Yahoo!!!!! First Rat Puzzle!!!!

[Skiprat]

Well, working prototype anyway.

This consists of 19 steel bolt shafts in a polycarb box that I knocked up. I did it in clear first so that I can design the puzzle as I built it.
Now that I know it works, I'll make a wooden ( or maybe PR ) solid block. I'll also swap the MS bolts for Stainless Steel ones and copy the cutouts on each piece. The spare shaft in the foreground shows the notch that had to be hand filled into each shaft.
I don't know how to calculate how difficult it is, but even with the clear box, I cannot assemble it without numbering the shafts.
There is only one solution as each shaft is different. The shafts are removed by rotating, pulling and pushing. I even managed to interlock the final piece

So, pen makers, if I can so can you. The ONLY tools used to make this prototype was a half round file and a hacksaw

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Canuck]

Very cool...I'm impressed!!

[Arc Light]

Excellent Skiprat! I love the look of alluminum for puzzles  With a solid wooden block you would have a tough puzzle.

[DCBluesman]

While you're busy climbing the ladder of puzzle-makers, perhaps some of us can climb a rung or two on the pen maker's ladder.   Beautiful job.

[lynn p]

Not what I am used to seeing from you but nicely done, very much time consuming

[Johan Heyns]

Well done!

[Chinnomotto]

Woo Hoo, I like

Can I have mine in clear cubeand 19 pens??

[Mullpens]

Very nice indeed Skippy.

Can  you keep making puzzles, then it will give us mere mortals a chance when making pens.

[Skiprat]

Well, after a fair amount of work ( I now have a new respect for you puzzlers!!!) and a massive quantity of swearing!!! it is almost finished. Just need to polish the aluminium block. Not as nice or perfect as most I've seen here, but give me a break, it's my first

I kept the steel rods but trimmed the ends with PR. The ends were trimmed down from 12mm to 6mm to reinforce the PR.
I quite like it and this will be the one I offer in the swap.  I hope whoever gets it likes it too.
Oh yeah, spot the letters stamped inside the cuts? I did that incase the recipient wants the code to rebuild it. 


[attachment deleted by admin]

[DCBluesman]

It's beautiful, Steven.  If I didn't like you, I'd smack hell out of you for making me look so incompetent!

[Canuck]

Very impressive ...never would have thought of using PR for the ends like that ...you know Chinny's gonna' want one!!

[Johan Heyns]

Well done Steven!!!

[Chinnomotto]

I want, I want

Whats PR?

[Trooper]

Excellent job Steven.  The aluminium body certainly gives it that 'different' touch.  I was also wondering about the PR.   

[Skiprat]

Sorry guys, PR is pen makers abbreviation for Polyester Resin.  It is just one type of plastic that we use.
PR is the most common plastic that is ( or can be ) mixed at home. It stinks until it has set.
This particular PR was made by PR Princess. 99.99% of the resin I use is made by her.
It is molded into 6x3x1 blocks and then cut into 1x1x6 strips that are ideal for us. It is easily machined, routered and cut.
The colours available are infinite.

If I had enough of it, then I'd make another puzzle completely from it.