Mythical-Puzzle-Box

A cube shaped puzzle box with symbols, riddles, and mechanisms, made for a friends birthday. This is NOT a simple build. There are a few design flaws and no build manual. The mechanisms are very stiff and can break easily. A lot more detail work still has to go into this.

Features

The cube has six sides:

1. A Geneva Mechanism. Turning the outer gear will have the index in the center point to 5 specific numbers on the dial.
2. Two identical sides show a clock. If the hands of both clocks show the right time, then the outer gears can be turned to open the drawer on side (4).
3. An iris mechanism with a small compartment underneath. The iris is locked until the symbol next to the iris is pushed.
4. A drawer is hidden behind the gear. If the clocks in (2) show the right time, it can be opened.
5. A "number lock". If all four gears are in the right position, the cube can be opened on this side.

How It's Designed

The cube was designed side by side in AutoCAD. Then all sides were adapted to fit together. Basis is a 150mm x 150mm x 3mm plate that everything has to fit on, then mechanisms are added layer by layer. (pic. Early Designs)

Work in Progress - Design Problems

• All mechanisms are based on glued wooden stacks. This makes them stiff and easy to break. Axes should be single long wooden pieces or even metal screws instead.
• A build manual.
• Side 5: Right now only the smaller gears can turn the larger gears, not the other way round.
• Side 2 & 4: The drawer is very difficult to push out. The outer gears on the two clocks are not connected together (so they move independently) and the drawer is missing guiderails to move in/out.
• Side 3: The arms pulling the iris out get stuck between top and bottom plate unless they are sanded down a lot.

How to Build

1. All Files are cut out on a laser cutter

The sides are laid out flat in src/Box_optimised.pdf. Black lines are cut, red lines are marked. 3mm birchwood plates were used.

2. The cut out pieces are post processed

The accentuated pieces are painted with walnut wood glazing. Mechanical parts are sanded down and rubbed with wax to lower friction.

3. All parts are glued together.

The sides are glued together separately, then together into one cube with wood glue. There are magnets on side (3) that hold the symbol in its place and thus lock the iris mechanism until pushed down.

4. Symbols and markings are added

At the last step all symbols and markings are burned into the wood using a soldering iron