Pencil Puzzle Revisited - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

Woodbutcher68 · 02-17-2007, 09:52 PM

I did this today. The holes are a little off-center. I have in-process pics too!

miamw · 02-17-2007, 09:57 PM

Oh boy, here we go again! Actually, I'm just kidding. Congratulations! I hear it's quite difficult to acheive, is that true? Tell us how YOU did it, please.

Paul S WI · 02-18-2007, 01:07 AM

Way to go Fred. I wondered how many people were curious enough to take on the challenge of trying to figure this out. I also tried it but no proof as I didn't take any pics.

JimSawyer · 02-18-2007, 05:08 AM

OK, I'm stumped... Do post the in-process pics.

William Young (SE BC) · 02-18-2007, 05:28 AM

Hi Woodbutcher.
That's a good one and I would also like to know the secret to that one. I am thinking the method is similar to the arrow through an apple puzzle .
I presume both the pencil and the wood block are totally solid with no glue joints in either piece.

I love puzzles like this.

Here is one that I am out of again and must make a few more when I get around to it because people buy them for a conversation piece.
Like the wood block with the pencil in it there is only two pieces of wood with absoloutly no glue joints anywhere . This is an easy one to do and probably most here will know how I do it but I would like to know the secret behind the one you posted with the pencil.

The apple is turned on my lathe in one piece and the arrow is both turned on the lathe and scrollsawed and is also one piece .
W.Y.

Woodbutcher68 · 02-18-2007, 10:32 PM

Here we go!

1. I cut out the notches and put one end into a pot of boiling water for 20 minutes.

2. I compressed the boiled end with a Bessy Clamp until I had clearance for the drill bit. A bench vise would be better, but I didn't want the water to freeze in the garage over night.

3. After drying all night, I removed the clamp and drilled the holes. One end wasn't square, so the hole is on an angle.

After drilling the hole and inserting the pencil, I put it back in boiling water until the wood resumed it's original shape. I let it dry and sanded it.
That's it!
Have fun with it!

Dragon · 02-18-2007, 11:23 PM

Neat. What kind of wood did you use? Or does it matter?
Diane

Greenfield_Bob · 02-19-2007, 12:12 AM

Pretty cool Fred.
Thanks for posting the pictures.

Bob

miamw · 02-19-2007, 12:53 AM

Thanks so much for the great pictures of each step!

Woodbutcher68 · 02-19-2007, 01:23 AM

It's pine, you'd have a very hard time compressing a hardwood that much. The pic with the vise didn't come out very clear, but you get the idea.

02-17-2007, 09:57 PM	#2
miamw Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 461	Oh boy, here we go again! Actually, I'm just kidding. Congratulations! I hear it's quite difficult to acheive, is that true? Tell us how YOU did it, please. __________________ Mia We are the music makers. We are the dreamers of dreams. Easy scrollin' with a DW788

02-18-2007, 01:07 AM	#3
Paul S WI Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Stevens Point, WI Posts: 334	Way to go Fred. I wondered how many people were curious enough to take on the challenge of trying to figure this out. I also tried it but no proof as I didn't take any pics. __________________ Paul S. Excalibur EX-21 (The Green Machine)

02-18-2007, 05:08 AM	#4
JimSawyer Laying into Inlay Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lincoln, RI Posts: 1,075	OK, I'm stumped... Do post the in-process pics. __________________ Jim The limits of the imagination are imaginary. No task is too tedious for Art. Rock and Scroll My Website Featherwood Woodcrafts

02-18-2007, 05:28 AM	#5
William Young (SE BC) Scroller/Turner Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Wynndel, British Columbia Canada Posts: 710	Hi Woodbutcher. That's a good one and I would also like to know the secret to that one. I am thinking the method is similar to the arrow through an apple puzzle . I presume both the pencil and the wood block are totally solid with no glue joints in either piece. I love puzzles like this. Here is one that I am out of again and must make a few more when I get around to it because people buy them for a conversation piece. Like the wood block with the pencil in it there is only two pieces of wood with absoloutly no glue joints anywhere . This is an easy one to do and probably most here will know how I do it but I would like to know the secret behind the one you posted with the pencil. The apple is turned on my lathe in one piece and the arrow is both turned on the lathe and scrollsawed and is also one piece . W.Y. __________________ http://www.picturetrail.com/willyswoodcrafting The task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us Delta P-20 Scroll Saw, 14" x 43" Craftex Wood Lathe and Jet 10" Mini Lathe .

02-18-2007, 10:32 PM	#6
Woodbutcher68 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Hammond, IN Posts: 828	Here we go! 1. I cut out the notches and put one end into a pot of boiling water for 20 minutes. 2. I compressed the boiled end with a Bessy Clamp until I had clearance for the drill bit. A bench vise would be better, but I didn't want the water to freeze in the garage over night. 3. After drying all night, I removed the clamp and drilled the holes. One end wasn't square, so the hole is on an angle. After drilling the hole and inserting the pencil, I put it back in boiling water until the wood resumed it's original shape. I let it dry and sanded it. That's it! Have fun with it! __________________ Fred There's a fine line between woodworking and insanity, I'm just not sure which side of the line I'm on!

02-18-2007, 11:23 PM	#7
Dragon scroller and moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chertsey, Quebec, Canada Posts: 2,421	Neat. What kind of wood did you use? Or does it matter? Diane __________________ Dragon Owner of a Dewalt 788 PuffityDragon on AFSP

02-19-2007, 12:12 AM	#8
Greenfield_Bob Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Central Indiana Posts: 1,417	Pretty cool Fred. Thanks for posting the pictures. Bob __________________ Delta P-20 & Q-3 Ever notice that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, but anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

02-19-2007, 12:53 AM	#9
miamw Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 461	Thanks so much for the great pictures of each step! __________________ Mia We are the music makers. We are the dreamers of dreams. Easy scrollin' with a DW788

02-19-2007, 01:23 AM	#10
Woodbutcher68 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Hammond, IN Posts: 828	It's pine, you'd have a very hard time compressing a hardwood that much. The pic with the vise didn't come out very clear, but you get the idea. __________________ Fred There's a fine line between woodworking and insanity, I'm just not sure which side of the line I'm on!

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