Tessellat - Modular Furniture With 3d Printed Magnet Toy Model

Tessellat consists of tiles that can be configured into various types of furniture like tables, chairs, shelves, boxes and many more. A 3D printed model helps to playfully prototype shapes before reconnecting the wooden tiles.

The self-tightening hinges are inexpensive and can either be used to rigidly connect three tiles or provide 360° of freedom between two of them.

The design is derived from the rhombic dodecahedron, a polyhedron found in honeycombs and other interesting phenomena where space is shaped in the most efficient manner.

Beech or other hard wood of your choice (17mm x 50cm x >200cm)

Metal inserts (18mm diameter, M5)

Band with holes (12 x 0.7mm)

Screws (M5 x 10)

You can either make the plates by hand or with a CNC machine. I'll assume you also don't have the latter, so you will need:

• (circular) saw
• router + 8mm radius bit
• a drill press or cordless drill + 3mm, 6mm & 18 mm wood drill
• some sand paper
• a >25mm long m5 screw & a big washer or hammer

Cut out the rhombi. They are supposed to be 50cm wide. That means you have to cut the 50cm wide wood with a 70.5° angle and 53cm length.

First mark the holes, then drill a small hole all the way through. I made some guides as shown in the picture to make marking easier and more consistent. (obviously I didn't have a 3D printer back then). The holes are 25mm far away from the side and have 25mm distance. The ones on the narrow corner are placed as if there was an imaginary hole on the center line to constrain the design, the ones on the wide corner are mirrored over the midpoint of the edge.

Drill out the space the inserts need to be flush (1,2mm) from one side and deeper pockets for the tensioning system on the other (7mm) with the 18mm wood drill. Pay attention to the order (clockwise the first one is deep and the second one is shallow, check twice drill once...)

Drill out the pilot holes with the 6mm drill.

Use a router to round the edges.

Use some sand paper to finish the woodworking. Preferably with a power tool.

Use a longer M5 screw & big washer to pull the inserts into their place from the backside or hammer them in.

Cut down some of the metal band (6 holes intact between cuts) .

You are now ready to connect the pieces!

Sometimes you have to plan ahead to be able to reach the screws conveniently. If you make a closed box all of the inside screws should be done before you connect the outside screws.

Connections can also be doubled to connect 3 pieces at the same edge.

You can also print out the model version for easy prototyping. The silcer profile is for a Prusa MK3S and a 0.8mm nozzle. Magnets are diametrically magnetized 6mm diameter, 2.5mm thickness and 3mm hole. Clip them on a magnetic piece of metal and press the print on the magnets to insert them.

Files can be found on the Prusa community page.