The Attribute Mazes have names based on guiding Dungeons and Dragons attributes. (Of course, any puzzle can be solved with enough Strength or Charisma). The objective is the same for all three mazes: guide the ball bearing from start to exit without turning the puzzle upside down. The bearing is 0.25" and the puzzle dimensions are 4" x 2.75" x 1.125".
- WIS (Wisdom): a perception check; find the magnet to guide the bearing past the holes in a simple maze
- DEX (Dexterity): a tricky spiral ramp must be navigated so the bearing can fall through the center and exit
- LOG (Logic): a lever-activated double-trammel mechanism allows the bearing to avoid a T-shaped trap
Files:
- CutRocket: https://cutrocket.com/p/5f4a64ba5aed8/
- DEX Base: https://a360.co/2QBHv5W
- DEX Top: https://a360.co/2EFEe31
- DEX Spiral: https://a360.co/2QEtcx6
- LOG Base: https://a360.co/2EI9bTZ
- LOG Top: https://a360.co/2EBAiQM
- WIS Base: https://a360.co/34IP56N
- WIS Top: https://a360.co/3b8HD68
I would like to continue making these types of puzzles with the attribute as a hint and puzzle names like WIS+1. I am especially proud of the trammel mechanism because I’ve never seen that in a puzzle before. I was inspired by the Trammel of Archimedes and wanted to figure out how to put it in a puzzle.
For each puzzle, the process was:
- Prepare stock at correct thickness
- CNC the puzzle base and lid (using only 0.25" end mill) using Shapeoko hardwood settings
- Create auxiliary pieces (ramp, trammel blocks, lever)
- (Drill dowel holes and) add dowels; attach lid
- Hand sand until satisfied (320 grit)
- Engrave puzzle name on lid with 60deg V-bit
- Finish with Danish oil and a coat or two of shellac
WIS
I had some fatal mistakes here in the final steps that have put this project into the “remake later” category. This should have been the easiest puzzle to make. The maze is simple but the ball will fall out the bottom if the magnet is not used. The maze must still be “mapped out” because moving the magnet in the wrong way will drop the ball. The magnet is hidden in one of the four dowels (with the other three glued in). Major mistakes:
- I thought I could hand-drill a straight 3/8" hole through the bottom piece, guided by the top piece. I should have used a drill press or trusted the CNC.
- My dowels are too thick for the holes; I should have taken the time to sand them down! I ended up cracking three out of four corners while hammering them in.
- The first hole can be bypassed by quickly tilting the puzzle, giving the ball enough momentum. But I haven’t been able to build enough momentum to bypass the second hole, so I consider the holes well-placed.
- I lost my magnets! They must be stuck to something metal because I can’t find them anywhere right now. Also, check your magnet strength before you put the lid on to make sure they are strong enough.
DEX
The trick here is to gently guide the ball up a spiral ramp and into the center hole, where it drops down and easily exits. I made the raised ramp out of MDF with the idea that it could be sanded and sculpted to make the task easier if necessary. My version is tricky even if you can see the ramp, so I will be adding a slight groove to the ramp using a chisel or carving tool.
- In my first design I didn’t pocket quite enough space in the top piece to allow the ball all the way up. This was straightforward to fix with a chisel, but it definitely doesn’t look great.
- A simpler design would probably be a better starter puzzle (for example, a round container with an internal, square wall and a single opening).
LOG
The double-trammel design here means a single lever moves the two wooden blocks in a slightly confusing manner, but the mechanism is visible through the holes in the boxes. Each block has two holes to allow the ball through. A shortcut can even be used to bypass half of the maze.
- Solidworks was useful for the initial dimensions because the constraints are easy to set and test. Fusion360 may work just as well, but I’m not very skilled yet.
- I used cut-off nails with wide heads to hold the trammel blocks to the lever.
- If you know of any other puzzle that uses this mechanism (especially with more than 1.5 tracks) let me know – I’m very curious what else can be done!