Transport Box

Name :	Transport Box
Number of moves :	5
Instructions :	Register interest

 This box was originally created in a day for a special excursion to the park. At that time, the only box available was the Cube, and that was way too big and unreliable to bring outside the house. There was only one solution : design a special box for the occasion. 

This box is quite special and you can buy the instructions to build this box; contact me for details if you are interested.

Here’s a video of the solving process as well as a picture of the box.

Well there you have it! Using an entire section of the box as a turning wheel was quite innovative and I hope I can use that in another box. Stay tuned! 

Thanks for reading my blog :)

Puzzle Box - Pins

Name :	Pins Box
Number of moves :	7
Instructions :	Register for interest

This puzzle box was constructed when I was outstation, so the colours and mechanisms were slightly flawed. However, this was still a difficult box due to its unorthodox final move.

(The video is split into 2 sections due to length)

Many people weren’t able to solve this box because they didn’t think of flipping it over. This design is quite an old one, but I’ll be happy to create a new improved design with build instructions that you can buy (at a small price, of course!)

Thank you for reading my blog.

The Mini Cube

Name :	The Mini Cube
Number of moves :	3
Instructions :	Register interest

This mini cube was originally intended to go with the main cube; sort of an introduction or “appetiser” to the main cube. I am considering to share how to build this Mini Cube for free, drop me a message if you are interested.

Here’s a video of the box solve. 

Well there you have it! A classic top-open mechanism with 2 sliders.

Thanks for reading my blog! 

The Cube - Explanation

The structure of the box is as follows : 

Individual lock systems -> red and blue locks -> yellow drawer with tool -> slider reveal

Individual lock systems : 

Each lock system will move the ring out of place and drop a pillar down which unlocks the red and blue locks (shown later) 

2nd lock system : 

Red and blue locks : 

The lower locking system drops pillars through the system that were blocking the red and blue sliders. 

This is how the pillar locks work : 

After the red / blue locks have been slid out, they can be pushed to unlock the yellow drawer (series of pictures)

After the blue lock has been slide to the side, the fox piece can now move with the yellow drawer and slide out along with it. 

Yellow drawer and tool : 

This part doesn’t need much explanation; most of it has been covered in the other sections. The tool is a simple gear that can be inserted into the hole. 

Reveal : 

The last thing in my explanation would be the reveal. It’s actually a huge gear rack that protrudes all the way through every single layer (I don’t have the special, smaller gear rack) 

The rack is pulled up by a gear within the box (later  (video for further explanation)

This box was really a joy to design and let people try. Hope I can continue making these boxes and improve them as I go along.

Thank you for reading my blog! 

The Cube

Name :	The Cube
Number of moves :	13
Instructions :	Register interest

This marks a new high for the development of puzzle boxes! Introducing… The Cube!

Now I just want to make a tiny announcement. I’ll be selling my puzzle box instructions! Next time, instead of showing you how it works, I’ll just give a little teaser for the solving process so that you get interested. 

I’ll still be giving the full solving process this time though because I’m not planning to produce instructions for The Cube. It’s just slightly unreliable and too difficult to reset. If you’re really interested then feel free to drop me a line though.

Now… let’s start with a video of the solve (split into 2 parts because the video is too long)

Note : Video was edited to make it shorter

The full explanation of the mechanism will be shown in another post, stay tuned! 

Thank you for reading my blog!

Puzzle Box - Elegant

Name :	Elegant Box
Number of moves :	5
Instructions :	Register interest

Recently, I’ve actually gotten into building puzzle boxes using Lego. Basically, a puzzle box is a box that can only be opened after solving a puzzle, or making a series of discoveries (Wikipedia). I discovered them on YouTube and started making my own.  

The very first prototype was this huge chunky box. I didn’t manage to get many photos of it before it was dismantled, but here’s one. 

I might cover the solving process in another post, because today’s post is about Version 2. 

I nicknamed this version “Elegant” because I managed to make it much more compact and refined compared to the first prototype. 

Here is a video of the solving process. 

The lock and drawer need no explanation, but here’s a video to show how the key is revealed when you turn the knob. 

Once inserted, the knob will turn a lever which will push the key upwards and reveal it. 

Next is the locking mechanism for the drawer which required quite some thought. I’m really happy with this one and I hope I can include a similar, upgraded version in future boxes.

Basically, the wedged key moves a latch out of place so that you can open the spring-loaded drawer. This design isn’t foolproof - I’ve had people open the drawer just by jiggling it - but foolproof boxes are in the making, stay tuned! 

Thank you for reading my blog. 

Seaside Mansion & House on Stilts

Today’s task : Build a house. Not content with a simple and standard house, I decided to build a mansion and that slowly became a Seaside mansion. 

The design is quite simple, utilizing SNOT bricks and clips to mount objects in interesting designs. The tree in the corner is made by simply not fully connecting the individual 1x1 green pieces. One side is tilted more than the other so the curved effect is achieved. 

This section is the garage for the house. Quite standard in any case, using corrugated grey bricks to make a shutter door effect. Tall bushes are achieved using the same 1x1 green parts as the tree. Another feature is the window. Using unconventional methods like not fully mounting bricks and adding curves to the model, I achieved a small and minimalistic but satisfying window. 

The side is made using SNOT bricks to achieve a tan brick effect. Also, the tree on the side has a 1x1 round plate brown piece to represent coconuts. 

A closeup look of the house. Starting from the bottom up, bushes and greenery is essential, while a side-mounted glass door using SNOT bricks add a nice effect. Windows and other details make it seem like a home. On the second floor, and arch and curved pieces are used for depth, whereas another glass door adds repetition. 

The back of the house. I decided to make the back under construction as I wasn’t quite sure what to do with the back. Also to note is the small white grill window standing out among the black cladding. 

Also a quick mention of my daddy’s invention: House on Stilts. It looks slightly like a convention center… 

A full view of the mansion. 

Thank you for reading my blog.