Square Deal Puzzle

This is a nice little puzzle. It is easy to print (Box, Box Top, and a set of 8 Sticks) with no supports and with minimal, if any, post-print finishing - mine have required no post-print finishing at all. The Puzzle looks deceptively easy to solve, but it turns out to be a genuine challenge for many (if not most) people. I thought it would be an “Easy-Peasy”puzzle, but maybe not so much! These would make great Holiday, or Birthday gifts for anyone who enjoys a good puzzle. They look great and provide at least a modest challenge.

I've been printing them in a variety of colors, and I think the 'transparent filaments' look particularly nice. I've also been printing the Box and Box Top in one color and the Sticks in a contrasting color.

Since the puzzle looks so basic, and the solution appears (at first at least) to be quite straightforward, most people find it interesting to tinker with the puzzle and come back to it over and over until they finally do solve it (or until you give them a little hint).

Solution: The correct solution requires placing all 8 Sticks into the Box with each Stick lying flat on the bottom of the Box. No Stick can be tilted up, not even a tiny bit. Then the Box Top will easily fit back on the Box with all 8 Sticks comfortably inside. Trust me, there is plenty of room in the Box for all 8 Sticks when they are arranged correctly.

Please Note: Although I have not provided the solution here, I will respond to personal Thingiverse messages with questions about part sizes and/or printing accuracy. If you have trouble solving the puzzle once you have printed it, you can message me your email address, and I’ll send you the Solution Photo by return email. You may be surprised. . . Or, I can respond to your inquiry with a little ‘hint’ if you prefer. I will not use your email address for any other purpose, nor share it with anyone else. I promise.

Feel free to contact me with questions, comments, or suggestions. I would also like to have anyone who “Makes” this puzzle, thank me by taking a moment respond with “I Made One” with your puzzle’s photo and your comments.

Have Fun!

-mike-

PS: If you like this puzzle, you may want to take a look at my other, very similar, "Dyn-O-Mite Puzzle". Same concept, but with round Sticks instead of square ones. I’m not sure if one of them may be easier to solve than the other, but both print nicely and are very similar. -m-

UPDATE: I'm now printing my Square Deal Puzzles with the following changes: Box and Top: Infill=10%, Shells=2; and Sticks: Infill=0%, Shells=2. This produces a puzzle that is still quite strong and gives the Sticks a nice light feel. It also reduces print times quite a bit, and all the parts look great with Translucent Filaments.

I printed all the parts of the puzzle, using PLA Filament, on a MakerBot Replicator 5th Gen Printer using the following settings: "Standard" Presets; Infill=25%; Layer Height=0.20mm; Shells=3; Raft=Yes; Supports=No. These settings produced very nice puzzles in a reasonable amount of time.

I printed the “Box” and “Box Top” using True Brown (and other colors), and the “Sticks” using True Blue (and other colors). Print times were: Box=4h 1m; Box Top=1h 54m; Stick Set=4h 0m. I put the finished puzzle in a small zip-lock bag with all but the smallest piece in the Box; I added the little Puzzle Teaser Note; and I included the smallest Stick in the bag, but outside of the Box. See my Photos.

I have printed a dozen of these puzzles at this point – they make great gifts and are fun to keep around as table top toys for friends and family visitors. They take a little while to print, but none of them has required any post-print finishing. The Box Top fits a tightly onto the Box the first time you put them together, but they loosen up nicely after a couple of cycles. Just make sure to install and remove the Box Top by pushing it straight down and pulling it straight up (and not by tilting it, which may break off one of the small ‘pins’).

I included separate files for the individual Stick pieces in case they turn out to be needed, for whatever reason. I have always had success printing the 'full set' of Sticks.

-mike-