Two Ring Puzzle - Yes, I'm a Sadist

[Legebla ankaŭ en Esperanto]

What says ‘Merry Christmas’ better than a hand made puzzle to create frustration? I made this very simple puzzle from a piece of oak, a few brass washers and a new black shoe string. After I saw Peter Brown’s video [link] on this I just knew I was going to make one. The wood measure about 3-1/2×2 inches and is about 3/4 inches thick. I lopped off two opposing corners to add some interest to the piece. The one edge already had a round-over on it. The secret to added frustration is to make the hole just smaller than whatever rings you use. That way it almost looks like it’s possible to somehow pass the ring through the wood.

The string is epoxied into holes drilled in the ends of the wood. I added a small brass washer for decoration and to hide any glue squeeze out. The piece is finished with spray lacquer.

This is the sort of thing where the shape of the wood can be just about anything. Now I’m imagining a new use for hole saw plugs!

The object is to simply get both rings (washers) onto the same loop of string.

Steve French’s video shows the solution without any fuss. [link]

Steve French also showed how to make this puzzle [link], but I enjoy Peter’s cheekiness.

-- Ni faru ion el ligno!