Research
Examination of a puzzle box Zach had previously made
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3997352
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3178365
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3018359
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4937478
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3089561
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4217748
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:595481
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2977908
Links to some 3D printed puzzle boxes
https://notability.com/n/23BqMT_IO3jQnQ7NPabU8s
Brainstorming ideas notes
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9099102/
The movie ‘No Escape Room’ on Netflix
Exercise 1
Best Gift
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17FvStx5KwXCmkFFt1UrkGmH9H0_T0_3mNhNzFdDgIg8/edit
Exercise 2
Container
We created another object revolving around the lightbulb, something that matched perfectly into the illusion. The battery stick is meant to be an assist in getting the lightbulb out of the flashlight head.
Exercise 3
Prototyping
I modeled my prototype off this specific puzzle box: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2977908
Iterations
Did Do…
- Puzzle Box Idea
- Butterfly puzzle box model
- Additional gifts on the interior
- Made by hand using wood materials
- Hand cut and assembled each piece
- Upscaled the original prototype
- Made bevels for the sliding mechanisms
- Modified original 3D print template
- Successfully created a spring feature for key box
- Lined interior with silk
- Protected spring mechanism with more siding and roof
- Overcame multiple setbacks made due to change of material
- Painted purple
Didn’t Do…
- Multiple Puzzles boxes inside one another
- Additional gifts on the exterior
- Made using a 3D printer
- Caulking as glue
- Added end caps for the sliding mechanisms
- The butterfly textured design
- Whole fake bottom removable
- Outside Purple Flower designs
Process
I began this project with my dad because I needed him to use his tools to cut out all my pieces. I helped him understand what to cut and we figured out the dimensions together. The first part of the project was cutting the pieces together with my dad and the second part was all my responsibility. I sanded down all the pieces to make them fit then connected each piece together with nails and screws and wood glue.
We started by cutting out the floor and walls of the box with dimensions of 12in x 6in. The front face of the box had to be cut special to accommodate an opening for the rod that would hold back the spring box. The side box also was cut special to fit the key box.
I then had him divide the front face in thirds to determine the height of the sliding pieces on the bottom versus the taller columns pieces on the top.
The tall rectangle pieces are the vertical column like pieces. We had to cut out 2 of each piece, making 10 identical pieces. Without doubles, the height would be off, revealing the trick of the middle column, which holds a bevel behind it. I glued the doubles together to make the volume even between each piece.
These pieces with the notches in them are the bottom horizontal sliding pieces. They were designed like that on purpose, to create an illusion of separate pieces. They didn’t need doubles because their volume would match the columns because they all had bevels behind them.
I spaced out the front pieces along the front face to check the sizing. As you can see, the middle piece is not as thick as the others because I hadn’t assembled the bevel behind it yet.
Focusing on the four corners, we also pieced together the floor and walls of the box using a nail gun. The wood walls were too thin to stick a nail through securely so my dad thought of these rectangle supports you see in each of the four corners. Two of the corners were cut special however.
The bottom right had to have another rectangle cut out of it so that the rod would be able to slide through the corner of the box. The top left had to be shortened, and could only be attached from the top so the key box wasn’t restricted by anything.
The nails were shot through the walls so they stuck into this supports, leaving no sharp edges either. The bottom piece was also nailed into these supports.
I also added the hinges to my roof, which had the same dimensions of the floor. I had to use a metal saw and cut off the bottoms of the screws as they were poking through the sides and making sharp dangerous points. I also filed them down a bit and painted over them to match the surrounding scenery.
My next piece of action was to figure out my locking mechanism. I needed something that would turn from its side to straight up, because I was locking a door from opening upwards.
I settled on a common outdoor mailbox lock.
Next, I drilled out the circle needed for the lock. This was a challenge because of the design of this lock. It’s a mailbox lock, not made for this wooden box. This issue resulted in the lock not being secure from behind. If you pushed on it, it would fall backwards into the box and I had no solution to this at first.
My first solution was to fill the space with caulking, as you can see from the white stuff in the photos. This didn’t work because the caulking was too soft and was still soft when it was set.
My next plan was to cut a piece of wood that interlocked with the shape of the lock and then secure it to the inside of the box. Therefore, the lock would finally be secure from both sides, unable to move forward or back.
I first drew out the cutout area on paper and traced that onto a piece of thin wood to be cut. I succeeded in my cuts, they matched perfect and slid right into the bottom of the lock. The silver piece that holds it in place is an addition to the lock and its accessories. Now, all I needed to do was attach it to the inside. I first thought of wood glue, but I knew it wouldn’t be strong enough to endure the constant pushing.
I decided to attempt to screw it into the wall. This was difficult because at this point, I was away from my dads workbench and I didn’t have access to his tools or drills. I ventured to the woodshop and scavenged through all the nails and screws until I finally found two matching ones. Since I didn’t have access to power tools, I used a normal screwdriver and pushed hard enough until the screws penetrated the hard wooden walls and kept screwing until they were secure. Here is a perspective from inside the box of the screws fully attached and the lock mechanism secure.
These were my ideas on how to make a top lock, something that automatically locked when the box shut. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible due to my restraints but I did come up with another plan based off these sketches.
These are called galvanized tube straps, 1.25 inches in diameter. They are usually used to hold and secure pipes or tubes to a surface.
I used these to create the hooking part of the lock. They started as a U shape but I managed to bent it enough to be a V shape and flipped one of the nail sides inward so it would fit.
This is a video from the inside perspective of the locking mechanism in action.
In the next phase, I glued in a block of wood that would be the back support of my spring. The spring wasn’t long enough to go from one side of the box to the other where the key box was. So, this extra backing allowed it to have more stored energy and more tension.
At the same time I was securing the lock, I also had to secure my springs. I used caulking as well when trying to connect the end of the spring to the end of the wood block. This obviously didn’t work, because as I learned from my past mistakes, the caulking is too soft to secure something solid in place.
My next idea was to embed it in a bath of wood glue overnight. I taped off the area surrounding the base of the spring and filled up the space with a bath of wood glue. I let it dry on its side and let it dry, removing the tape around 24 hours later. This worked better than I thought it would, as it stayed secure and I could tell it would endure over time.
The construction of the box was a brain teaser. I had to figure out a way for the rod to slip into a notch, located behind the main face of the door to keep it hidden, but to also connect the back of the box to the front with adequate support.
This is what I came up with, one wall of the box is fully connected to the front and the other wall still has a portion connected while each of the walls connect themselves to the bottom.
Testing Video. I had to test that the springs would work once they were dry and that the box would fit in easily and still be able to pop out. I did file the bottom of the front of the box at an angle so it would slip into the hole easier.
Next, I lined the key box with the silk. I surrounded the rod hole with stacked foam sheets so the path would be protected and uninterrupted. I secured the edges using hot glue. I styled it with extra fabric so it would look kind of like a baby manger or crib.
The next order of business was to attach the bevels and to glue on each of the front panels.
I attached the non-moving column panels with clamps and only a bit of wood glue. They had to dry for a while with the clamps on to make sure they stayed on. This was something I did mostly during the night, and it would be dry in the morning.
The rod was cut to the width of the box, minus a few centimeters. I filed a small angle on the left side because the edges kept getting caught. Now, with the slant, it would slide easier into the hole in the key box.
After all the exterior work was done, I got to test the full puzzle and make sure it all fit. I realize that the rod gets stuck and its really difficult to put out most of the time, and that’s because its holding back al the pressure and tension of those two industrial springs. To fix this, I found out that all you have to do is relieve some of that pressure by pushing in on the key box just a bit so the rod can have wiggle room to be pulled free.
Another problem I found was with the paint. The type I got was wall paint so it never fully dries. I tried to file down the top layer of paint to get rid of that sticky layer, but the key box still gets stuck, even with the rod pulled out. Because of this, I added fail safes. There are tabs on the rod and underneath the box, so if anything gets stuck, you can just tug on the tab and it should come free. The last failsafe I gave my mentor was the spare key. Even with these issues, I know the box is very strong and held together very well so no matter how much force is exerted on it, it will survive.
To protect the spring mechanism, I boxed in the bottom back corner with extra scraps of wood. Some of it was thicker than other, which caused a few problems, but overall gave more protection.
I don’t have photo evidence of the final product because I accidentally sealed it in when I added the interior fabric lining.
The main yellow piece was clamped and glued on top of the back support block for the springs. The two blocks on either side of the main block acted as shims, making sure there was no wiggle room. The shims also helped fill the gap and keep tension against each wall when my scraps weren’t long enough. I had to cover each of the sides in glue and shove it into the space to make sure they stayed. The orange side piece acted as a wall for the springs and the key box. I left room for the rod but secured the wall with wood glue on the top and bottom.
After the base layer of wood was dry and secured, I covered each piece with a few layers of styrofoam to soften the edges and make sure the fabric wouldn’t snag of any spare splinters.
I attached the interior silk using a staple gun because it was less messy and faster than the hot glue gun or sewing. I used excess fabric layered around the edges to achieve the same drapes and waves we see in the key box. Underneath the fabric, I stuffed quilt filler around the corners and edges to give it a soft, padded feel. I began layering fabric next to the lock, working out and around. When I finished around the rim of the box, I snipped a hole so that the lock would fit right into it. Two staples secure the silk right next to the head of the lock, making sure there’s no slack.
I did have a phase that was incredibly short lived. The base paint I chose to cover my box in was called ‘Purple Peonies’ so I thought it would be cute to paint purple flowers and peonies all over the box, giving it some character and personality.
I even practiced painting different types of flowers on a scrap of paper to see which ones I liked, but as soon as I started painted on the box, I realized I didn’t like it at all and I wasn’t painted them right.. As soon as they were put onto the box, I immediately wanted them gone. I took a Clorox wipe and wiped the flowers paint right off. The parts that were still wet came right off but the parts that had already dried needed to be painted over. I realized the flowers didn’t look as good as they did in my mind and I hated them.
I thought they ruined the mystery and illusion of the puzzle box. I wanted there to be no theme. I designed it so that the mystery was shown through the bare outside, leaving no clues. The excitement was on the inside, once the box had been successfully opened. I painted over all the flowers so the box looked the same as before.
If I had to redo this project, I would probably get to know my mentor a bit more because my idea to make a puzzle box was completely on a whim. I didn’t connect with her as much as I expected and that was a little disappointing just because this is my final design project. If I were to redo the puzzle box itself, I would give myself access to the 3D printer, where the process would go much smoother and easier.