On this page you can download three plans by which you can make three different burr puzzles in your workshop.
The first one is a classic burr puzzle and consists of 18 pieces, while the remaining two are chuck puzzles, one of which consists of 15 and the other of 21 pieces. With all three puzzles, one of the pieces is the key piece. They are made in the same way as any other burr or chuck puzzle, and we recommend that you make them using hardwood material. As with all the puzzles, care should be taken that each of the puzzle parts is precisely made; any inaccuracies will become visible once the puzzle is assembled, or they will make the assembly difficult or even impossible.
Eighteen piece burr puzzle plan: 120mm (4.32'') x 120mm (4.32'') x 120mm (4.32'')
Fifteen-piece burr puzzle (with rounded key piece) plan: 91mm (3 19/32'') x 91mm (3 19/32'') x 91mm (3 19/32'')
Twenty-one-piece burr puzzle (with rounded key piece) plan: 117mm (4 19/32'') x 117mm (4 19/32'') x 117mm (4 19/32'')
As part of each puzzle plan, a solution is given, though we believe that you won’t have to use it. However, having a solution at hand can be practical in case the puzzle is not assembled and should be disposed of. It often happens that people give up on puzzle-solving, especially if it is a little more complicated. Then the puzzle pieces remain separated, and there is a good chance that they will go missing. In this case, it is useful to take the solution and assemble the puzzle before putting it away somewhere. Unfortunately, this is “cheating” in some way - if you put together a puzzle with the help of a solution, the next time you want to assemble it will be much easier, but not challenging enough since you will have memorized, at least partially, the method for solving it. In such a case it is best to leave it forgotten somewhere and try to assemble it after a while, when you forget how it is solved. After all, the point of solving a puzzle is not its mechanical assembly but the practice of concentration and logical thinking.
As you can see in the pictures, puzzles can be not only interesting but also very beautiful if you make their pieces from several types of hardwood with different colors and textures. That way, when you assemble them, they can also serve as shelf decor, and when your friends come over to your house, someone will surely notice them and even start solving them. At least we hope so, because lately people have been spending more and more time looking at their phones, even when in other people’s company, and seem to be less and less interested in developing cognitive abilities such as puzzle-solving.