Cut a name into removable letters, make a jigsaw, or build a wooden brain teaser. Explore real projects and see how to lay out a simple shape-puzzle board in Easel.
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Two separate workpieces
Create an 8 × 4-inch board with three 1.5-inch shapes as 0.25-inch-deep pockets. Add a new, blank workpiece for the removable pieces that fit the matching pockets. Edit → Offset makes smaller copies 0.01 inch inward from each edge. Remove the originals and cut outside the smaller shapes through the stock. For a first scrap test, try 0.01 inch (0.254 mm) clearance per edge: a 1.50-inch circle or square becomes 1.48 inches across, or 0.02 inch (0.508 mm) smaller overall. Use an inward offset for the triangle too, not the same width-and-height subtraction. Round the square and triangle pieces to match the bit-rounded pocket corners, or add pocket corner relief before cutting; that corner adjustment is not shown. Test-cut a pocket and piece with your actual bit and material. Remove tabs and burrs, then check the fit after paint or finish. Increase the clearance if it binds. Bit accuracy, machine precision, finish thickness and wood swelling with humidity affect the fit, so no single clearance guarantees that pieces will never stick. Measure your stock and choose piece thickness so it is easy to grip above the pocket.
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Real projects from the Easel gallery
Choose a project by the kind of puzzle you want to solve. The previews show the shared designs; the descriptions explain which parts they supply and where the maker's build instructions continue.
Kumiki Puzzle Dragonflyby Stuart GThis cedar brain teaser holds together with two rotating wooden locks. Three workpieces cover alignment holes, the first face and the flipped-side cuts. Follow Stuart G's two-sided setup and assembly instructions, including the alignment dowels, rather than treating it as a one-sided cutout.
Kids' Name Puzzleby Mo StychA walnut board holds removable first-name letters above a carved surname. Stych's file includes a pocketed board and separate letter outlines. Her gallery tutorial shows how to create the letter shapes for a different name.
Acrylic Puzzleby Zach KaplanKaplan made this compact jigsaw from fluorescent cast acrylic. The shared file has six piece outlines. His instructions emphasize measuring the actual sheet thickness before cutting, since cast acrylic can vary from its nominal size.
Number Puzzleby Brian WildmanWildman cuts the numbers from a top sheet of birch plywood, then glues that sheet to a solid back. The current file supplies the number outlines, not the rectangular board perimeter. His instructions give the two-sheet construction and the painting and knob steps.
Undersea Puzzleby Volume StudiosGeometric sea creatures nest inside each other, making a puzzle that can also stand as a small display. The main preview supplies the whale. The gallery instructions link separate files for the round fish, triangular fish and worm, cut from colored MDF.
Pizza Puzzleby Michael FischerFischer combines a round tray, wedge-shaped slices and removable toppings in a pizza puzzle. The gallery lists bubinga, Corian and hard maple; the three shared workpieces separate the circular base, slice shapes and small topping discs.
Moose Jigsaw Puzzleby SethCNCA moose silhouette turns the animal's legs and antlers into the outer edges of a jigsaw. The shared file includes a recessed silhouette and two sets of piece outlines. Use the maker's video in the gallery instructions for the design process and choose one piece layout for your own build.
Different Shapes Puzzle Toyby Matthew HolowatschHolowatsch made a poplar-and-maple shape board with a carved name and dowel handles. The preview contains the pocket layout, an outer-edge workpiece and three removable-piece outlines. Use those as a starting point, then draw the remaining pieces to match the pockets you keep.
MWP Sudoku Boardby Robert RiekeRieke's reusable Sudoku board has a full grid and separate storage pockets for numbered pieces. His instructions describe a pine board and link separate files for the board passes and the pieces. The main preview supplies the pocketed grid; follow the linked steps for engraving, cutting out and making the counters.
DnD Puzzle Box - The Ultimate Dice Vault!by Jay and Jaimie GrenierThe Greniers' Bocote dice vault is a puzzle to open, rather than a puzzle to assemble. The file supplies two pocketed wooden parts with walnut stock settings. Their gallery walkthrough continues with the magnetic lock, lining and assembly.
See more puzzle projects in gallery search →
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From the makers' comments and project notes
Read the gallery comments without an account. Log in to post a question in the project discussion; replies are not guaranteed.
Mo Stych explains that the name in her finished file cannot be edited as text after using Xploder. For a different name, start with new lettering and follow her tutorial. Decide on the spelling and letter style before that conversion, rather than expecting to type over the finished outlines.
Comment by Mo Stych: read the source.
From Kids' Name Puzzle by Mo Stych.
Ask a questionZach Kaplan chose acrylic that is glossy on both sides, so either face of a piece can be up. He notes that a matte finish on one side makes the puzzle easier. Decide whether you want that extra flipping challenge before choosing a sheet, even if you keep the same six-piece design.
Project notes by Zach Kaplan: read the source.
From Acrylic Puzzle by Zach Kaplan.
Ask a questionStuart G's instructions say to round the shaft between each lock's square ends, then check that it turns in the wing notch. Test each wing in the body with the locks removed, and sand only where needed. Removing too much material can leave the assembled puzzle loose.
Project notes by Stuart G: read the source.
From Kumiki Puzzle Dragonfly by Stuart G.
Ask a questionRobert Rieke applied two coats of sanding sealer before filling his Sudoku grid with enamel. His notes explain that this kept the paint from bleeding into the grain. After it dried, he used a card scraper to remove paint from the top surface instead of grinding it into the wood with sandpaper.
Project notes by Robert Rieke: read the source.
From MWP Sudoku Board by Robert Rieke.
Ask a questionChoose a shared design or start with simple shapes. Create a free Easel account to save your own version. No credit card is required.
Creating an Easel account is free. No credit card required.
