# MMMM Puzzle



## rwyoung (Aug 3, 2008)

Still too hot to do much out in the shop (garage) but I can do small stuff. This is a four piece puzzle. The four pieces are the same shape but too tall and too wide to fit inside the box unless placed just right. The trick to making the puzzle is getting the puzzle pieces and the inside dimensions of the box just right.

The box is white oak with walnut splines. The puzzle pieces are white oak veneer (quarter sawn) over plywood. In one photo you see a bloodwood veneered puzzle piece, I'm making a second set.

I still need to make a lid for the box but its just to dang hot out there now!

Finish on the pieces consists of three coats of amber shellac followed up by sanding to 600 then some paste wax. 

And just for giggles, I did the veneering using hot hide glue and a technique called hammer veneering. No clamps, no cauls, no veneer press required. 


p.s. After it cooled down a bit I went back out and made a lid. The underside of the lid has two additional layers so that it fits inside the box walls and you have no other way to close it cleanly unless the pieces are in the right configuration.

In the last photo you can see what is NOT a solution to the puzzle.


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## rcp612 (Oct 22, 2008)

That is great. Looks great and a great piece. I've never seen anything like that.
If I'm seeing this right though, all 4 pieces have to into the box at the same time, right?
Keep up the god work, I appreciate seeing things like this.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Rob..

what did you think of that whole hide glue and hammering technique?


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## rwyoung (Aug 3, 2008)

TwoSkies57 said:


> Rob..
> 
> what did you think of that whole hide glue and hammering technique?


Easy. I've done it a few times now. Made a veneer hammer a while back. Just spread out some newspaper 'cause you WILL be making a mess.

After it is all dry I just hit it with the card scraper and trim the edges true. 

I bought a small $10 electric kettle from Target for my glue pot. Inside I have a glass jar with a screw-on plastic lid. A little experimenting and testing with a thermometer and I know where I need to set the kettle thermostat to keep my glue around 140F. I can screw on the lid and store my glue in the fridge between sessions. A pinch of salt in the glue increases the open time (at a small cost of strength) and a few drops of bleach keep inhibit mold growth. I test the glue before using it with the "pinch test".

I've also got a small vacuum bag from RoarRocket. It works great for non-hammered veneering tasks so long as they are small.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Rob, 

Was the puzzle your own design, or is it a plan from somewhere?


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## rwyoung (Aug 3, 2008)

kp91 said:


> Rob,
> 
> Was the puzzle your own design, or is it a plan from somewhere?


It is a design by Hirokazu Iwasawa http://home.r01.itscom.net/iwahiro/main/eng_contents/eng_intro.html#mmmmpuzlle_page and is sold commercially by him and others.

I found it in "Puzzle Projects for Woodworkers" by Allan J. Boardman. Picked up a copy through inter-library loan. Had the book a while back and made lots of notes to work from.

Even with plans, you will be doing some fine tuning of the shapes to make sure everything fits properly.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Well done Rob., your patience and workmanship are inspiring.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

rwyoung said:


> It is a design by Hirokazu Iwasawa http://home.r01.itscom.net/iwahiro/main/eng_contents/eng_intro.html#mmmmpuzlle_page and is sold commercially by him and others.
> 
> I found it in "Puzzle Projects for Woodworkers" by Allan J. Boardman. Picked up a copy through inter-library loan. Had the book a while back and made lots of notes to work from.
> 
> Even with plans, you will be doing some fine tuning of the shapes to make sure everything fits properly.


Thanks!


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## rwyoung (Aug 3, 2008)

harrysin said:


> Well done Rob., your patience and workmanship are inspiring.


Takes longer to solve than to make...


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