320 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle With Tricked Out Box

via LumberJocks.com RSS Feed - All Posts http://lumberjocks.com/projects/75529

An heirloom quality monkey puzzle with storage and assembly box for my wonderful daughter, who really likes primates. The monkey is douc langur. The inscription on the back of the puzzle includes the full scientific name for this species.

The assembled puzzle is 8” by 10” and has 320 pieces. The image was attached to 1/4” inch baltic birch plywood using spray adhesive. The pieces were cut using my Excalibur 16” scroll saw and Flying Dutchman Superior Puzzle blades.

The box was made from half inch poplar and eighth inch baltic birch plywood, finished with lacquer and paste wax, and the bottom is covered in heavy felt. The puzzle image is on both the lid and on one of the box’s two interior trays. The trays are sized so the assembled puzzle can fit on them and one tray is lipped so the pieces won’t slide off. The non-lipped tray lays on top of the lipped tray so the puzzle can be kept in the box in whatever the current state of assembly is. To facilitate working on the puzzle while reclining, I devised some supports that will hold the non-lipped inner tray to exhibit the puzzle image. Ribbons were attached to the inner trays so they can be easily lifted out to access the loose pieces.

The lid attaches to the body of the box with six pairs of magnets which were secured using CA glue. The magnets on the lid are recessed only about 1/4 of their thickness so they also serve as alignment pins.

It was fun project to do and I’m looking forward to giving it to that wonderful daughter of mine this week.

Thanks for looking in fellow lumberjocks.

Russ

Crafty Puzzles

So you think you can go pro ? :) #12: Bapitizing the cat

via LumberJocks.com RSS Feed - All Posts http://lumberjocks.com/sawblade1/blog/33404

Good evening,

Now and days I hear woodwork from home, business opportunity, be your own boss build furniture all day without ever leaving your home. Now and days everybody has a system that works for a business some will sell you a book on it others will send you plans, and one will even give you your own 800 # tied to your cell phone. Now I know right now you are dreaming of making dust and it magically turning into money. Well let me fill you in on a little secret. No system you buy will ever work 100% let me explain One of the things is we as hobbyist do is run to the nearest lumberyard for our material well we pay retail or get a small discount on what we use well when you get into a system you tend to do the same thing sometimes you luck up on a small time operator lumberyard that works with you and gives you a 20% discount WOW your rolling big now Right? NOT

What separates the pros from the DIYer’s is where we get the material, the hardware, and the knowledge to work with. right now I know your thinking like this cat right here

My God he is killing my dream, my little business, my hopes!!!! Well to tell you the truth I am I was thinking the same thing was running the same game as the books I read said to do. I followed some of them to a tee but I asked for advice and it sometimes worked but I always seemed to fall short as a woodworker till I got baptized not by no preacher or water but by a sales rep in the cabinet industry in knowledge Knowledge I hated to hear but soon became sweetness I tried to fight and reason to stay dry hoping to not get doused with this seemingly painful words tearing my little world apart but it made sense. What was this holy grail I was handed? Well it is simple 1. just because you do woodworking does not mean crap to anyone I know you do but no one cares you do woodworking it is what you can do for them. 2. Buying big box most of the time they try to kill the little guy distributors that work with woodworking shops are the way to go (note: you need to be a licensed business)

3. The three P’ not the pigs but Products, Place, And Perceived value it all boils down to this one if you are offering the same things the competition is or using retail materials that any common store sells then you are just asking to be the laughing stock of the town and get beat up on labor cost. Why would I pay $65 dollars for imported cheap plywood when I can get domestic grade top of the shelf for about the same cost. The place sometimes we run into friends and family that support us but that is not always the way for some some just can’t afford you or the materials putting up flyers only pisses people off or gets the cops called, ads bring in the common crowd but one of the things I learned from a jobs class is networking basically starts with you finding people who appreciate nice built things, and are willing to buy but be warned to #1 again put your business out first (what you offer) then elaborate on your self and finally Perceived value If you show up dirty don’t have the displays, products and the ability to show and explain then you will always be the garage woodworker who can never get that new toy because no one values me because I am always competing on price instead of value and as a executive one told me Value only has value if it is valued !! Now sometimes I am like the cat in the picture but then that is a good thing sometimes we need to Know that we are in the wrong area going the wrong way even if the fields are green and grassy I hope this is some help and in 2013 the tide will change I will post more on this here in this Blog So yo think you can go pro Stay tuned

Crafty Puzzles

Daily Sudoku: Thu 13-Dec-2012

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Daily Monster Sudoku: Thu 13-Dec-2012

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Daily Squiggly Sudoku: Thu 13-Dec-2012

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Bad For Your Eyes!

via Mighty Optical Illusions http://www.moillusions.com/2012/12/bad-for-your-eyes.html

Look what just landed straight to my mailbox! I think this public service announcement is more than clear – staring too much at your TV (or any monitor surface, in fact) can do some bad things to your eyes. I never get tired of these anomalous motion illusions. Specially when they’re fine as this one! How about you? Think we had enough of these, or should I continue posting them here and then? Don’t forget to send more good stuff our way!

Crafty Puzzles

New Fangled Workbench

via LumberJocks.com RSS Feed - All Posts http://lumberjocks.com/topics/44187

I am still stuck in the “what if” stage of workbench building.

I’ve read it all 2 books by Schwarz,Schliening, the 2219 entry smackdown, you name it I’ve spent a year and a half reading it. I like Paul Sellers video blog. I really like boat man’s wedges. Many many very skilled people on here,the bike chain improvement on the leg vise, it is no wonder man has progressed so.

I am interested in hearing from longtime users (plus 6 months or more.) of this bench design.

Of all the designs it seems to be the best first bench. It seems as though John White thought of everything. Simplicity has it’s own virtue.

What do you like and what do you dislike? What would you keep and what changes and how would you change it?

Thank you in advance for any replies I lurk on here almost daily but I don’t have anything to say except WOW most of the time.

Web groups that actually make and try stuff out are just so cool.

I still can’t put jam on toast. But doggonit I better hurry up and get in the game

Crafty Puzzles

Incidental Fermat Projects #4: New and Festive

via LumberJocks.com RSS Feed - All Posts http://lumberjocks.com/vipond33/blog/33398

Not so long ago I blew my brains out on Christmas building. Starting in mid September then I made 21 different things for a broad range of people. It was worth it yes, but I was mentally finished by the end.

This year is wiser and lazier and lighter with only 5 types, 9 pcs. but good ones, mostly culled from my favourites at LJ.

Here are three.

As is my custom I make something for my boss each year, by way of saying thank you for letting me have free access to our shop to build my own things. I did manage some interesting builds there this year, the Mari coffee table my favourite. For his coffee table I made two puzzles.

First up is the Quick wooden puzzle, no solution provided here. Do It Yourself. ” aka Wooden X Puzzle aka X Puzzle - 3 times a charm. Thanks to all the previous posters and for the suggested refinements to this fun puzzle.

.



.

My version uses white oak for the body with rosewood end caps and polished brass rod for the sliders. My boss solved it in a staring at it eureka moment a day later while half a dozen others were still trying to just coax it open twenty minutes on. He also suggested a different approach to building it, requiring a very different solution. (anyone interested can PM me) I used white oak for the body so that dripping tears of frustration or explosive spittle wouldn’t swell the half lap joint. I did make a minor modification, offsetting one hole slightly so that it was obvious which way to put it back together.

.

.

Next is the Diabolical Dice Puzzle by KnotCurser.(and later as Dice Cube Puzzle)

.

.

Now even though I had the building/solution sheet in front of me I still had to stare to get it built, still haven’t solved it without it.

My take is in Honduras mahogany with qtr-sawn maple dots. Leather is on both sides of the bottom. That makes it quieter when you angrily toss the unsolved bits back in. Made two of these.

.

.

A nice thing about having a storage box is that maybe one day you can capture the solved!! block, invert it and run shouting to show your unbelieving one in the next room.



.

Lastly there is an instant favourite that I had to build as soon as I saw it. Get me out is a game that madts posted, based on one that he remembered from some 50 yrs ago.

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Today it’s a touchscreen game on IPhone’s et all, so as I was giving my young daughter her very first mp3/video player for Xmas I thought I’d make a touch-wood alternative. Slide the real blocks around, get that big flatty piece out. You can re-arrange the blocks any way you like for the starting position.

.



.

A whole different feel from the glass screen. My build is from zebra-wood and a decades old chunk of sapwood/heartwood rosewood. With English green leather pips in the fingertip holes.



.

Watch me triumph in 30 seconds.

.



.

The great truth is easy here. You’re never without good ideas and friendly advice at Lumberjocks. Thanks guys.

gene

Crafty Puzzles

Incidental Fermat Projects #4: New and Festive

via LumberJocks.com RSS Feed - All Posts http://lumberjocks.com/vipond33/blog/33398

Not so long ago I blew my brains out on Christmas building. Starting in mid September then I made 21 different things for a broad range of people. It was worth it yes, but I was mentally finished by the end.

This year is wiser and lazier and lighter with only 5 types, 9 pcs. but good ones, mostly culled from my favourites at LJ.

Here are three.

As is my custom I make something for my boss each year, by way of saying thank you for letting me have free access to our shop to build my own things. I did manage some interesting builds there this year, the Mari coffee table my favourite. For his coffee table I made two puzzles.

First up is the Quick wooden puzzle, no solution provided here. Do It Yourself. ” aka Wooden X Puzzle aka X Puzzle - 3 times a charm. Thanks to all the previous posters and for the suggested refinements to this fun puzzle.

.



.

My version uses white oak for the body with rosewood end caps and polished brass rod for the sliders. My boss solved it in a staring at it eureka moment a day later while half a dozen others were still trying to just coax it open twenty minutes on. He also suggested a different approach to building it, requiring a very different solution. (anyone interested can PM me) I used white oak for the body so that dripping tears of frustration or explosive spittle wouldn’t swell the half lap joint. I did make a minor modification, offsetting one hole slightly so that it was obvious which way to put it back together.

.

.

Next is the Diabolical Dice Puzzle by KnotCurser.(and later as Dice Cube Puzzle)

.

.

Now even though I had the building/solution sheet in front of me I still had to stare to get it built, still haven’t solved it without it.

My take is in Honduras mahogany with qtr-sawn maple dots. Leather is on both sides of the bottom. That makes it quieter when you angrily toss the unsolved bits back in. Made two of these.

.

.

A nice thing about having a storage box is that maybe one day you can capture the solved!! block, invert it and run shouting to show your unbelieving one in the next room.



.

Lastly there is an instant favourite that I had to build as soon as I saw it. Get me out is a game that madts posted, based on one that he remembered from some 50 yrs ago.

.

Today it’s a touchscreen game on IPhone’s et all, so as I was giving my young daughter her very first mp3/video player for Xmas I thought I’d make a touch-wood alternative. Slide the real blocks around, get that big flatty piece out. You can re-arrange the blocks any way you like for the starting position.

.



.

A whole different feel from the glass screen. My build is from zebra-wood and a decades old chunk of sapwood/heartwood rosewood. With English green leather pips in the fingertip holes.



.

Watch me triumph in 30 seconds.

.



.

The great truth is easy here. You’re never without good ideas and friendly advice at Lumberjocks. Thanks guys.

gene

Crafty Puzzles