Wood Dowel Puzzle
There are eight dowel segments that you must fit into a box. You should be able to get seven pieces in with ease. What about the last piece?
This very simple project was built from scrap wood (minimal cost) and it took about an hour. I tested the puzzle on my two teenage children and both gave up after 5 minutes so I would say it’s slightly challenging.
I understand the originator of this logic puzzle was Tesa Timonen of Sweden in 2002. I reversed engineered this version from online pictures.
Tools/Materials
Tools:
- Saw (table, miter, band or hand)
- Sander
- Wood Clamps
Materials:
- Wood - 5.5” x 3” x .5” thick
- Wood - 1.5” x 19” x .5” thick
- Dowel – 1” diameter x 20” Long
- Glue
Drawing
You will be building to the drawing. Yep, I just gave away the solution.
Base
Cut wood for the base as shown.
Sides
Cut 2 long and 2 short sides as shown.
Box
Use glue to attach the sides to the base. Apply pressure with wood clamps. Remove excess glue and sand as necessary.
Dowel Segments
Set your table, miter or band saw to a 30 degree angle. Cut 1” dowels to the lengths shown.
Finished Build
Stain or paint as desired.
Walnut Stain
Try to Solve - First Attempt
Try to Solve - Second Attempt
5 Minutes Later...
Well, actually my kids gave up and went to play on their phones. So, I'm taking this to work on Monday.
Solution in Pictures
If you plan to build this for someone, you might want to print solution instructions to go with the puzzle.
Hope you enjoyed the project!
References:
Only two references I could find online:
Advanced Version
See HERE for advanced version.