4 (00+) Crystal Puzzles
I started putting these puzzles together Christmas of 2010. The bug and I went to the Toys Street with my then sister-in-law and my niece and nephew to look for some Christmas bag goodies. We came across the 'bags in bags' store and discovered our first crystal puzzles. (Not really, but this was the real start of our addiction.) We had a few from the toys fair in earlier years, but this year we found a bag of 20 for less than 1 US$ each. We bought the bag, took all the duplicates, and gave the rest for goody bags. This was the beginning of an obsession. In Hong Kong, the kid and I assembled around 50 of the larger pieces and at least as many keychains. When we left, her father refused to let us have them. No skin off my nose, I have friends in high places and managed to get all but 5 of my original puzzles back. Now I hunt auction sites worldwide to find those missing pieces.
These are simply 3D jigsaw puzzles. Many come with solutions, but many more do not have them. Knowing how to read Japanese (yeah right!) helps. But seriously, the google gods know all if you need it. I've found my own special feeling way of solving these puzzles. Last night I managed to solve 6 dragons of 56 pieces each in less than 2 hours. After a while it just becomes second nature. If you haven't tried one yet, I recommend them as a good form of calm. Perhaps that is why I like them so much. I just go into a zone when I'm puzzling in this way. Very zen-like.
Since the beginning of the quarantine, I have assembled 531 of these. I just adjusted my spreadsheet. I guess this is a bit more than 400+!!!
3 3D Printers
My beautiful lover is the father of home 3D printing. He bought his first many moons ago and spent a long time perfecting the art of 3D printing. He is the premier prototyper. When he left his life in California and came to Hong Kong to live with such a woman as I, he left behind his printers. He engaged the services of a 3D printing company to aid him in his continued puzzle printing. He used 3D Mart Hong Kong who had wonderful service. When we finally arrived in Boca Raton, he purchased an Ultimaker S5, the same as was used in HK. He has enjoyed printing many a puzzle on it.
The next machine we see (with my monkey on top) is a FormLabs 2 SLA printer known for its high resolution and weird method of printing from the bottom.
The final printer was purchased through kickstarter. After a scam I endured, I never expected to receive it but the Creality CR-6 SE is in the dormitory installed and ready to go. Filament is commonly available in the two standard diameters of 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm and now he has two FDM machines to handle filaments of both sizes.
2 Crazy Puzzlers
and a SPH in an APT
No comments:
Post a Comment