The owner of the local apple orchard has agreed to let my kids enclose some baby apples in acrylic cubes early this season, so that they’ll grow constrained within the box into a cube shape. If anyone else wants to make rubik’s apples, here’s the design. It’s sized for a 2.5" interior, but it’s parametric so if you can modify the LWH parameters in Fusion 360 to make it any size you want. The F3D file is here.
Basically you just assemble the box around the apple, sliding the stem through the slot in the top, and secure the ends with the friction pins. There are 4 holes in the top corners to add string/wire to support the box from the branch. Don’t forget to engrave your name (in reverse), favorite Star Wars symbol, or Rubik’s lines on the interior surfaces so the apple will become embossed with it.
Thanks to @eljefe4 for the honeycomb bed hold down pin design shared here earlier, which also works perfect for this use with no modification! I put some in the SVG so you don’t have to hunt for them.
<edited 2018-06-15 to include drain holes>
<edited 2019-09-18 to provide SVG for 2" square interior box>
Now this is a plan!
(No square apples around here, but we might be able to knock out a couple of cubed grapefruit by next year…I need to build some big ones.)
I need to scale this up for Papaya, Avocado and Mangos! This would be too cool here. Actually too cool anywhere. Think of the space savings in the display case.
Japan has been doing it since forever AFAIK.
Over there it is traditional to give a gift of fruit at the start of Spring. It is said that the first fruit of the year will enhance your longevity so early season fruit is a prized gift.
Some enterprising farmer decided to take it up a notch by growing Watermelon in a box and the fad was born. I have not see apples squared, but the region i lived was not famed for its apples and in Japan regional is everything.
I was quite regularly given square watermelon, nashi fruit and even pumpkin.
Once i was also given a square grape…
Having worked for the Japanese auto mfr based in mid Tn for more than two decades, I was exposed to lots of Japanese traditions. The square melons amazed me. Interesting and different, but made me kinda think someone needs a hobby. Ha
Perhaps I can coax some square peaches or pears as well. As to the BLT’s… (@bruceaulrich) it’s hard to imaging making them better!
As to the BLT’s…it’s hard to imaging making them better!
Oh but there is yet another way! May I present the bacon weave! 8 pieces interwoven in a lattice, baked in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes (flip over halfway). Makes the perfect BLT or breakfast sandwich component.
My region was famous for its white peaches and i never saw one squared. Not sure it it is easy enough to do with them?
If you can you might be sitting on a gold mine!
Dang, now I’m wanting to grow a few square tomatoes, and I don’t even like tomatoes on sandwiches.
@ryan_haskell, I was gonna ask you…I bake my bacon as well, do you find that the parchment helps it to brown more easily? (I tend to cook mine a little lower and slower directly on foil - it takes it a while to evenly cook, and I’m not trying to weave it into a basket.)
I cook mine on a wire rack set in a pan - doesn’t need to be flipped, and the bacon doesn’t sit in its own grease while it’s cooking. I usually cook it at 400F until it’s done - 25-30 minutes in my oven for thick-cut bacon.
good work.
