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[Eric Fuller]

Hi, I'm Eric and I'm addicted to making puzzles...

"HI ERIC"

You get the idea 

[Peter Wiltshire]

Hello I'm Peter Wiltshire

I am a mechanical puzzle collector and maker from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and have been interested in mechanical puzzles and there design since 2002. I have a background in magic and mechanical puzzles seem a great extension of that hobby. I like how mechanical puzzles can build your lateral thinking, and I have applied this lateral thinking to my own puzzle designs. Collecting, designing, and creating puzzles has taught me many things and what better a hobby than something that can teach you new skills.

[Robert Yarger]

My name Is Robert

I enjoy making puzzles (specifically boxes) with concepts that are utterly unique.  Sure I sell extra copies of my work, but really I do this because it is so much fun.  I am always surprised when I finish a box, because it never turns out the way I origianlly envisioned, and they tend to make themselves.

[Kerry Verne]

Hello all, I'm Kerry Verne.

Technically, I haven't made a puzzle yet, but Eric's prodding is helping me see the light. Most of my woodwork has been in creating jewelry boxes and simple humidor's, but the time and energy required for a commoditized market like that put me on hiatus. They made excellent Christmas gifts for the year I was out of work, but at 10+ hours each just weren't profitable to sell.

Below is my latest work from last fall, for a friend who decided he couldn't afford the $150 for a piece he commissioned me to do. Its a humidor based on my jewelry box template,  9"x11", padauk base, with jatoba and maple on the top.

[Canuck]

Hi Kerry, welcome aboard!  I'd love to see more of your boxes, can you send me some pics?

[Kerry Verne]

I'll be glad to post a few when I get home. My website went down last fall and I haven't taken the time to resurrect it from the archives. My dad has been prodding me to put it back up as a venue to show his turned platters, so I guess I need to get off my ass.

[Canuck]

Wow, your dad is a turner, I think we'll have lots to talk about, I've been addicted to pen making for quite some time now, maybe you can get him online to offer some turning advice?

[Kerry Verne]

He's made some beautiful stuff. He's currently doing large (24" wide) platters from big-leaf maple burl, etc that are amazing. Blanks are $100+. The platters are 1/8" thin in spots. He's working with Frank Penta (frankpenta.com) outside of Chapel Hill. I'll get you the schedule of their open class sessions. I did a few, but not enough to get addicted. Garage space is limited enough for me. Pics will be posted on my website once I restore it.

Update: My gallery is back up after much cursing and gnashing of teeth:  http://www.vernewoodworks.com/gallery2

[Scott Peterson]

Welcome aboard, Kerry!  I'm also looking forward to seeing more photos of your work if you can get your website back up.

I hope you get as hooked on the puzzles as we have!  It is quite a fun hobby for me, and a fun full time job for the others!

[Robert Yarger]

Kerry

We will have to hook up.  You build humidors, and I grow tobacco (just as a hobby).  You build them and I will fill them I love the nice clean look to your boxes.  The straight lines somehow remind me of Frank Loyd Wright.  Hey, have you ever thought of adding wood inlays to some of your work?  I seem to recall an inlay of an indian head for sale somewhere (I think www.inlays.com ) that would be perfect for the center of a cigar box.  Anyway, just a thought.  Don't let me cramp your style. 

[Canuck]

I might have try some of those inlays, they look incredible, thanks for the link Robert.

[Canuck]

Hi Kerry, just had a look at your website, very nice boxwork indeed, you need to venture into puzzleboxes for sure, I'm sure Eric and Robert will be able to lend a hand with ideas and such.

[Robert Yarger]

Now John, don't get me all excited.  I have been trying to get talented artists into sharing my passion with crafting puzzleboxes for a long time now.  However, I can't help but notice how similar most of Kerry's box designs are to my old combinatin lock box.  Perhaps making puzzleboxes is just the next logical step.

Oh and John, did you see that wonderful inlay of the tree with the river and mountains in the background.  My god.  If it was not so large, I would certainly add that to a puzzlebox.  Also, about 5 months ago I purchased a bunch of inlays from this website, and it is driving me insane that I have yet to use the.  I try to incorporate them into every new design, but so far the designs have always taken be in a different direction.

Still, imagine a coffin puzzle with inlays in all the pieces.  Perhaps that is overkill.

[Phil Tomlinson]

Hello everyone!

New member, Phil Tomlinson from Cincinnati OH here. 
I was a general contractor, cabinet and furniture maker for many years.  Just recently had an opportunity to set up my own shop so I am pursuing a long time dream of building some puzzle boxes and, right now, "puzzler's display cabinet"--that is, a display cabinet with puzzle elements to it. 

I have my first display cabinet prototype done (yellow poplar) and am fixing/changing a few things in my shop before I move on to the first real model in quarter-sawn white oak. 

Figured I better do this now before my hands get too shaky to be around the table saw and my eyes get worse than they already are!

Anyway, trying to work my way down to the scale of a puzzle-box after doing two or three cabinets and seeing if there is a market for them.

Very happy to be here.  Would love to hear comments/feedback on the prototype if you want to check out some pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/philtomlinson55/PuzzlerSCabinet?authkey=sQ2nc3yNBGc

Phil

[Robert Yarger]

Phil,

Good to see that you finally found your way here.  I thought you might have gotten lost.  I hope that you find some resources amoung us that help you in your plans.  If you have any techniques you want to share, feel free to start a new thread.  For everyone else, I will mention that I have seen the pictures of his cabinet, and you really have to look close at a lot of the pictures to understand how the puzzle aspect of his cabinet works.  It really is a nice piece of work.