhard Weizorke. It interlocks better with the 50 micron offset pieces.

Print 8 copies of the basic piece. Use the acrylic box or print the box and lid.

Included are piece files with 100 and 50 micron offsets. I recommend using the 100 micron pieces. The pieces do not need to fit together snugly.