This is a major revision of my previous dodecahedron. Pegs are now threaded with ridges to keep them in place. Living hinges allow the panels to fold into shape and snap features lock them together.
Over 100 of these dodecahedrons have been found in Europe, mostly centered around France. Generally made of copper alloy and showing few signs of wear, they do not have an obvious explanation. Tool, toy, game, decorative object, superstitious cult object, or maybe even a test of skill for metalworkers to enter a guild have all been proposed.
Tips:
- Assembly: The two halves align only one way, note picture. If a hinge breaks it can still be assembled successfully! The clips are a tight fit as needed for space constraints and to prevent the pegs from forcing the edges apart. If needed, gently file off a bit of material or try a few tiny droplets of oil. Scaling up will make the clips tougher snap together.
- Pegs: Print 20x. Consider a brim to promote bed adhesion and adaptive layer heights.
- Print Bed: Clean for best results. As all external faces were touching the print bed, this could be an interesting use of a textured or holographic surface.
- Material Selection: I used PLA, but other plastics may work better with the living hinge. Printing in materials stiffer than standard PLA will make the clips tougher to assemble.
- Color Restoration: Gentle heat gun on the living hinges may restore original color.
Tags
The author marked this model as their own original creation.