Recently I made a puzzle where the goal was to suspend pieces in a square frame so they don't fall out. This was inspired by a puzzle called “Puzzling Pot Stand” by Pentangle.  Even though the pieces are half the size of the frame, they can be arranged so the whole structure is supported. Supposedly this is an old technique for creating a suspended floor with timbers smaller than the room.

I wanted to see if I could do the same thing with a hexagon frame, and this is the result. One way to do this is to use 19 pieces like shown in the picture. You can lift the frame up without the pieces falling out (but don't turn it over!) If it was big enough (or you were small enough), you could walk on it comfortably - hence the name Walk the Plank. I also found ways to do this with 15 and even just 12 pieces! Pictures of these can be found in the Solutions.zip file.

There's also an optional lid you can print. This holds the pieces in place so you can turn it over to admire the back. Enjoy it as a work of art . . . or a coaster.

Objective

Goal #1: Arrange the 19 pieces like shown in the picture, so that the whole structure can be picked up without the pieces falling out.

Goal #2: Now try to do the same but with fewer pieces. You can build a supporting structure with just 12 or 15 pieces.

Printing

There are 3 files: (1) the frame, (2) a single piece, and (3) optional lid. You will need the frame and 19 pieces. The lid is optional.

I used bridging to print the pieces, and that seemed to work well. You can print all 19 pieces in 1 color or try a few different colors to make various designs. I printed 12 green and 7 white pieces.

 I found the size to be pretty good, but printing it bigger might make the dexterity part easier.

Solutions

One solution is already given, but there are actually 2 more that I found. I included my solutions in a .zip file in case you want to look. I enjoyed putting them together even after knowing the patterns.

Hope you enjoy and please post pictures of your designs!