wooden puzzle vault gizsip 327278258

7/30/2019 Wooden Puzzle Vault GIZSIP 327278258

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Gizmos and Gadgets2 www.scrollsaw

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By Donald Horgan

While reading The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, I was intrigued by the description of what he calleda cryptex, or vault protected by a combination lock. After readingthe passage describing the cryptex,I knew I had to design one i nwood. The project is actually quitesimple and can be put togetherin a weekend with tools mostwoodworkers have.

I was a police officer for many years and have used woodworkingas the ultimate stress reliever.This project combines my love of reading, a life of law enforcement,and my passion for woodworking.

I worked my way throughseveral prototypes and was excitedto try out the fin ished producton my family and friends. The

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Vreactions were priceless! Witheach new vault, my children bugme to give them just the firstletter. My colleagues try to figureout a mechanical way around thelock. With a five-dial vault, usingall 26 letters, there are 11,881,376possible combinations! It is a greatconversation piece and could beused to conceal a small gift for aspecial birthday or anniversary.

To start your vault, copy thepatterns for the seven rings andattach them to the blank usingspray adhesive. Cover the patternwith clear packaging tape. The sidewith the pattern attached will becalled Side A. The opposite sidewill be called Side B.

Ben Fink (www.bensscrollsaw.com) andLora Irish (www.carvingpatterns.com)worked together to craft this customversion for our publisher. For this project,we used 1 "-thick stock for the end cap.

Drill Side A o the rings.Drill a /16" ( mm)-diameter holethrough the center o each ring so you can locate the center romeither side. Be care ul; the center is important to the smooth workingo the vault. Using a 7/8" (4 mm)-diameter Forstner bit, drill "( mm) deep on six o the rings. The seventh, undrilled, ring willbecome the bottom ring. Drill a /16"-diameter by /16"-deep ( mm by

mm) center pilot hole in the end cap.

1Drill the holes in Side B.Turn the material ov

holes as re erences to drill ive 5/8"-diameter by -mm) holes. Do not drill the irst ringit will be

and do not drill the bottom ring. Then, drill /8" (holes through the centers o all s even rings. To repartway through rom each side. Use the same bitdeep hole in the end cap.

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Add a rabbet around each ring. With Side A a router table, use a " ( mm)-radius rabbeting bitby " ( mm by mm) rabbet around each ring. Usto hold the ring. Your ingers will be close to the ballows the rings to nest inside o each other.

4Cut out each o the rings. Each o the ive main rings will

have a hollow core with a 7/8" (4 mm)-diameter opening on SideA, a 5/8" (4 mm)-diameter opening on Side B, and a /8" ( mm)-diameter lip in the center. I use a # blade to cut the perimeterso the rings and the end cap. Cut /16" ( mm) outside the lines andsand to the lines with a belt or disk sander.

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Cut out and attach the letter dial marking templatesto the fve interior rings. I you cut precise rings, the templateswill wrap around the rings, line up end to end, and divide therings into equal sections. I the rings are not the correctcircum erence, cut a little away rom the lines on each space in thenext step to spread the di erence over several spaces.

5Defne the letter spaces and cut the keyway.

or fner blade to score the spaces or the letters on the rings. Cut one notch on the interior o each rinto a letter space on the outer perimeter. These notckeyway, allowing you to remove the vault. Randomlocations with respect to the grain so the grain patto solve the code.

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Vault: PreParing the rings


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Drill the hole in the center compartment. The interiorcompartment is made rom a /8" ( mm)-diameter dowel. Cut thedowel to a length o 4/8" ( mm). Mark the center on one end. Drilla 7/8"-diameter by /8"-deep ( mm by mm) hole. Be sure to keepthe hole square to the dowel. Clamp the dowel and use a drill press.

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Cut the end pieces. Drill a 5/ 16"-diameter by /8"-deep ( mmby mm) hole in the corners o both ramework ends as shown onthe pattern. Cut the rounded corners and drill a 7/8 (4 mm) holethrough the center o one piece. Sand the e dges or round themon the router table. Round the edges o the end cap with a /8"( mm)-radius round-over bit.

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Mark the end rings. Stack a letter ring next to each end ring.Trans er lines or one letter space and score the lines using the saw.Cut the interior notch on the top ring, matching the scored lines. Onthe bottom ring, center a notch between the scored lines, just wideenough or a nail, to prevent wiggling o the vault.

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Insert the pins. Mark /8" ( 0mm) below the irst mark on thedowel. This will house the pin that its into the slot on the bottomring. Clip both ends o o a d inish nail and use it to drill a hole atthe mark you just made and at each o the our marks or the letterdials. Clip the points o o ive more nails and glue them in placewith cyanoacrylate (CA) glue. Cut the nails to /8" ( mm) tall.

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Cut the access door. Put the dowel inside the rings and markthe location o the top o the s eventh ring. Cut the door just belowthe mark, on the side opposite the pins. An angled cut on the endswill help keep the door closed.

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Mark the location o the locking pins. Mark a line thelength o the dowel. Place the dowel (with the opening on top) inthe bottom ring. Mark the top o the ring on the line. Add the irstring and mark the top on the dowel line. Use the same methodto mark the location o the nex t three rings. This removes anydiscrepancies that may prevent the rings rom turning.

Cut the dowel supports. Measure the total height o the seven

rings stacked one on top o another. It should be close to " ( 9mm).Add twice the actual depth o the 5/ 16" ( mm)-diameter holes in the endcaps and an additional /16" ( mm). This gives enough room or the ringsto turn easily. Cut our 5/16" ( mm)-diameter dowels to this length. Dry-

it all the pieces together, including the end cap and dowel.

13Trim the dowel and determine your code. M

space between the rame and the end cap. Trim th/32" ( mm) rom the open end o the dowel so tthe rame. Write the code letters in the spaces ovethe letter dials and continue the alphabet rom thosidebar on page **). Darken the single spaces on th

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Glue the fnal pieces in place. Glue the suppothe bottom, stack the rings in the proper order, and

ramework in place. Align the pointer on the end on the dowel, and glue it onto the open end o the both assemblies and allow to dry. Apply a clear sp

16Assemble the cryptex. Glue the bottom ring in the middle

o the solid ramework end, with the notch pointing to the centero one side. Glue the top ring into the hollow ramework end,aligning the notch in the center to match the bottom. Keep thegrain running the same direction on the ends and the end cap.

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Vault: making the ComPartment

Vault: making the housing

Vault: finishing the ProjeCt

m i D The more equidistant th

rom the bottoms o ththe harder it will be to emechanical weaknessesthe code. You can createmechanical hints by cdivots in the bottom sidinner rings to give the illpin sliding up into a notespecially e ective whethe divots on vowels, anR, S, T, and L.

Provide a hint that waway the answer too quirhymes or questions wo

Materials & Tools Materials: Red oak, " ( 9mm)-thick:rings and end cap, " x "( 40mm x 9mm)

Red oak, " ( mm)-thick:ramework ends, " x "

( 9mm x mm) Dowel,5/16" ( mm)-diameter:

" (4 mm) long

Dowel, 1 /8" ( mm)-diameter: " ( mm) long d inishing nails: each Spray adhesive Spray finish: clear Wood glue Packaging tape: clear

Tools:

Blades: #7 Drill press Twist bit: /16" ( mm diameter) Forstner bits: 1 7/8" (4 mm),

5/8" (4 mm), and /8" ( mm)diameters

Brad point or Forstner bit:5/16"( mm)-diameter

Spade or Forstner bit:7/8"( mm)-diameter

Router and bits: /8"( mm) and " ( mm)-radius round-over; "( mm) rabbeting

Belt or disk sander Rotary-power tool withcut-o wheel or diagonalcutters

Ultra-fine permanentmarker Table saw (optional) Miter saw (optional)

SPECIAL SOURCES:

/8" ( mm)-diameter dowels are available romWoodcra ter.com at 00- 04- or www.woodcra ter.com.

The authorusedthese products forthe project. Substitute your choice of brands, tools, and materials as desired .


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Dons original cryptexwas unlocked with thecode word ENJOY.

Donald Horgan lives in Antioch, Calif.A self-taught woodworker, Don hasbeen scolling for 17 years.

Framework endCut 2

Drill inner circleon one end only

5/ 6"-diameter,1/8"-deepholes (4)

7/8"-diameterhole through

Letter dial marking template - Make 5 copies

Outer peri(scrolled)2 "-d

Side A in1 "-dia

"-deep h

Hollow co1 "-diathrough

Bottom ringCut 1

End capCut 1

Dial templateCut 6

Drill pilot holeseven ring

"-dia "-dee

pilot holein end cap

Core for v1 "-dia"-deep h

I l l u s t r a

t i o n b y

C a r o

l y n

M o s h e r

A view of the male and femaleends of the rotating rings. The

notches cut into the inside of the rings make a keyway for

the pins to follow.

nlPrinting neat letterson the round dialscan be somewhat o a challenge. With some practice and a steadyhand, you can get good results with a fne-tipmarker or a woo dburner.

An alternate method is to add thealphabet with rub-on letters used orscrapbooks. They are available at many cra tstores in a variety o onts and once sealed,the letters are very durable.One source is Making Memories,www.makingmemories.com.

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wooden puzzle vault gizsip 327278258

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