Try a whole new cube ?

There are many facinating SOMA figures, but on his page:
http://puzzles.zzlevo.net/soma.html
Andreas Gunnarsson (Gothenburg-Sweden) is showing a whole new way of assembling the cube.

Build it inside the cover so that one small cube is sticking out of each hole. It should be possible to pick it all up by the top cube.

Now I can promise you that this is NOT a simple task, but it can be done if you are really good. I made the figure, but failed to make it so that it could be lifted in the top, and I had to ask for help.
Well - the help is here, at the end of this page. So don't scroll down if you want to do it on yourself.

The solution is

/SOMAPins
;This can NOT be picked up in the top cube
/...../...../..A../.....
/...../..PA./.TAA./.LLZ.
/..P../.PP../TT.BB/.LZZ.
/...../..V../.TVB./.LZB.
/...../...../..V../.....

/SOMAPins
;This is another solution that cannot be picked up
/...../...../..B../.....
/...../.LBB./.LBT./.LVV.
/..P../.PP../AA.TT/.LZV.
/...../..P../.AZT./.AZ..
/...../...../..Z../.....

On Mar. 22. 2003 Andreas <andreas@zzlevo.net> describes the solution like this:

Start with P so one of its cubes sticks out through the top hole (that is the cube you can pick it up by when finished).
Add the V and L so two small cubes stick up on each side of one side-hole.
Insert the T so its middle cube sticks out through one side-hole.
Add A and B so they stick out through opposite side-holes.
Finally add Z so it sticks out through the last hole.

Some of these steps can be done in slightly different ways and still work (e.g. exchanging the A and B).

/SOMAPins-OK
;This is the real solution that you can pick up in the top cube
/...../...../..T../.....
/...../.LP../.TTT./.....
/..P../.LPP./BB.AA/.BZA.
/...../.LVV./.LZV./.BZA.
/...../...../..Z../.....

Edited by Thorleif Bundgaard <thorleif@fam-bundgaard.dk>

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