Magnus 60 (Preview)

The shipping weight of this item is 2.5 kg

Please understand the number of this puzzle that you can purchase is limited to one.

This puzzle was named in honor of Father Magnus J. Wenninger, a researcher and author of polyhedron models and a builder of real models. It is made of six types of wood, with a total of 60 pieces, and forms a spherical shape when assembled.

The idea of arranging rod shaped pieces symmetrically on a spherical surface has been attempted by many people in the past. Among those creations, designs made with a relatively small number of pieces tend to resemble the works of others. Juno sought a structure he had never seen before, and by using 60 pieces, he succeeded in creating this unique design. At the points where fifteen twofold symmetry axes pass through the polyhedral model, two pieces intersect with each other at about half of their cross-sectional area. This design allows the completed structure to be self standing and to maintain its shape in a stable way.

As with the nonorthogonal burrs we have released in the past, this puzzle is not for everyone. Even those who are skilled at solving orthogonal burr puzzles will likely be puzzled by the unfamiliar angles at which the pieces intersect. The fact that several coordinated motions are required during assembly also contributes to the high level of difficulty. Those who are interested can watch a video of Juno assembling the Magnus 60. This puzzle can be assembled without using rubber bands, but in the video, rubber bands are used to show where they can be applied to make assembly easier. For those who purchase the puzzle and wish to have it, we provide a PDF file showing the assembly steps.

The pieces that make up this puzzle are slimmer compared to those in the Reza series and Mirii series. In Reza and Mirii, each piece has a square cross section with sides of 18 mm, while in Magnus 60, each piece has a square cross section with sides of 16 mm. This size was determined by designing backward from a safe shipping size for the assembled puzzle. The diameter of the completed puzzle is slightly smaller than Reza 12-20 and slightly larger than Euroka 10x3.

For those brave enough to actually take apart and assemble this puzzle, please be especially careful not to force the pieces together. The notched areas, where the cross section of the pieces is thinner, can break if excessive force is applied. If a piece does not fit smoothly, check to see if something is misaligned, causing increased friction, or if the pieces are not properly interlocking.

Diameter: 246 mm

Number of pieces: 60

Material: American Cherry, Jarrah, Koto, PNG Rosewood, Satin Sycamore, and Thermally Modified Kwila

Designer: Junichi Yananose (Juno)

Origin: Made in Australia

Ages: 12+