Unusual jigsaw puzzles

I happened to find one jigsaw puzzle on YouTube that was described as an unusual jigsaw puzzle. There are two packs in the jigsaw puzzle box. It's obvious one contains jigsaw pieces, what about the other one? The second pack can only be opened after you've finished assembling the first pack of pieces. I was very curious and bought it from Amazon.

 

We followed the instructions and opened the first pack and started playing with it. Juno thought this jigsaw puzzle wasn't so difficult, so he decided to solve it without seeing the completed pictures that were contained in the box.

It looks like an ordinary jigsaw puzzle. However, there are many funny shaped pieces.

 

 

The most characteristic is there are lots of pieces that are flat on one side. Juno counted the pieces that are flat on one side, and he noticed that there are many more pieces that are needed that should be placed on the edges.

Hmm... this is indeed an unusual jigsaw and not as easy as we estimated.

 

We estimated that we would be able to finish assembling it in one night. I confess, we underestimated it. We played it after dinner every day and spent three nights to complete the first pack.

Now, it's time to open the second pack!

 

Well, probably I shouldn't write what we saw here. At least I can say, we could have a fun time. While we were playing, we could guess what will happen next and we were correct, so the reader of this blog who loves puzzles can guess what this jigsaw looks like.

This unique jigsaw puzzle is produced by a company, The Magic Puzzle Company. They produce three different pictures and I have chosen "The Sunny City" and each of them have 1,000 pieces. It's worth challenging it. Why don't you try it?

The Magic Puzzle Company : https://magicpuzzlecompany.com/

 

I Love Interesting Objects

 I love objects that are interesting and strange. I also love impossible objects.
For example, there is a strange object that is made from wire. It seems like it's named "Mystery Spiral" or "Mephisto Spiral." This is a combination of two spiral wires and has a very simple structure. What's interesting is, those two wires look like being extended forever. Of course, it doesn't extend forever, it's very interesting to watch.

One day, my husband, Juno brought it when he went out. According to him, he took out Mystery Spiral when he was on a train in Tokyo and started pulling it. What happened was the passengers in the train couldn't help watching it. Passengers noticed what he was pulling and started staring at it. People usually don't stare at someone because it's rude, but they couldn't help watching it because it was captivating and strange. I love this kind of thing.

I remembered him taking a Mystery Spiral to an event that was held in Tokyo. A friend of ours had a booth for selling his creations there and we were asked to be shop assistants. While we were waiting for customers coming, he took out the Mystery Spiral and started pulling it. As soon as he did it, people started coming and they enjoyed looking.
He explained to people that those wires were invented by NASA using the latest technologies which is totally untrue. However, people knew it was a joke and laughed at hearing it and enjoyed it a lot.

So, he kept playing with it and went on with the NASA joke. It was good entertainment. After a while, a young lady visited the shop. She also listened to his joke that it was invented by NASA. What happened was, surprisingly, she believed it. We didn't think she'd believe the joke. We were going to make her surprised, but actually she made us surprised. She got us.

I had asked a seller who was selling Mystery Spiral who invented it. She said it was invented long ago and nobody knows, therefore it's copyright-free. Whoever invented it, it was a brilliant idea.

I always think that I want to make automata that stimulate people's curious minds and can't stop looking at it, but it's arduous. I wonder if I could think of at least one, it would be so nice.

Automaton - Dancing Koala

I finally finished making my 6th automaton yesterday.

Originally, I was going to make a complicated design automation, but I thought that it seemed difficult to make it. So, I've decided to make it step by step.

Therefore, this automaton is a part of an automaton that I want to make in the end. I have made it for making sure whether those gears work well.
The feature of this automaton is two gears that have only four teeth.

These gears make the other gear that is connected to a rack always rotating the same, which means the gear turns the opposite direction on the way and it makes the rack swing side to side. Even those gears with four teeth rotate the opposite way, but the rack swings the same.

At first, I made a mistake with these gears that have four teeth. After I tried to rotate them, I noticed that I had to cut two teeth at each end of these gears a little otherwise the gears mesh with each other and get stuck.

I thought it did not look good with only gears, so I have made a koala doll on the rack.

The koala legs are connected to the rack and his legs, arms and head can move a little bit like he's dancing.
I had just added the koala for fun without thinking too much, but it was a bit difficult to attach him to the rack and a back board. Thinking about the movement of the koala, I should have used a steel washer between the back board and the koala. If I had used steel washers, the koala could have taken a more brilliant step, I guess.

It was disappointing that I could not hit on using steel washers, but it was a good try that I could make sure this mechanism works.

My next target is an automaton that I really wanted to make, but I know it is arduous. It is an automaton with a pendulum. I hope I am able to show you pictures or videos of my next automaton someday.

 

Dear Mr Christopher Nolan

I use Netflix for both reasons, practicing English and entertainment. For the purpose of practicing English, Netflix is a useful tool. However, from the entertainment purpose, I have finished watching my favorite types of movies.

My favorite type of movie is like Christopher Nolan's. I am a big fan of him. I have never been anyone's fan before, but he is special. It is because his movies contain the factors I love. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find this kind of movie. If he could make a movie with puzzle factors like "Inception", I would be incredibly happy. So, I have decided to write a letter to Mr Christopher Nolan. I know it is almost a zero possibility that he will notice my writing, but I am writing this letter hoping he will notice someday.

 

Dear Mr Christopher Nolan,

Since I have seen your movie, I am your big fan.
I am a puzzle lover and there are lots of factors that I love in your movies: science, space-time, Escher, mystery, dimension, space, and complexity in a good way. Those factors make the movies more exciting.

There are people who love puzzles in the world. They are unfortunately a minority group compared with other hobbies, but they have good features. They love magic, juggling, tricks and the factors I have written above. The peculiarity of puzzle lovers is full of wit and the ability to think ideas that other people never think of.

Even though the number of puzzle lovers are a minority, I believe that those factors will intrigue most people. Unfortunately, there are not many movies that have the factors. As a puzzle lover and one of your fans, I wish with all my heart that we will be enjoying a movie that you made with lots of puzzle sense someday.

Best regards,

Yukari

Trial and Error

I'm very happy with the latest automaton, "Flower Automaton" that I made last month. So, I got carried away and decided to make the next one.

Through trial and error, I got an idea of a fish automaton. It seemed like a good idea (I thought) when the idea first popped in my mind, yet as I considered it carefully, there were some issues. Even if I could make it, I don't think it would be that interesting. So, I put it aside and restarted thinking of a different design again. Things like this happen quite often. An idea that came up in my mind seems brilliant at first, then it gradually lost its glare.

An idea is crucial. Think, think! I mumbled to myself.
I tend to do something stupid while I'm thinking about these kinds of things, so I must be careful.

I remember when I was in Japan, I was a loyal reader of a monthly science magazine "Kagaku Asahi." There was a puzzle on the back cover, and I loved it. One rainy day I was thinking how to solve the puzzle in the magazine and headed to a subway station in Tokyo. Then I noticed that I was holding an umbrella left open at the entrance of the subway where there was an underground. The other passengers might have thought that I was a crazy person.

Unfortunately, I feel like I don't have as much ability to concentrate that I had before. If I think positively, I don't have to worry about holding an umbrella left open in a subway station or hit my forehead into an electric pole which is good. Luckily, I live in a remote area in Australia not in Tokyo. Even if I did something really stupid, people rarely notice, only birds and kangaroos. 

One day, I was watching YouTube looking for hints. Then, I found several videos of kinetic sculptures. There were two guys I found who make wooden kinetic sculptures, David C. Roy and Robert Hains. Surprisingly, one of them lives in Queensland, Australia. Their sculptures are so beautiful. Here are their works. 

Calligraphy kinetic sculpture by David C. Roy

 

Tip Turkey - Robert Hains

I admired their kinetic sculptures, and of course, I felt like making my own. Even though I haven't started making it, I have already imagined where I should hang the kinetic sculpture and looked for an empty wall. Yes, I know. I'm a bit impatient.
Come to think of what I have made, there is a little similar one, Moire Gears. It also used the moire effect. It seems difficult to make a kinetic sculpture, but I think I can do it if I spend a lot of time. 

When my first kinetic sculpture is finished, I will show you it someday here.