Tutorial: Icosidodecahedron (Zen Magnets)

The small one was made with 660 Zen Magnets, and the large one was made with 1860.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think! Or, if you've got a question, ask away - I'll do my best to answer everything as well as I can.

[saxplayingcompnerd]

I built one of these before you made the tutorial. I love the first version of this shape because it fits together so perfectly, no shifting, no squishing, it just fits. I also filled in the faces, and it is very hefty if you do that :)

[MegaSuncity]

Very nice! You're right about the pentagons really making the form stable! Thanks fir the idea. Had fun building the small size. Now to try out the funky subunit for the large one...

[revolweu]

small one is really easy even with 3mm magnets. last step is super fun attaching those pentagons

[Magnenaut]

@AllHeilKitler If you like that, you should check out some of my other tutorial videos. I smash things that are FAR larger and more complex than that tiny icosidodecahedron!

[koozdra]

Really well designed subunit for the larger version.

[Magnenaut]

@krlosz1996 Well, again, they are alike in some ways and different in some ways. For example, some elements (like iron, cobalt, and nickel) have net magnetic fields due to the unpaired electrons in their outer orbitals. So, those atoms act especially like magnets.

But on the other hand, atoms interact through other forces, like electric attracrion, or van der waals force, and magnets don't really have anything like that.

[trwMagnets]

Wow, wonderful shape. Yeah, Like koozdra said, that sub-unit is very very well designed.

[Magnenaut]

@koozdra Thanks! Funny story - I just kind of stumbled across the subunit unintentionally when I built it for the first time, and it took me a good half hour of experimenting to figure out how the hell I had managed to make it.

[Magnetiquebec]

Very cool, talented is not the right word!

[Magnenaut]

@dskiles222 Oh, no, I hadn't seen it yet! Going to check it out right now.

As for your idea about Neocube, that definitely could have something to do with it. Also, I wonder what the standard deviation for diameter is, and if that varies between brands. Or, in other words, I wonder if Zens are more uniform in size than Neocubes? If so, that could be a big part of it as well.

[Magnenaut]

@dskiles222 You did? I'd love to see how, because those subunits are really annoying to make. If you want to make a tutorial, I say go for it!

As for your version of the core, I think it's very interesting! Good job on figuring it out - it definitely seems to be a little stronger than the one I've used. I'm surprised that you're getting those gaps between the subunits with my version, though - I don't get them when I built it, at least not nearly as large. I wonder why that is?

[Magnenaut]

@saxplayingcompnerd Oh yeah, I agree that the first method is much simpler and more pleasant. The subunits for the second method, while effective, can be pretty annoying to make. Ultimately, though, the end result is exactly the same, which I think is pretty cool.

[Tshinsoo]

I 'thumbs up'd' the vid solely based on the fact that you smashed it.

I LOVE WATCHING THINGS GET SMASHED!

[Magnenaut]

@krlosz1996 Don't worry about it! Your written english is better than many native speakers - and that's especially true for YouTube comments.

[krlosz]

@Magnenaut well i mean in the way they connect to each other and how the energy is distributed in those unions.

[Magnenaut]

@krlosz1996 I guess it depends on what you mean by that. There are definitely lots of similarities, but there are also lots of differences.

[Magnenaut]

@krlosz1996 Well, I bet you'd see the same thing with native spanish speakers on here - when people write their native language in an informal setting, they don't usually care about things like spelling or syntax.

[Magnetiquebec]

Have to get into the discussion! magnets do not act like atoms at all, no nutron, therefore atraction is the only reaction, since the dots are spherical!

[Magnenaut]

@dskiles222 Heh, there's actually another video very similar to the one you described, but with Zens instead Nanodots (S7Tka4NUmUo if you want to watch). As for my experience with Zens, I love them. Even without a micrometer, it's immediately obvious that they're better than Buckyballs/Neocube as soon as you try to build something. I've never personally tried Nanodots, so I can't compare them.

[krlosz]

@Magnenaut thank you and sorry for my crapy english :shame: