After receiving my first shipment of Pucks from Dodd (Thanks, Dodd) I naturally couldn't resist taking one apart to have a look. Yes, the mechanism is simple and I didn't need to take it apart to know how it works, but did you know there's a machined piece of aluminum in the shape of a dumbbell at the heart of the Puck puzzle?

Besides, ordering a few more pucks allowed me to fool around and make something like this for fun:



I wrote a little bit about the process. Not a lot of detail though.

http://chrono.org/puzzles/study-pucks.html

(Edit - changed URL... twice)

Ah ...

That is just wonderfully simple. Thanx for showing us

My first idea now would be to construct in this fashion a 3-color triple-puck using the outer pieces from say 3 germany pucks. The object will then be to transform from 3 vertical bands to 3 rings each with one color

Haha, that is actually impossible. One can only interchange pieces between the 2 outer rings, not with the middle ring

Maybe one could sorta emulate the square-1 with it. By gluing some of the outer pieces together. That would maybe be harder than the square-1 cause we won't have the various shapes to guide us

Have fun!

-Per

I somewhat think that your thinking of a masterball but I do like your idea.

First off I have to say I love this idea of yours Jin H Kim. This next question is for Jin H Kim.

About how many pucks do you think you can stack on each other without have it fall to pieces and also make it one nonfragile puzzle? Is 3 the max? Just curious thats all!!!!!!

Nope, im thinking about the square-1 or cube-21. The masterball variants all have 4 rings (4 layers) unless it has been modified

I was thinking about making some doubles and keep some singles on outer rings. Then glue 6 and 6 together on middle ring. Then it's equivalent to square-1

-Per

Four is the maximum. At 5 layers the outside layers will just fall off. At 4 layers the puzzle might come apart if the layers aren't firmly secure but it should hold.

Sililar mech to the square-1, only the middle bit is different. I always thought the middle bit on square-one should be also twisted around somehow.

where can i get one of those "puck" puzzles?

Sandy, http://chrono.org/puzzles/study-pucks.html looks good as an article link.

I love puck puzzles

I'm digging up a nearly two year old thread here.

Just wanted to update the puck article I wrote up with information on making two and four layer pucks. Basically the work is complete. All pucks that can easily be made are now illustrated.

http://chrono.org/puzzles/study-pucks.html

Covers the 2, 3, and 4 layer pucks.

If I were ever to start making custom puzzles, I think I would try a 2/3 layer puck. I have a good idea for the structure of one, and it looks fairly simple to do.

If I were ever to start making custom puzzles, I think I would try a 2/3 layer puck. I have a good idea for the structure of one, and it looks fairly simple to do.

I hate you because now I want to buy 9 rainbow pucks very very soon.

Fantastic Jin. I've not seen the four layer before, I looked at doing 5 layers but the end pieces fall out:-(

I'm know there are many other puck mods out there, tony made the Pucube and I have a project but it's on hold at the moment. Anyone else have anything?

If anyone wants a triple layer I've put one of my early ones on ebay.

I have never had a Puck. Maybe I should order four and make a size-3 mod...

Are the IQ-139 ones recommended for this mod?

Is it possible to use a 2x2x2 to be the central-axis for a two-layer puck?

I guess you could, but why waste a 2x2 when you can just put the two pucks together

I don't think I'd user an IQ for this one, unless you planned on making a 2 layer puck with the IQ printing facing outwards on both sides. On a multi-layer puck you're better off getting either a single monotone puck and stickering it or perhaps using rainbow pucks for all layers.

I'd imagine that making a 3 or 4 layer "superpuck" with unique pictures on all faces would be a very interesting challenge... I'm imagining a side scrolling image of cowboys driving cattle in the desert. All are going in the same direction and the picture wraps around. Each square is unique enough that it belongs in a specific place, but there is enough similarity with other pieces that it would drive the solver practically insane.

Oh my. Now THAT is a SICK puzzle!

What do you mean by a rainbow puck? It's not listed on PuckPuzzles.com. I chose the IQ one because of the colors, actually. I assume the rainbow one is similar.

Hmmm. I've never actually been to the website before. I didn't realize that the IQ 139 was now in those colors. But yes, that's the one I would use.