These Tangled Tubes will infinitely tile 3D space and form all sorts of interesting patterns.
Put a bowl of them on your coffee table for your friends to ponder!
See here for video on one way that 24 pieces can fit together: https://youtu.be/9gYk9i9vArM
The end faces of the four joined tubes are congruent to the faces of the tetrahedrons and octahedrons in an isotropic vector matrix. The faces of the short tubes are congruent with the octahedron faces, while the longer tubes are congruent with the faces of the adjacent tetrahedrons.
Print out two “Tangled Tubes half” and one “Tangled Tubes Connector” for each piece. Join the two “Tangled Tubes half” pieces together with the “Tangled Tubes Connector” to ensure proper alignment of the faces and secure with a dab of CA glue.
The “Tangled Tubes Display” file is provided for reference only and is not intended to be printed.
The holes accept 3mm x 3mm or 1/8”x1/8” cylindrical magnets. It is a good to clean the holes out with a 1/8" drill bit to remove and burrs or imperfections prior to inserting the magnets. Polarity of the magnets should be opposite for the short and long ends of the tubes. Secure magnets with a dab of CA glue.