Pilled Logs - Random Pick #15

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This is my fifteenth Random Pick from My Collection.

This puzzle was purchased several months ago from Georges Helm's puzzle shop, but I have no information about its designer or the year that was built.

UPDATE (22 Nov.) - Thanks to the information provided by Brett, I now know that the puzzle was designed by Jean-Claude Constantin. You can find more about his puzzles at his website.

'Pilled Logs' has nine identical wooden pieces with holes and six aluminum rods intersecting them in a symmetrical way. Each piece has two holes cut perpendicular to one another, following two distinct cutting patterns: one has six pieces with a hole in the center and another adjacent to it, and the other has the remaining three pieces with the two holes in the piece's extremities. You have to assemble a cube so that the six rods can intersect, from one end to another, the entire cube. The solution is unique and the only way to it is to get two rods, equally separated in each of the three possible directions (x y z).

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The cube is similar to the 'Albert's Cube' or Stewart Coffin's 'Corner Block', both interesting examples of the use of this nice concept. The main difference between 'Piled Logs' and 'Albert's Cube' is in the way that is solved. By having an exact way of placing the rods, contrary to the asymmetrical solution of the 'Albert's Cube', makes it a bit more easy, because you can exclude right away, any possible configuration that doesn't apply to this symmetry.

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One of the things that I most like in wooden puzzles, is the use of different wood types or colors. It gives the puzzle a more professional finish and it's much more visually pleasant. This puzzle, not only does that, but also uses two different materials: wood and aluminum - a perfect combination, indeed. In this case, the wood that was used is the same, as it seems and the pieces were only colored, but it doesn't change the fact that it looks a lot better, had it been used only one color of wood. Another cool design feature is the stand that has an oblique cut in its base, to display it in a desk or shelf with a bit more style.

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The store where I bought this doesn't have any more in stock unfortunately, but you can check regularly John Devost's Puzzle Paradise, and see if you can find it in one of the new puzzle auctions.

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Links:

Rob's Puzzle Page (Assembly)