David Rake Puzzle Box Progress

Throughout this semester I am creating Puzzle Boxes. Puzzle Boxes are boxes that can be opened via a mechanical sequence. These boxes either blatantly appear as a lock box or are more inconspicuous.

Attention: If anyone has any intention to solve these blindly ignore the pictures as the give away clues.

Drawers:

Concept: My first box if seen from the front appears as almost a chest of drawers except they're vertical. It has five vertically moving bars and one horizontally moving bar at the bottom. I started drawing and creating it last spring but didn't get far before realizing how confusing it is to reverse engineer a puzzle that doesn't exist.

Method: I did some brief sketches with the intended solution which was later ripped apart and recreated. The original solution was eight steps and was changed to a seven step one because I realized a flaw that made it solvable in three steps originally. After deciding the way the puzzle moves and is solved I created curves in rhino simulating my drawings. Then I started to test build it in 3d space to make sure all the pieces fit together and solve it before it was physically made.

Materials: I originally planned for it to be laser cut, but I tried out the idea of 3d printing it and that was too costly so I have fallen back on laser cutting. I am using MDF for my first build but if it goes well I may look into other materials like more aesthetically pleasing woods.

Cube:

Concept:  My second box idea quickly came to me while working on the first box and I almost finished the second box before the first because of my excitement about it. It is more of an inconspicuous box and is not clear on how to even start tackling the box. For the picture below I did not use Ghosted because it was very confusing looking.

Method:  I did some brief sketches and ran through multiple iterations on how to do the internal locking mechanisms. It wasn't until I had a dream about it that I really figured out the best way for this first version. I started with a square shape and added and subtracted from that shaped to create all the parts. I use space much smarter than in the first box so this one is much more compact. For the picture below I was using red and purple because it was easier on my eyes to work with.

Materials: I'm using MDF for my first cut out and would LOVE to move to a nicer wood if it works as well as I hope. I think this design will be one of the prettiest out of all since it is more inconspicuous.

Engraved Lock Box:

Concept: This box is much in its infancy but I wanted to create a box with a puzzle on the outside in engraved pictures. I may create two of these specific boxes with one having pictures that can be translated to a solution and one for my Dungeons and Dragons Players for them to solve with clues from their adventures.