Formidab L Cube

This is an extremely difficult puzzle. The pieces are simple L shapes, so you might think you can easily assemble the cube as if stacking blocks. However, once you actually try to solve it, many people will find themselves struggling for hours, only to fall just short of completion, and they will likely end up holding their heads in frustration, feeling completely out of their depth.

In the past, Juno designed several puzzles that assemble a cube using nine L shaped pieces. One of his personal favorites, Different Length L-Tricube, is also such a puzzle, consisting of nine L shaped pieces with slightly varying dimensions. The idea of further tweaking these dimensions and exploring whether a cube could be assembled with a number of pieces other than nine is what sparked the design of this puzzle. After making several prototypes and playing with them, Juno decided to explore configurations that satisfy the following conditions.

• The puzzle must have unique solution.
• Only three different lengths of pieces shall be used.
• Only two different widths and two different thicknesses of pieces shall be used.
• When cutting L shaped pieces from a cuboid, only two different saw blade heights shall be used.

The completed puzzle consists of ten L shaped pieces, and the feel of solving it is similar to that of the Different Length L-Tricube. However, while the former has multiple solutions and some people can find one of them in about thirty minutes, this puzzle leaves the solver with the impression of being formidable, as no amount of effort seems to lead to a solution.

Australian Rosewood is used for the pieces. This is a timber recommended by the owner of a newly found timber yard, who praised it as the finest Australian native timber. Juno also fell in love with it immediately after making the first cut. The sides of the box are made from Australian Chestnut, a type of eucalyptus. It is a very hard and heavy wood, and its surface has been finished very smoothly.

The solution to this puzzle will be supplied upon request by Burr Tools file format.

Size: 60 mm x 60 mm x 60 mm (Cube)

Number of pieces: 10 + Box

Material: Australian Rosewood, Australian Chestnut, and Bamboo Plywood

Designer: Junichi Yananose (Juno)

Origin: Made in Australia

Ages: 9+