Best Wood For Puzzles

[BadBob]

I know from experience that I can make simple puzzles from just about any wood. As the puzzles become more complex they also become more fragile to the point where the parts are easily broken by simply dropping them on a hard surface.

I have tried 3/4-inch Baltic birch plywood. It is definitely strong enough, but I don’t like cutting plywood.

I have made several puzzles from MDF and it made great puzzles. However, I don’t like the look of it or cutting it.

What wood do you think is best for puzzles? Assume that I will be using 3/4-inch thick stock.

[Dan]

Poplar is what I use. It's strong, stable and cuts very well. 

[spirithorse]

Hi, BadBob,

I'm curious why you use 3/4" wood?
I have cut a few puzzles and just used 1/4" Baltic Birch ply.
That seems durable enough.

I looked at Steve Good's site and his puzzle templates were recommended 1/4" also.
Unless, of course, you are talking about brain teaser type puzzles or stand up puzzles like the
animal puzzles that Harvey Byler designs..

God Bless! Spirithorse

[dgman]

Assuming you are talking about standup puzzles, I like using Cherry. It is stable and very strong. If you drop a piece on a concrete floor, it might dent but won’t break. I also use Walnut, Maple and Sapele. The only issue with cutting 3/4” Cherry and Maple is they tend to burn when cutting tight corners. The trick is to keep the wood moving through the blade. I typically use FD UR blades in sizes 3, 5 and 7.

If you are talking about jigsaw puzzles, I use 1/4” Baltic birch plywood with an Olson 2/0 skip tooth blade.

Here are a few standup puzzles I sell.

[kmmcrafts]

I think most species of hardwood is great for the puzzles. I started out using mostly Poplar for a couple reasons.. but mostly because that was the main wood everyone else was using. When my stock of Poplar was running on the slim picking side and some boards was too small for some of the puzzles that was ordered I had soft Maple on hand. Cut really well and felt more dense / solid than the Poplar.. I've cut a few out of Ash too they cut well and was nice puzzles too. Made a few from Red Oak.. cut nice but as you probably know.. Oak likes to break easily, especially along the grain.. Not very good in my opinion for puzzles. Honestly I think I've probably made them from most types of solid hardwood and even a few from some cheap pine.. all went pretty well but the oak and pine I would pass on unless I was in a pinch and for some reason needed to use it for the puzzles.. Obviously the density will affect how quickly one can be cut too.. that said.. I've run into some Poplar that was dense and tough cutting at times too. but for the most part Poplar seems to cut nice, sand quick, and finish well.. If I was to be a customer and had to choose between all of the types that I have made so far.. I seem to like the solid feel to the Maple and Ash ones.. Have not made any from Cherry but I do cut almost every clock I make is made from Cherry.. love working with Cherry.. As Dan said.. cherry can burn easily and a FD-UR would be my last choice to use on Cherry because of the burning.. I have never ever burned cherry using the Pegas MG blades.. even running the saw full speed.. Back when I used to use the FD-UR blades.. always had to be careful cutting Cherry.. Might just be the way my saw is set up or? anyway Pegas blades work best for me when cutting Cherry.. Not sure why.. You may have different results.. just telling my experience with them on Cherry is all.

I do think Cherry would make a nice puzzle.. always liked the solid density and nice look of the Cherry.. A bit pricey compared to Poplar and some of the others though..

[new2woodwrk]

Agreed,with hardwood.

I make puzzles exclusively and only use poplar @ 13/16 from my lumber supplier.

My puzzles all stand up and are sanded before and after cutting

[BadBob]

16 hours ago, spirithorse said:

I'm curious why you use 3/4" wood?

 

3/4-inch makes the puzzle freestanding, so it can also be used as a decoration. A 3/4-inch dragon sits perfectly on top of a door frame.

When I first started making puzzles, 3/4-inch is what the customer wanted.

3/4-inch wood is readily available and requires very little prep.

I'm making puzzles from solid wood 1/4 or 1/2-inch is too weak, in my opinion.

I have made and sold puzzles 1-1/2-inch thick.

 

[ike]

I prifer popular for dthe reason above. It is cheep and is very draable, sands easy I just put a  spray  coat of lacquer on each puzzlejust so they will be easy to clean, these are for stand up puzzles for the other puzzles I use 1/54 or 3/8 baltic berch it cuts and finishes nicely with spray lacquer

IKE

[Denny Knappen]

I use mostly Poplar, but other hardwoods as supply permits.  Red Oak does not work well.

[jbrowning]

Kinda late to the party. But I use 3/4" Poplar that I get at Lowes.

Jim