Category: No Limit

Wanted: A non-circular Epicyclic gear system, with at least 3 planetary gears. Bounty: ($200 + $50 * Months After September 2014) Zen Credits. This is not a standard contest. Similar to Contest #12, we don’t know if what we’re asking for is possible, and thus there is no deadline. The contest is over once an object is successfully made,…

A sequel to the unique Shadow Projection contest of October 2012. Geometric patterns require solid magnet skills, but inventing eye catching shadows with them stretches a whole different part of the imagination. Exactly like last October, the focus will not be on the magnet sculpture itself, but instead on the photography of a shadow dropped…

The September 2013 contest is to build any sculpture using only 5-Ring Subunits. One of the most simple subunits, which still allows great variety of form. Pentagonal rings can be stacked in either polarity, or connected at the sides for interesting experiments into topology. All identifiable rings or chains must be part of a 5-ring…

I have a very strict gun control policy: if there’s a gun around, I want to be in control of it. -Clint Eastwood The August 2013 contest is to recreate a gun, rifle, pistol, or cannon of your choice. It can be modeled after an existing one, it can be a scaled clone of a…

“Sometimes a symbol holds more power than the thing it represents. Like the symbol for Thing, the one I created that is confusing and abstract and makes people ask, What is that thing? And I always reply, “If you already knew, why did you ask?” ― Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not for Sale The July Contest…

♦♦ This one is HARD ♦♦ To experience the aura of a phenomenon means to invest it with the capability of returning the gaze. —Walter Benjamin Your challenge, if you accept it, is to attempt to create a 3D human head face of magnets, as accurately as possible. In order to succeed, you will need a lot…

“Sometimes, when one is moving silently through such an utterly desolate landscape, an overwhelming hallucination can make one feel that oneself, as an individual human being, is slowly being unraveled. The surrounding space is so vast that it becomes increasingly difficult to keep a balanced grip on one’s own being. The mind swells out to…

Update [3/1/13] – Contest Extended until 3/5. 60 Damage per ground attack, with 0.5 splash radius against air. And an optional 250mm Strike Cannon that can quickly remove dangerous units. The February 2013 contest is to create one of the best support units in Starcraft II, the Thor. No limit on the number of magnets,…

What do you get when you drop a piano down a mine shaft? A flat minor.  What’s the difference between a violin and a viola?  No difference. The violin just looks smaller because the violinist’s head is so much bigger.  The December contest is to create a sculpture of the musical instrument of your choice.…

Unlike most magnet contests, the focus of the October contest will not be on the magnet sculpture itself, but instead on the shadow dropped by the sculpture. To make a distinct shadow, we recommend using a single, minimally diffused light source. You will also need to submit two pictures. The first will be the actual…

The September contest is to build a sculpture using only 9-Triangle subunits. To create a 9-Triangle, make a ring with 9 Zen Magnets, and pinch three sides into a triangle. For many, this will be an interesting exploration into topology. Connecting six triangles at compatible edges will create a flat hexagon. Connecting less than six,…

Here’s your chance to show off your favorite subunit. Pick one subunit. Then make something, anything, with only the subunit of your choice, and photograph your sculpture beside a single specimen of the subunit. No limit on the number of magnets used. Zen Magnets Only. The concept of subunits are important to construction of complex…