How to quickly make a simple wooden puzzle? For example, like this:
Let's start with a sketch. I usually draw on paper and then stick the drawing onto a piece of wood or plywood blank using tape or glue. Universal contact adhesive (Moment, rubber No. 88, BF-6 and others) or an adhesive stick will do. But not this time.
I sketched the sketch directly on a piece of birch board 18mm thick
First - the general outline, then I outlined the mouth, eyes and tail. Next, we divide it into pieces. Special attention I draw attention to the fact that there are no too narrow jumpers across the wood fibers in order to ensure the strength of the parts.
The sketch is ready. It is better to drill the eyes in advance, since the finished parts can easily be split during drilling. Now I start cutting. As always - Flying Duchman FR-UR#5 blades
If you do not plan to make a standing toy, you can use thin plywood and a hand jigsaw.
An important stage of work is grinding. Each part is carefully sanded with sandpaper. And here is the result:
It looks like it didn't turn out to be homemade at all,
But rather, it is a wild boar, judging by its powerful fangs - a real boar cleaver.
Here is my drawing for cutting a puzzle out of plywood or wood. You can freely download and use the puzzle pattern for your own work. I'll be interested to see photos of the resulting boar.
How are plywood puzzles made? Today, many of you have seen on the Internet many sculptures created using intersecting ribs. In our humble opinion, the Japanese company d-torso has been most successful in this matter. We will tell you how such masterpieces are created in this article.
There are several ways. The first and simplest is creating drawings using special software. Of the programs we know, this is Autodesk 123d make: you load a 3D model, set the parameters of the sections, and as a result you get a layout in vector format. The disadvantages of Autodesk 123d make are a section only in two selected planes (this is normal, since the algorithm cannot work otherwise) and a problem with loading many 3D models. The program is still raw and the last update was from 2014. There is also a plugin for the SketchUp program, which we will talk about further, and it is called Slice modeler. The general disadvantage of such programs is manual modification of models and throwing away a huge number of unnecessary details. It may take the same amount of time as the third method, which will be discussed later.
The second method is to create vector drawings in a graphics editor with the calculation of sections in different planes. For this method, you must have at least minimal artistic skills and good spatial thinking. The contour can be drawn in the same CorelDraw. This is where you cut with planes. Anyone who studied engineering graphics well at a university will immediately catch on. We don’t see any downsides to this method; with experience, such models can be made quite quickly. Plus there is a creative component to this. A minor minus is the inability to see the 3D model in isometry already in assembled form without preliminary cutting.
The third method is to create a puzzle from the original 3D model “by hand”. This method combines the advantages of the previous two. You can decide for yourself where to divide the model by planes, how far the contour of the element will extend into the model. You can immediately see the overall picture when creating planes. The disadvantages of this method are the mandatory presence of a 3D model, as for the first option. We will tell you about this method using the example of making an elephant's head.
The main manufacturing process is working with the SketchUp program. Moreover, there is free version this product (although in a similar way can be modeled in almost any 3D graphics program). Find a 3D model that you want to make into a puzzle and load it into SketchUp.
... we copy with a certain step in the right direction.
The next stage is the intersection of the model with planes. It is necessary to carry out such operations with parallel planes or with planes that do not intersect each other. Before doing this, be sure to create a reference point in order to correctly group elements from different planes in the future.
Select the planes and use the Intersect Faces command to intersect the model in the right place.
After executing the command, which can take quite a long time depending on the PC, you can see the outline where the plane intersects the model.
After this, remove the model along with the section planes and you should be left with the outlines of future puzzle elements. Be sure to first copy the model along with the reference point for subsequent sectioning with other planes.
We now have a set of closed contours that form future puzzle elements. In order to form sections, we close each of the contours with a line.
Some contours may lose segments after removing the model and cutting planes. In this case, you need to manually close them. All this, of course, depends on the original model.
All that remains is to remove the small “garbage” and the final picture will look like...
The next stage is similar to the previous one. We just cut the model along a different axis. If the first axis was conditionally X, then now we take Y.
Subsequent operations are repeated.
Don't forget about the anchor point. The bottom photo shows the overlap of sections from different planes when using an anchor point.
Let's crop our future model and remove unnecessary elements.
As you can see, the lower sections of the trunk hang in the air. Let's make a section between the two previous ones and “link” the elements of the trunk into a solid structure.
All that remains is to add sections along the Z axis. The whole process is familiar to you.
Later it turned out that two sections along the Z axis would be enough and the middle ones were thrown out. We added tusks and drew the ears to scale in Corel. The vectors were imported from Corel into SketchUp and combined with our elements.
Next, using the Push/Pull command, we add volume to the sections. We pull to the thickness of the future material. If you plan to cut from 4mm plywood, then accordingly you will use this value. We advise you to immediately make the entire model in real scale to present the overall picture in the future.
Final 3D model
Creating grooves for joining puzzle elements is done manually and this is a rather long and monotonous process compared to the previous one. Anyone familiar with SketchUp will do this without any problems. Let us demonstrate this operation using the example of two trunk parts. Important point: in the process of creating elements, even at the stage of creating sections, be sure to group each element separately.
Select one of the elements and go into editing mode. We draw the outline of the intersection of our elements.
For convenience, using the Hide command, we hide the “unnecessary” element for now and close the contour of the groove.
Using the Push/Pull command, we extrude a groove in the element.
We carry out a similar operation with another puzzle element.
Creating grooves can be done faster using the same Intersect Faces command, but you will still have to modify it manually. Next, we carry out similar operations with the remaining parts of the puzzle. And ultimately, we lay out all the elements on one plane for subsequent export to CorelDraw.
Let us immediately clarify that exporting 2D graphics from SketchUp is still poorly implemented and some files can only be exported using installed plugins. The most suitable file format for export is dxf. You can try both dwg and eps. In general, any format will do to achieve the goal. When exporting sections, be sure to make sure that they lie in the same plane and that you have selected the appropriate camera (view) mode. The camera (view) should look strictly perpendicular to the elements. Otherwise, unnecessary curves will be exported.
Actually, at this stage the creation of a model for vector cutting of a 3D puzzle is completed. Next is the actual production of the puzzle on any CNC cutting machine or manually using patterns. We also promised to talk about the “Slice modeler” plugin for SketchUp. This plugin allows you to do the above work automatically, but as with any automation process there are some drawbacks. Slice modeler works great with simple three-dimensional shapes, as well as simple 3D models. With all the models that we imported into SketchUp, it worked a bit crookedly.
When you launch the plugin, it pops up a window in which you select the section step, axis direction, thickness of the final element, color and layer. For example, we will select the X axis. The plugin provides information about the number of sections and carries out the process itself.
After some time, it produces finished sections of the model and requests information about the other axis. For example, the Z axis is selected.
The result of the plugin working with this model is not very good, since many sections need to be corrected and brought to fruition. During normal operation, Slice modeler at the end of the process scatters the puzzle elements in one plane, and also numbers each part. This plugin cuts in two planes, sections in the third plane must be completed manually or done in a cunning way - perform the process in pairs in two planes, and then superimpose them (for example, XY and XZ). The bottom line is this: Slice modeler can be used with simple 3D models or with models made on high level(example). This process can take even longer than manual cutting.
Now let's move on directly to the manufacturing process of our parts. We will cut out the puzzle elements on this beauty.
Laser engraver A3+SPLIT in desktop version. This is already the second generation of A3+SPLIT. The working field size is 300x450, the actual engraving speed is 550 mm/s. Cutting 4mm plywood at a speed of 12-15 mm/s. After suffering with the K-40 engraver, working on this machine is a pleasure. Made here in Ukraine, the guys always have the components in stock and the support is at a high level. By the way, there is a package with a “pin” table. Anyone who has worked with plywood in large quantities knows all the “delights” of washing the edges of the knife table from soot.
The actual work process comes down to installing plywood on the desktop and launching a program for cutting contours, which is closely integrated with CorelDraw.
In total, the entire model required five sheets measuring 300 x 500 mm. This is even taking into account the base of the shield, which was already completed in CorelDraw. Be sure to check the thickness of the plywood before cutting and adjust real drawings taking into account the laser cut thickness of 0.1 mm.
The dimensions of the finished model were 50x50x40 cm.
And finally, the finished result.
Total by time this work took one full working day. Of course, for beginners this time may be a little long, but with experience comes automation of the process. We would like to emphasize that this method making such products is not the only way, and if you have the desire and time, then go for it.
No animals were harmed during the production of the 3D puzzle.
I was asked to make a simple wooden puzzle, Piggy.
I usually draw a pattern on the computer and then print it on paper, easily changing the size of the image depending on the size of the workpiece. This time I found myself without a printer, so I drew it directly on a piece of birch board. The thickness of the workpiece is about 18 mm. This is a lot for cutting with a hand jigsaw, but just right for a jigsaw (pictured). Option homemade machine showed October in this thread
The next stage is drilling holes for the eyes. It is better to do this before sawing, as small parts can easily be split with a drill.
Then sawing. I use German Flying Dutchman files. Files come in different shapes and thicknesses. I prefer the FD-UR (ultra reverse) files. They are very sharp, retain this sharpness well when working and give a clean cut, which often requires almost no further grinding. The exception is that when sawing along the fibers, rags remain, as in this photo on the belly of a piglet.
The thickness of the file may vary. I choose depending on the thickness of the parts and further finishing. It is better to cut thick workpieces with thick files, since with a small gap the parts are then difficult to disassemble and assemble.
Also, further painting and varnishing require thicker files, since the paint layer is also thick.
Upon completion of cutting, grind all parts. And my customer will do the painting.
All photos from the article
Recently, this type of construction, such as puzzles made from sheets of plywood, has become increasingly popular, and they can be either classic type, and in 3D execution. A very big plus is the fact that the sets can be purchased at finished form, or you can make it yourself. Next, we will look at the simplest options where you can acquire initial skills, and tell you what you will need to carry out the work.
What do you need for work?
If you decide to take up such a hobby, then to do the work yourself, you will need the following:
| Plywood | This material is best suited for the manufacture of both 2D and 3D products. The thickness can vary, for example, for small structures sheets with a thickness of 4 to 8 mm are used. For larger options, plywood with a thickness of 10 or even 20 mm can be used; large puzzles are assembled from it, which can also serve as shelves. We recommend choosing 1/1 grade products as they have high quality on both sides |
| Jigsaw | Many masters prefer to use manual option, its price is low, which allows you to work with minimal costs. Stock up on a sufficient supply of canvases in advance, because if you don’t have a lot of practice, then at first you will break them quite often; they don’t cost much, which is also important. You can also purchase a stationary one electric jigsaw, working with it is much more convenient and faster |
| Carbon paper | With its help, the design will be transferred to the surface of the plywood. It is very important that the marking is done efficiently and accurately, otherwise the elements may simply not fit together. To transfer an image from paper, use either a pen or a special scriber so as not to spoil the drawing and use it several times |
| File and sandpaper | To ensure that all the elements fit together well, it is necessary to clean the edges with sanding paper, and the recesses are easier and best processed using a small round file |
| Drilling equipment | In order for all connections to be as accurate as possible, it is necessary to drill holes at the end of the grooves, the diameter of which should be equal to the width of the section being cut. This way you can achieve maximum accuracy and avoid mistakes. |
Important!
In order for the work to proceed quickly and efficiently, you need to equip a table for, it will greatly simplify the process.
Shown below simplest option, which you can make yourself and either permanently attach to the table, or install it as needed, pressing it with a clamp.
Workflow Description
Let us note right away that the instructions for carrying out the work are not complicated, and if you master at least one product, then you will be able to do subsequent ones much faster. As experience is gained, the complexity of the designs will increase.
Izhevsk resident Alexey Morozov started cutting wooden puzzles two years ago. The idea came at work. Alexey works as a designer, plans metal structures, and has nothing to do with wood. However, it so happened that Alexei had fifteen minutes left from lunch, and he decided to occupy them with a new hobby, brought an old “pioneer” jigsaw from home, and began sawing wood in one of the free offices.
I didn’t start working with wood right away,” says Alexey. – I tried everything: both metal and stone. But working with these materials is more difficult, and there is always dirt on clothes and bad smell oils remain. Working with wood is much more pleasant. It is softer and pleasant and smells.
Later, Alexey took his hobby home and began cutting puzzles in the evenings and weekends. And such an unusual hobby almost immediately began to generate income.
I received my first orders when I talked about my hobby at the Izhevsk forum in the “Handicraft” section,” says Alexey. - Don't be surprised. My wife accidentally left this page open on the computer screen. And gradually orders began to arrive, people found my work interesting. And off we go.
I even bought a desktop one for home jigsaw machine. This device is slightly larger sewing machine. With its help, you can saw thick wooden sheets and make their edges smoother. The designer admitted that working with him immediately became easier.
Over these two years, I have already made more than a hundred different puzzles,” says Alexey. - And each of them is unique and memorable. After all, they are all made in a single copy.
Puzzles from small to large
Alexey makes mosaics of the most different forms and sizes. From very tiny ones, from 5-6 parts for kids, to large paintings - from more than 700 parts. It takes an hour to make a small puzzle, and up to three weeks to make a large picture.
The artist also makes puzzles in the form of animal figures that can stand and, when assembled, serve as a toy.
For adults, another type of puzzle is suitable - cut pictures. There are more details here.
I'm not a teacher
When Alexey got married, and then his two daughters were born one after another, he had to give up his hobby for a while. As the children grew older, there was more free time. The kids also got involved in the unusual toys.
“I’m not a teacher and I don’t force my daughters to do puzzles every day,” says Alexey. - My wooden puzzles are most likely for sale. My daughters don't have enough interest for a long time. Collected the toy once, assembled it twice. That's it, the problem is solved, and interest in it disappears. And for me this is an outlet. My main job as a designer is so specific that the same project can take several years to be created. And I make new puzzles every time. And when you hand over the finished mosaic to the customer and see that his eyes are lighting up, your soul immediately becomes warmer, you get real pleasure.
Alexey Morozov told how he makes wooden puzzles
1. To make a wooden puzzle, I take a board about 2 cm thick.
2. I draw a sketch on paper. If this is an inscription, then the letters themselves. And if this is a color puzzle picture, then I print out the picture in the size of the future mosaic. Then I glue the paper onto the board. If I glue a sketch, I do it with tape or office glue. If I want the drawing to be preserved, I use stronger glue.
3. Then I start cutting. And with internal holes, for example, eyes, windows, etc. It’s just that when you’re sawing a small hole, it’s inconvenient to hold a small part, but it’s more convenient to hold a whole sheet. Afterwards the outer contour is cut out.
4. I draw each detail separately. First, iconic details, in the form of animals, people, scenes. They are cut out first. And then the remaining parts of the mosaic are cut into pieces.
5. After cutting, the puzzle pieces turn out “shaggy” and need to be sanded. This is done manually using regular sandpaper. This is perhaps one of the most time-consuming stages. But the result is worth it. It’s already nice to take such details into your hands.
Most memorable job
“What I remember most is the puzzle that was ordered by a guy from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk,” recalls Alexey. - He decided to propose to his girlfriend when she went on vacation to a resort.
The customer took a photograph of a girl and painted a wedding ring on it. Using a computer, I made it black and white and sent it to the master in this form.
“He said, come up with whatever you want,” says Alexey. - So I came up with a story about love, about... family life, about happiness. I printed out the photo that was sent to me in a photo salon, glued it onto a 50x60 cm sheet of plywood, and began to come up with ideas for details.
First, Alexey decided to make a fence, and on them, like in ordinary life, there should be inscriptions. At first he wrote Olya + Sergey = Love, but at the request of the customer he corrected it to Olchik + Serzhik = Love.
Well, the client is always right,” Alexey laughs.
And then the plot of the puzzle and the shape of its parts began to emerge: a boy with a flower in his teeth, a traveling girl with a suitcase, a wedding, etc.
It’s not interesting to assemble a mosaic from simple identical parts,” explains Alexey. – But when you recognize yourself and the story of your life in every detail, then you want to put the mosaic together again and again.
Afterwards, Alexey contacted the customer and found out that Olya was delighted with the gift. But they have not yet been able to complete the puzzle. It's still enough challenging puzzle, and they also have a cat and a dog, and the apartment is being renovated... “There’s still half left,” said Sergei.
