Noah B Woodworks

I’ve been thinking about how to machine smaller parts for puzzle boxes. I would like to be able to make small gears, levers, keys and other miscellaneous parts for mechanisms. There are a ton of laser cut puzzle boxes on the market and to me they tend to look cheap. They work very well, so maybe it’s because I know how they’re made. I just don’t think they’re very nice to look at. The majority of that feeling comes from the cheap sheet goods that they use in conjunction with their laser cutters. At first, to test out my methods, I’ll probably use the small sheet good plywood material that is an eighth to a quarter inch thick.

I’d like to move towards making my own quarter to three-eighths inch thick plywood by laminating hardwood boards together. This will make my boxes look a lot more professional and I can put a more personal touch on it by making sheet material myself. Once I’ve got good sheet material I can move towards the CNC.

I had an idea last night to use the CNC to engrave the design onto the surface of the board with a very thin V-cut bit, and then cut the parts out with a scroll saw. I’m looking to avoid purchasing a $1-3000 laser cutter to do this faster. A cheap scroll saw should do the job and only costs around $100. I’ve been struggling to figure out how I’d use my CNC but I figure engraving images is a fantastic use. I can engrave clues and other images onto the parts that I then cut out with the scroll saw. I figure with a little practice, I can get quite accurate with the saw, especially if the blade and material are very thin.

This will hopefully be a one-two punch. The CNC shows me what I need to cut and I do the cutting at the scroll saw. Once I’ve designed the puzzle – which I’m still working out a method for doing – I’ll make the material then proceed to create the box using the above methods. We’re getting a little closer, last week I was trying to figure out how to cute the materials on the CNC, which would present some serious work holding issues.