Hex Connector Toy

A small unique laser cut building toy for abstract sculptures.

Each hex connector is made with 2mm acrylic, and has a slot on each edge for connecting the hex together. They make a great desk toy or gift The pattern creates 35 or 56 pieces, enough to build a 6 inch sphere, or several smaller objects, you can even make something cool with just 6 or 7 pieces.

If you dont have your own laser cutter, you can always Buy A Copy.

Hex Connector 1.0 (zip) - Flash and DXF
This original version fits 35 peices at 30mm wide in a 200mmx200mm area

Hex Connector 2.0 (zip) - Solidworks and DXF
This updated version fits 56 peices at 26mm wide in a 200mmx210mm area, the connector edges are rounded and much less prone to breaking when taken apart.

 

How to Build Something

Push the parts together on their point, the hex will lock together.

To take apart, puch both hex straight apart from both sides, do not twist.

How to Make the Connectors

The pattern is in two files, the "A Part" which contains the outline, and the "B Part" which contains the logo engraving. Since you'll probably want to put your own logo on, you can use the "B Part" as a template for where to align the logos.
Both parts have crop marks on the corners for testing alignment. When you are making these parts, do not move the acrylic between cutting the A part and engraving the B part, some of the hex pieces could fall out of the sheet and it would be hard to align again.

If the cut kerf of you laser is wider or narrower then mine, the notch that holds the pieces together will be too wide and the pieces will not will not hold together, or be too tight. The easiest fix is to scale the entire sheet up or down by a small percentage.

Once you have the sheet cut you can punch out the pieces and remove all of the 3 pointed stars that the notches create.

If you make any interesting structures, send me the picture or link, I would love to see your creations.

Other Notes

While "Toy" in the title of this project, it's intended for adults, the hex peices could be a choaking hazard to young children.

Hex Connector Toy by 4volt.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.