Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 15 minutes ago
Large tube and sphere versions of 5 different polyhedrons from 5mm neodymium magnetic balls, and all made from the same spherical icosidodecahedron subunit.
Various different connecting struts were used in different ways to produce the correct geometry for each shape.
0:15 Tutorial for the icosidodecahedron used in each shape, 672 balls each.
To build this subunit sphere with opposite polarity, build both pieces required the same way but from the opposite end of the same line of magnets, or build the pieces by winding in the opposite direction from the same end of the same line of magnetic balls.
1) 1:23 Molecular Tetrahedron of Icosidodecahedrons - 5 spheres.
2 different length connecting struts were used which are triangular tubes of alternating 12 ball triangles and 9 ball rings, 6 of length 26 rings around the outside, 4 of length 11 rings connected to the core sphere. Localised reversal of polarity at one triangular face at one end of every tube connection was used to make the tubes bond equally strongly at both ends.
A total magnet count of:
5 × 672 + 10 × 13 × 12 + 10 × 13 × 9 + 3 + 4 × 7 × 12 + 4 × 4 × 9 = 6573 magnetic balls.
2) 2:42 Molecular Hexahedron (Cube) of Icosidodecahedrons - 9 spheres.
12 outer edge hexagonal tubes of length 19 rings, an 18 ball hexagon at both ends.
8 inner diagonal hexagonal tubes to the central core sphere of length 14 rings, 2 types: 4 with an 18 ball hexagon at one end and an 18 ball double circle for the core connection at the other end, and 4 with an 18 ball hexagon at one end and an 18 ball triangle for the core connection at the other end. Localised polarity reversal at 4 of the triangular face connections on the core sphere were used to make the double ring ends of the tubes to the centre bond strongly.
To form the cubic geometry of this shape, 3 right angled connections on each outer sphere are created by removing 16 balls per attachment region, to accommodate the hexagon shaped ends of the 12 outer tubes.
The 8 outer spheres are also alternating in polarity from corner to corner, so that the outer and inner tubes connect the same way to the outer spheres with 18 ball hexagons at every connection.
A total magnet count of:
9 × 672 - 8 × 16 × 3 + 12 × 19 × 18 + 8 × 14 × 18 = 11784 magnetic balls.
3) 3:54 Molecular Icosahedron of Icosidodecahedrons - 13 spheres.
42 simple decagon tubes of rings of 10 balls, 30 of length 12 rings and 12 tubes to the central sphere of length 11 rings for correct geometry. The single core sphere was built with opposite polarity to the outer spheres to accommodate the 12 odd number length tubes of 11 rings each to the centre.
Localised polarity reversal of the pentagonal vertices of the 12 outer spheres was used at one end of each of the 30 connections between the outer spheres. This creates an equally strong bond at each end of those connections.
A total magnet count of:
13 × 672 + 30 × 12 × 10 + 12 × 11 × 10 = 13656 - 12 - 12 × 6 (missing vertex centre balls of interconnected vertices) = 13572 magnetic balls.
4) 5:18 Molecular Rhombic Dodecahedron of Icosidodecahedrons - 15 spheres.
32 hexagonal tubes of 18 balls per ring, and all of length 12 rings. One end of each strut is 18 ball hexagon shaped and the other is an 18 ball double circle ring. The double circle ends bond strongly to 4 polarity reversed triangular faces on the surface of each of the 8 spheres connected to the core sphere, while at the other end the hexagon ends of every tube bond strongly to unmodified triangular faces. 3 polarity reversed faces on each of the 8 core connected spheres are also connected by the tubes to the 6 outer vertex spheres. All spheres were otherwise built with the same polarity.
A total magnet count of 15 × 672 + 32 × 12 × 18 = 16992 magnetic balls.
5) 5:59 Molecular Dodecahedron of Icosidodecahedrons - 21 spheres.
50 interconnecting enneagon tubes of simple rings of 9 balls, 20 of length 14 balls towards the centre and 30 of length 6 balls between the outer spheres. The same local polarity reversal trick of the triangular faces was used at one end of all 30 connections between the outer spheres. Every sphere was otherwise built with the same polarity.
A total magnet count of 21 × 672 + 20 × 14 × 9 + 30 × 6 × 9 = 18252 magnetic balls.
#ledwatchman #Neocube #Neoballs #Nanodots #ZenMagnets #Speks #Buckyballs #NingoBalls #CyberCube #KlikyBalls #howto
Music track is The Sun is Scheduled to Come Out Tomorrow by Chris Zabriskie, from the YouTube free music library.
The Sun is Scheduled to Come Out Tomorrow by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: chriszabriskie.com/honor
Artist: chriszabriskie.com
Large tube and sphere versions of 5 different polyhedrons from 5mm neodymium magnetic balls, and all made from the same spherical icosidodecahedron subunit.
Various different connecting struts were used in different ways to produce the correct geometry for each shape.
0:15 Tutorial for the icosidodecahedron used in each shape, 672 balls each.
To build this subunit sphere with opposite polarity, build both pieces required the same way but from the opposite end of the same line of magnets, or build the pieces by winding in the opposite direction from the same end of the same line of magnetic balls.
1) 1:23 Molecular Tetrahedron of Icosidodecahedrons - 5 spheres.
2 different length connecting struts were used which are triangular tubes of alternating 12 ball triangles and 9 ball rings, 6 of length 26 rings around the outside, 4 of length 11 rings connected to the core sphere. Localised reversal of polarity at one triangular face at one end of every tube connection was used to make the tubes bond equally strongly at both ends.
A total magnet count of:
5 × 672 + 10 × 13 × 12 + 10 × 13 × 9 + 3 + 4 × 7 × 12 + 4 × 4 × 9 = 6573 magnetic balls.
2) 2:42 Molecular Hexahedron (Cube) of Icosidodecahedrons - 9 spheres.
12 outer edge hexagonal tubes of length 19 rings, an 18 ball hexagon at both ends.
8 inner diagonal hexagonal tubes to the central core sphere of length 14 rings, 2 types: 4 with an 18 ball hexagon at one end and an 18 ball double circle for the core connection at the other end, and 4 with an 18 ball hexagon at one end and an 18 ball triangle for the core connection at the other end. Localised polarity reversal at 4 of the triangular face connections on the core sphere were used to make the double ring ends of the tubes to the centre bond strongly.
To form the cubic geometry of this shape, 3 right angled connections on each outer sphere are created by removing 16 balls per attachment region, to accommodate the hexagon shaped ends of the 12 outer tubes.
The 8 outer spheres are also alternating in polarity from corner to corner, so that the outer and inner tubes connect the same way to the outer spheres with 18 ball hexagons at every connection.
A total magnet count of:
9 × 672 - 8 × 16 × 3 + 12 × 19 × 18 + 8 × 14 × 18 = 11784 magnetic balls.
3) 3:54 Molecular Icosahedron of Icosidodecahedrons - 13 spheres.
42 simple decagon tubes of rings of 10 balls, 30 of length 12 rings and 12 tubes to the central sphere of length 11 rings for correct geometry. The single core sphere was built with opposite polarity to the outer spheres to accommodate the 12 odd number length tubes of 11 rings each to the centre.
Localised polarity reversal of the pentagonal vertices of the 12 outer spheres was used at one end of each of the 30 connections between the outer spheres. This creates an equally strong bond at each end of those connections.
A total magnet count of:
13 × 672 + 30 × 12 × 10 + 12 × 11 × 10 = 13656 - 12 - 12 × 6 (missing vertex centre balls of interconnected vertices) = 13572 magnetic balls.
4) 5:18 Molecular Rhombic Dodecahedron of Icosidodecahedrons - 15 spheres.
32 hexagonal tubes of 18 balls per ring, and all of length 12 rings. One end of each strut is 18 ball hexagon shaped and the other is an 18 ball double circle ring. The double circle ends bond strongly to 4 polarity reversed triangular faces on the surface of each of the 8 spheres connected to the core sphere, while at the other end the hexagon ends of every tube bond strongly to unmodified triangular faces. 3 polarity reversed faces on each of the 8 core connected spheres are also connected by the tubes to the 6 outer vertex spheres. All spheres were otherwise built with the same polarity.
A total magnet count of 15 × 672 + 32 × 12 × 18 = 16992 magnetic balls.
5) 5:59 Molecular Dodecahedron of Icosidodecahedrons - 21 spheres.
50 interconnecting enneagon tubes of simple rings of 9 balls, 20 of length 14 balls towards the centre and 30 of length 6 balls between the outer spheres. The same local polarity reversal trick of the triangular faces was used at one end of all 30 connections between the outer spheres. Every sphere was otherwise built with the same polarity.
A total magnet count of 21 × 672 + 20 × 14 × 9 + 30 × 6 × 9 = 18252 magnetic balls.
#ledwatchman #Neocube #Neoballs #Nanodots #ZenMagnets #Speks #Buckyballs #NingoBalls #CyberCube #KlikyBalls #howto
Music track is The Sun is Scheduled to Come Out Tomorrow by Chris Zabriskie, from the YouTube free music library.
The Sun is Scheduled to Come Out Tomorrow by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: chriszabriskie.com/honor
Artist: chriszabriskie.com
