Hexa-hexa-flexagon

The Hexahexaflexagon: A Flex-tastic 3D Printed Wonder

Introducing the hardest working 3-layer multi-color print on MakerWorld – the Hexahexaflexagon! This fascinating flexagon is an intricately folded hexagonal model that packs a lot into just half a millimeter of plastic, offering a unique and engaging fidget toy experience. There are six hidden symbols to discover, adding an extra layer of intrigue to your exploration.

What is a Hexahexaflexagon?

A hexahexaflexagon is a type of flexagon, a flat model that reveals hidden faces when flexed. By folding a strip of plastic in a specific way, this hexagonal shape can be flexed to display faces that were previously hidden. It’s a mesmerizing piece of engineering that’s sure to intrigue and delight.

Customizable Colors

One of the best features of this model is its customizability. You can choose any three colors for your flexagon, making it a personalized and vibrant addition to your 3D printed collection.

The filament you select for the part that folds (shown in gray in the print profile) is crucial. Choose a flexible PLA filament. Avoid using filaments with carbon fiber or Silk filament as they tend to be brittle.

Printing

I recommend using the included print profile, but if you choose not to use it, this model requires:

First layer with a height of 0.15 mm
Other layers have a height of 0.2 mm
Not to scale the model
Bottom surface pattern that is NOT parallel to the folds. This is to ensure the hinges are both strong and flexible. Deviating from this may compromise the design.

Folding and Assembling Your Flexagon

Before folding the flexagon, gently fold, back-and-forth each hinge about 8 times to loosen them up and stretch them out before folding them all the way in one direction.

Position the strip with the blank triangle in the lower left.

Fold the moon behind the lightning bolt.

Continue the pattern by folding the sun behind the moon.

This fold is a little different. The lightning bolt is folded behind the sun.

The tail containing the blank triangle and a lightning bolt, gets folded under the sun. It's starting to look a little like a hexagon

The lightning bolt tail gets tucked under to form the hexagon.

Flip it over to the other side and you should see six lightning bolts.

Here I'm showing the glue symbol and the blank triangle. You'll place a tiny bit of glue on these two triangles to glue the tails together.

Now you should have a fully folded and glued flexagon.

Flexing Your Flexagon

When you first get your flexagon, go slowly until it’s broken in. If it feels too tight and resists folding in a particular direction, don’t force it! Forcing can tear the folding seams. Here are the two moves to master:

Pinch and Push: Pinch three adjacent triangles together and push them towards the center. This motion reveals new hidden faces and you'll rotate the flexagon slightly with each flex.
Extra Rotation: To find new faces, rotate the flexagon by an extra triangle before pinching the triangles towards the center. Not all folds will work, so you might need to skip to the next reveal before adding the extra rotation. There are six (6) faces to discover.

Exploration and Discovery

The joy of the flexagon is in the exploration. Continue to flex and unfold it to reveal various faces and configurations. Each flex unveils a new side, providing endless fascination.