Interlocking - Twelve-Piece Separation

Twelve-Piece Separation - Honduras Mahogany
Larger Photograph (70.9K)

 
Twelve-Piece Separation - Padauk
Larger Photograph (61.2K)

 
Twelve Piece Separation - Rosewood
Designer:Stewart Coffin
Craftsman:Stewart Coffin
Category:Interlocking
Material:Honduras Mahogany (1st), Padauk (2nd) & RoseWood (3rd)
Pieces:12

A symmetrical interlocking assembly of twelve pieces. Ten of the pieces are identical and consist of a triangular stick with a rhombic pyramid block attached to each end resulting in a rhombic profile when viewing a piece from the end. One of these blocks has been removed from the eleventh piece and attached to the side of the twelfth. There is only one solution to the puzzle. Assembling and disassembling the puzzle requires shifting the pieces back and forth in order to insert or remove the next piece. Assembly is very difficult. Stewart considers this to be one of his best puzzles. He made 30 from 1988 to 1992. Number 85 in his numbering system.
 
More information in The Puzzling World of Polyhedral Dissections