Making a Metal Cube Puzzle "ALUMIX CUBE" Copper / Aluminum / Bronze - Soma Cube

In this video, I’ll be making a multi metal puzzle cube that I designed in fusion 360. Its similar in shape to a Rubik's cube but is not solved in the same way. First I 3-D printed the puzzle pieces on my Prusa 3-D printer using a special filament called Polycast. Then I coated the pieces in a ceramic material, called Suspendaslurry. I burned the plastic filament out of the shells in my kiln, and vitrified the shells. I melted copper aluminum and bronze, and filled each shell with a different metal. Then I broke off the ceramic material to reveal the castings. Once the castings were complete, I spent several hours sanding and polishing them. I also made a bronze base and wooden stand to build the puzzle pieces on.
Please consider supporting me on Patreon. www.patreon.co... You'll receive access to Patreon only posts as well as any 3d printing files that I designed.
Casting equipment
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Some of my favorite tools of the year
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You can purchase the Polycast filament here us.polymaker.com/

[@robinson-foundry]

If you're interested in any of the tools or equipment I use and you want to help support the channel then don't forget to check out some of the affiliate links in the video description. Thank you for the support!

[@nicholasadams2374]

I've never seen someone put so much time and effort into making molds. The results speak for themselves. WOW!!!

[@SamanthaLaurier]

Multi-metal casting AND a cute pupper? Perfect video 10/10

[@reddblackjack]

I know right. The puppy looks a lot like my sweet little doggy daughter.

[@ClamJYT]

Looks amazing, would love to see a version with a clear acrylic holder instead of a wooden one to show off the cube even more

[@kitaru8558]

THE SUSPENDA SLURRY IS BACK!! WOO!!

[@theillusorylife]

Another great video! You pay such close attention to detail, I love that. The end result is always such high quality. Seflishly, I would love to see you make a custom designed chess set out of metal. I've always thought chess sets have a beauty to them and you come up with such smart designs. I'd love to see what you can do!

[@DonickPL]

chess battle advanced covered in metal

[@madmachine5244]

You could also make the board out of three different metals. Aluminum for the base, the squares out of copper and brass, and finally for the dividing lines either aluminum or pewter. Also you could make a checker board as well.

[@theillusorylife]

@@madmachine5244 That would be amazing! A lot of work though. Plus I'm not sure he's read the comments haha

[@asht6415]

Jiih

[@asht6415]

🎉❤😊😊😊😊

[@Nitram06]

This is called a Soma cube, I do believe. I had a plastic one back in early 70s. There are a series of different objects you can make from these blocks. Wish I had the equipment to make one myself. It was a nice trip down memory lane to see you work creating something made from plastic so long ago. They are referred to as a a solid dissection puzzle.

[@Nobe_Oddy]

This was SUCH a GREAT project!! At first I didn't think it was a good idea, but in the end I TOTALLY AGREE with you keeping the surfaces of the metal in a matte finish.... Yes glossy and mirrored would be great to look at, but it would be COVERED ion fingerprints by the time anyone gets done solving the puzzle.... And seeing it all glossy isn't very inviting to play with because everyone will be worried about fingerprints... but leaving it matte says "PICK ME UP AND PLAY WITH ME!!!" and thats EXACTLY what you want with a puzzle! FANTASTIC WORK!!!! and you go to show off the smaller kilns you9 have AND some of your woodworking skills (personally I would have made the walnut a dark glossy finish because of the matte cube, but it's YOUR 'Alumix Cube" lol ) - You REALLY make me want to make/buy a kiln and start having fun LOL - I just don't have all the tools to finish up the melts... or the patience LOL - 7 HOURS?!?!?! WOW!!! :) Good Job!

[@zachtish5479]

Really enjoyed seeing you include the woodworking elements as well as the electric furnace. Great work!

[@jonderby2371]

Your videos are satisfying to watch. You make some really cool stuff. And the background music is the icing on the cake. Kind of reminds me of "how it's made" on the discovery Channel back in the day

[@chrisgenovese8188]

this is beautiful! looks like a dream to fidget with, and i bet those pieces have a satisfying weigh to them.

[@blakeontheriver]

Penny is such a good helper. ❤

[@psj3940]

U R one crazy artist. U would certainly make Fine pieces of Jewelry !

[@madmachine5244]

Just wanted to let you know that this puzzle cube some of your best work!

[@Serbianguy432]

As usual, another epic video that showcases your hard-won skills. The integration of the metalworking and woodworking components complemented one another nicely, and I can't remember the last time 15 minutes passed by so quickly!

[@ja1212az]

I love the wood basement, great work man

[@WalkWithMeAj]

I love watching your videos. Its very satisfying 💜

[@brucegoatly]

Lovely build! And this is why cast metal puzzles are so expensive!

[@primetimeforcrime]

Im so excited to see how this turns out!

[@FearsomeWarrior]

Penny can fly. I got a shih’tzu, my first dog, three years ago. She surprised me by how athletic she was racing around. I hadn’t realized shih’tzu are in agility competitions. Awesome surface finishes. Very fidget friendly looking.

[@G.A.N.]

Watching you making yourself a new Saw would be very interesting, just like all of your videos!

[@stephenrose9154]

Very nice design and so well made.

[@dannybrickwell]

Your videos make the process look much faster than it actually is! What parts of the casting process are the most time-consuming? Admire your commitment and discipline to learning the craft, and also in documenting it so dummies like me can enjoy it! Thanks so much for the content!

[@anzaca1]

Mold-making is easily the longest part.

[@gusbisbal9803]

My favorite part of this build 4:19 😀

[@thunderbasilisk1352]

Love multi metal builds! What an awesome puzzle!

[@rachelg552353]

So cool with all the different metals used for the pieces.

[@joeyisthebest0]

Your vidioes are allways so educational and fun to whatch keep up the good work!

[@anotherfreediver3639]

I remember these in wood in the 1960s, sold under the name of Cuboids. It was a great puzzle.

[@Sphendrana]

I love metal puzzles. And Robinson Foundry!

[@PicBenc]

It's incredible, quite a collector's item. You did the most difficult thing (melt the piece) and it was more difficult for you to assemble the puzzle 😝

[@MartinodePueblo]

Looks great again, man! If you sand in circles instead of straight lines, you won't get such deep grooves in the workpiece. That's why oscillation sanders excist

[@schumifannreins295]

Amazing craftsmanship.

[@yeeto_bandito]

This kind of reminds me of the dovetail cube clickspring made a while back. Sick video!

[@theawesomer]

Another great build! Very cool.

[@tonyantoniou8667]

As much as I like seeing these amazing videos, I would also like to see more of your Jack Russell doggy in your videos. He/she is gorgeous, just like my one. Please show-off your dog much more than a split second. keep up your excellent work. Thanks.

[@kevinfitz3721]

Outstanding craftsmanship

[@K4m1kaze]

dude, this is ssssso awesome

[@ulrikjohansson140]

You sir, you are a true master!

[@twolf_the_broken]

Have you seen how it's made that's the type of vibe this is giving off

[@Daniel_Mueller]

Very nice, thank you for sharing it.

[@jerryjohnsonii4181]

Very impressive !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@lebanony0808]

Very very creative and beautiful that's a very exciting

[@inemanja]

Now do a Rubik's Cube. Indestructible! (but it has to be movable/working, obviously)

[@kznsq77]

Great work! But I think it will be easier to mill such cubic forms rather than cast them so precisely and mill it anyway at the end :)

[@victoriaeads6126]

Have you ever looked at that casting ceramic under UV light? You could film the dipping part in blacklight!

[@Tygor3533]

Awe I love Penny I have two jack russels of my own…. Great dogs!!!!

[@gentlemangamer1041]

I'm an apprentice machinist by trade, and I am both impressed and puzzled. I don't get to forge my own base metal, so the entire process is interesting. It really makes me curious about how quickly a standardized block mould could be used to produce blocks to recycle some of our scrap on site. Unfortunately, due to the amount of parts my shop needs to produce, it isn't really viable since all of us are high skill workers. To make enough money to cover our salaries we can't spend time molding then machining rough stock down to size for every job, when we can just order from the suppliers something already roughly the right size. As for my puzzlement, in my experience, a handheld angle grinder with a cutting disk would have been a better option than the hacksaw for saving time, since you were going to grind down the marks left with a belt sander anyways. Also, since you have a milling machine, why didn't you use a 45º debur tool to prep those chamfers? The only spots that type of tool can't reach are the inside of those interior corners, which you could then finish with a hand file. Aside from that, the finish you decided to use is the mark of a gluten for punishment. It looks great, don't get me wrong! I just hate the amount of work that goes into it when a milled finish looks just as shiny. Then again, I always liked the curves left by face milling so that's probably just preference. It does look good though.

[@robinson-foundry]

Thanks! The process I used was mostly for the sake of entertainment. If I did it solely for myself I would have just entirely machined the pieces. As for the chamfers, the cast parts weren't very symmetrical so getting them square in the vice would take forever.

[@Choujifangirl]

I love the fact that molten aluminum doesn’t even look real and also the fact that it kind of looks like silver when it’s in its liquid form

[@ohamrad6455]

That aluminum pour was clean

[@petermusinsky4524]

Love it 👍 Great precision

[@connorbabcock7718]

Hi! I love your videos. You’ve inspired me to try my hand at lost PLA casting. I even built my own small foundry! I know you cover this in a few videos, but I was wondering if you would possibly make a video explaining how to properly set up a mould and how to determine what direction a Part should sit? I know you add runners and vents and all sorts of things. My projects seem to be fairly complex shape wise and I am having trouble figuring out what direction they should be poured from and what direction would make metal reach every nook and cranny so to speak. Thank you for the awesome videos!

[@reddblackjack]

Everything you make is cool AF! I kinda wanna know if you could make a metal Rubik's cube. With a different metal on each side. Of course the gold and silver sides could be electroplated or even alloyed to make it less expensive to make. But I also know that alloys can come in almost any color of the rainbow! Titanium Oxide is a really nice white for one, but I saw another maker a few months ago make a really nice purple alloy. I think you can do it if you want, because I've seen about twenty videos of yours! LMK what you think?

[@haydenc2742]

That is totally awesome!! Keep em coming!!!!

[@trstmeimadctr]

I think things like Polycast are probably best suited to beginners, because experienced people like RF have more to lose by putting time and energy into learning the intricacies of a new material than they do by continuing to work with something they know inside and out

[@BigHarryBalzac]

My older brother had a Soma cube made of hollow blue plastic way back in the '70s when we were kids. They were sold by Parker Brothers, the same people who sold the Monopoly game and several hundreds more.

[@shortvidz9576]

😮 welcome back

[@rhyboy1]

Can’t believe you did all this only to put them in a mill… coulda done that at the start and saved days 😂

[@andrestein6022]

The amount of precision, preparation, and detail you use. The obsession with getting every aspect perfect. This is truly autism porn hahaha and I'm hooked.

[@mattvish2591]

what would interest me do you have corrosion issues? I imagine the aluminum will look quite bad after some time due to galvanic corrosion, maybe galvanizing would help. Also the copper should develop patina which can add character but you're going with a polished finished so it might don't look so nice anymore after couple of months.

[@holdpigsaccountable]

Cool thanks for getting back at me.

[@CocoTreb]

your content is always delightful to watch!! keep up the work!!

[@Longyearbye]

Hi and many greetings from germany.... its so great, what you have made there!!! I love it! Do you sell this kinf of handcrafts? I am impressed! Jörg

[@Vikingwerk]

Beautiful work.

[@GutsInBerserk]

Jack Russel Terriers are the best medium-small dogs, you can’t change my mind on that

[@b00marrows]

Only thing i can say is maybe some buffing of the metal parts to really smooth them off?

[@allaze-eroler]

At 2:20, the subtitles got hiccups because it only show “each” instead of the whole message. At 4:00 the message “this is all the metal i’ll use.” Got stuck until 4:33 At 5:08, the passage has nothing to do with the messages “and here’s my crazy dog, penny, keeping me company while i work” and “she’s a jack russell terrier and she never seems to run out of energy.” And got stuck until 5:58 Around at 8:30, the subtitles went off timing and displays them too fast until 8:45. Around at 10:08, off timing subtitles again until 14:00. At 14:48, the message got stuck. And that is all…. Excellent work on your puzzle!

[@waffle8364]

I would totally buy one of these

[@caseywood9781]

You should try using rub on finishes for your wood elements, you won't get brush strokes or bubbles

[@BoTheAnt]

That’s very impressive, how did you learn?

[@Typical.Anomaly]

The molds look like Russian castles

[@rotten-Z]

More like a bunch of russian soldiers in the cold after an attack on ukrainian positions

[@alimustafa7680]

4:33 how come the pot doesn’t melt with the metal inside. Isn’t it also made with metal??

[@acristiano1000]

Trabalho incrível mano. Parabéns 🇧🇷

[@Toletanus]

Very cool project! I enjoyed it.

[@Martin-zd8eb]

One word for easy finish..... sandblasting!!!

[@robertkumaki4321]

this is a soma cube. popular in the 1970s. one of the whole points of the cube is that it can be configured into many different shapes, not just a cube.

[@marinomusico5768]

AWESOME ❤

[@antoshgames]

Looks Amazing Great video

[@SeanHolt-i1s]

how do you avoid blemishes on the outside faces of the casts? is it a matter of intentionally making them a bit thicker and wider so that you have some slack to grind off after the casting process? if so does that affect the overall shape?

[@xtreambackman]

Beatiful as always

[@DeadlyVenomKing]

Gonna get one made in Gold, Rose Gold and Platinum

[@CarlosRendon-hu5gy]

I like your work, go from 3d print pla to metal, great, I was wondering if you could print a structure of a brushless motor that is put on the drones both where the winding would go and where the magnets would go, there are many stl of Those structures of that engine, do you think you can demonstrate that it can be made of metal?

[@chtechindustries4174]

How does the diligent not dissolve more in the vapor? What makes it smooth, not disintegrate?

[@NathanDoss-d4y]

looks awesome!!

[@hunterrobinson3243]

late night upload, nice

[@Nobe_Oddy]

You should make a copper frame to hold the sand for you 2-half sand-casting projects. This way you don't burn the wood every time, and eventually risk it breaking when you pick it up. It would be a useful project to do... imho :)

[@idkidk8278]

Looks good!

[@zaynehayashi2528]

Your Content Reminds Me So Much Of Grant Thompson (TKOR). Nonetheless, Great Work!!

[@da_beaver]

Rip to him

[@justinbanks2380]

That is a nice little tip that for some reason never occurred to me at 13:53 purposely leave the mixing stick and remaining epoxy next to the part your epoxying (I usually clean it up right after applying while waiting for the part to cure) so that you can use it to tell when the epoxy is cured. (I usually have to poke at the epoxy with something or try to lightly move it to test. Neither ideal, lol) So simple an idea. Never know ehat little tricks you might pick up just watching how someone else works! Thanks

[@taftancastingchannel]

Like 👍🏼🙂

[@mikebruegger8654]

Would be nice highly polished

[@Konduct_]

Technology for the win

[@gusbisbal9803]

Are you preheating the ceramic shell before pouring? This is crucial to be able to capture the detail in the model.... granted there is no detail for these but I mean in general, do you preheat?

[@Not_A_Bomb]

By the way most sandpapers have a adhesive on the back you just need to heat it with one of those hot air guns

[@rotten-Z]

If you heat the molds together with a crucible with metal, and then pour the metal into a hot mold, then the smallest details of the mold will be imprinted on the casting. Even fingerprints, if left when creating the mold

[@GermanDarioCarte]

Excelente trabajo!!!

[@MASI_forging]

Great work. 😄😄

[@prid3_33]

Thats really funny my jack russell doesnt stop moving ever.

[@hexagondragon001]

HI I would like to ask a question❓ what do you do with the old petra bound after casting? And how much does it cost THANKS

[@tipfox9212]

After a year - I'm curious: does it show up some corrosion because of all the different metals (contact elements) ?

[@TheAntistOne]

You could do a metal Rubik's cube. :D