Our Puzzle Creation Process
In creating a wooden puzzle, I strive to create a superior quality product. Over the years, I have tried to find the best ways possible to complete each step of my process. If I had unlimited resources, I might improve things further, but I am very happy with where this process is right now. Through every step, there is an emphasis on quality.
I wanted to outline and describe the general process for my customers to see that each puzzle is well thought out, planned, and executed to create a super-high quality finished product. So here are the steps I follow to create each puzzle I make.. (I will add pictures later to really let you know how the magic happens)
12-Step Process
1. Art Selection / Procurement
I understand that I am but a lone puzzle cutter, and there are so many beautiful paintings and photos in the world.. Many of which could make beautiful puzzles. When I first began making puzzles, I didn’t care much about what artwork I picked for my puzzles. As I’ve gotten older, I realize that I have a finite amount of time and energy to make puzzles and therefore, I want each one to be a beautiful piece of art. Now, before starting a puzzle, I spend a lot of time looking through art prints to pick one I think will make a great puzzle.
I know that some puzzle companies choose artwork because it is difficult or impossible - like a solid color, or a photo of a field of the same color flowers. These images seem boring to me. I want my customers to enjoy the beauty of the image as it comes together. I love art with multiple colors and events taking place within the scene. Sometimes doing a puzzle helps us see all the small details an artist put into the painting - details we don’t notice until we focus on smaller areas at a time.
Unfortunately, not all of the great masterpieces of artwork that I love and wish I could make into puzzles are available to me. Many artists have limited availability to prints and digital scans of their work. Some prints are extremely expensive. While this is great for these artists selling their work, it is restrictive to the small puzzle cutters like me. However, I just keep looking and eventually I find artwork I like at a price I can afford. And, every once in a while, I find an amazing artist that likes my work as well and allows me access to digital scans of their artwork for puzzle creations. The point here is that even selecting and obtaining the pictures or paintings to make into puzzles can be complicated and frustrating, but it is an important step in creating that “perfect” puzzle.
2. Wood Selection and Preparation
Most of my puzzles are made from a 1/4” plywood. I have found that a 5-ply Baltic Birch works
very well for most puzzles. It is affordable, yet still has good quality, as it is used by many
crafters and cabinet makers. There are very few voids within the wood. Plywood typically works
best for puzzles as each ply is glued with the grain running at a 90 degree angle from the one
above and below. This means that the layers prevent each other from warping and bending -
keeping the wood straight as possible. I still have to look through a lot of sheets of plywood at
the lumber yard before finding those perfect sheets.
Once I get the sheet of plywood back to my shop, I have to trim it down to the size of the puzzle
I’m making. I sand both sides and look for a pretty grain pattern for the back side of the puzzle.
My ultimate favorite wood for puzzles was a mahogany plywood with a basswood interior. This
was a special plywood that was actually specially ordered and made for a group of puzzle cutters.
This wood was very expensive, but it cut beautifully and smelled great too. Unfortunately I did
not purchase enough, and I am unable to get more. Maybe one day, I’ll get with other cutters and
order this special plywood again - as it was a dream to work with. Until then, I’m stuck with
what is available to me... Baltic Birch.
3. Glue-up and Press Down
Gluing an art print to the plywood is important. You want a permanent bond between the wood
and the artwork such that the artwork looks perfect on every piece of the puzzle. Bad glue and
the paper will peel off - which looks shoddy and effects the finished puzzle too.
I use a spray adhesive to glue the wood to the paper print. Specifically, I use 3M’s Photo Mount
Spray Adhesive. I apply the glue in layers to both wood and paper. After putting them together, I
use a rubber roller to ensure that there are no air bubbles and that each square inch of the art is
pressed down to the wood. Then I put the newly glued up wood into a press that applies flat
pressure to top and bottom. Then I let the glue dry overnight. Its a complicated process, but I
don’t want to have to worry about paper peeling off of pieces.. especially while cutting the puzzle.
4. Trimming and Partitioning
Once the glue is dry, I can trim up the puzzle to the exact size. I trim the puzzle on the scroll saw,
and due to the fine blades I use, I can cut very close to the edge of the artwork. This is good as I
don’t want to lose much of the artwork, but I also want to make sure that the art goes to the edge
of the puzzle. A white border would make the puzzle to easy.. =)
This is where we set the overall shape of the puzzle. Sometimes, I will add a special edge to the
puzzle. Rather than just a simple rectangle, maybe I’ll add a scalloped edge. Or, on special
occasions, I’ll add figures or cut-outs along the edge to make a truly unique puzzling experience.
Any special edges usually add complexity to the puzzle as most people will put a puzzle together
by first trying to assemble the edge. If the edge doesn’t run straight or play by the rules, it makes
this technique much more of a challenge.
5. Figural Selection and Placement
Figure pieces make each puzzle unique and definitely separates my puzzles from simple
cardboard puzzles bought at a store, or even simple puzzles made from a photo at a copy store. I
like to include a number of figurals in each puzzle if possible. Some puzzles are too small, but
puzzles with 50 pieces or more usually allow for a few special figure pieces.
What are figurals and how do I select them? Figurals are special pieces that are in the shape of an
item or text. Some puzzle cutters call them silhouette pieces as they are just a general shape - no
interior colors or cut outs. Figurals could be animals or objects that coincide with the theme of a
painting. There may be a fox in the field, or a grasshopper in the garden. Figurals may help tell
another story. With a painting of a boy reading a book, I had figurals of dreams and adventures
that may have been inside those story books. With personal commissioned puzzles, I sometimes
add figurals that mean something to the people receiving the puzzle - an alma mater, or a
childhood memory.
The figurals are selected to enhance the puzzle, and must look good even by themselves. After
designing which figurals to have in a puzzle, I plan where they will reside. I like it when the
colors of the puzzle play into the shape of a silhouette. This is not always possible, but when it
works out, it looks amazing. I will try to add some pictures of figurals that had great color
enhancements.
6. Scroll Saw Cutting
The cutting of the puzzle is the step that everyone seems to think they understand. ‘So, you cut a
piece of wood into smaller pieces?’ Yes, that is a super simplification of what I do. Using a high
end scroll saw, I cut each piece individually. Each piece is designed on the fly, but each piece
must work with the rest of the puzzle, as well as enhance the overall beauty and puzzle process. I
often imagine what my customers will feel as they hold each piece and put together the puzzle.
Sometimes, I try to trick them. Other times, I just want them to enjoy the beauty of the finished
painting.
I try hard to keep all pieces relatively the same size. I also like my puzzles to be tightly
interlocking, so each piece needs to connect to at least 2 pieces next to it. When the puzzle is
complete, you can usually pick the puzzle up off the table holding just one piece. This tight
connection is also the result of using super fine, Swiss scroll saw blades of the highest quality.
The blades are so thin, that the cuts do not detract from the painting once the puzzle is
reconstructed. Unfortunately, with super thin blades, it is difficult to keep sharp for very long.
For this reason, it takes many blades to cut even a medium sized puzzle.
7. Reassemble and Inspection
This step used to be my wife’s favorite part of the process. As puzzle pieces are cut and removed
from the large board, they are added to a small box. After a time, I take this small box inside the
house and my wife would put the puzzle together - in phases. It wasn’t as hard as solving the
entire puzzle at once, but she still was able to enjoy each piece and the journey. As pieces are put
in, they are inspected for any wood slivers, gaps in the plywood, or any paper that might be
coming off the wood. Any issues or problems are closely analyzed and then corrected.
8. Flip and Sand by Hand
Once the puzzle is finished being cut into pieces, the work is not done. The blades that I use to cut puzzles cut one way - down. These blades are amazingly fine and sharp, and they leave the top of the puzzle nice and clean. The paper that contains the artwork or photo is cleanly cut with no tear out. However, the bottom of the puzzle, which is bare wood does have a little tear out. Since I want the back of the puzzle to look as amazing as the front, we flip over the puzzle to finish the back.
Step one to finishing the back is to remove tear out using sand paper. So as to not damage the front, I usually sand these by hand, starting with 150 grit paper and moving up to higher grit paper ending at 320 grit. This leaves the back super smooth to the touch, and the pieces will now glide together. The back is now ready for the next step.
9. Stain and Polish
Our puzzles are meant to be heirloom quality - puzzles that will last for many years. For that reason, we want the back to be strong enough to be handled, dropped, or whatever. We stain the back with multiple coats of Tung oil finish to protect the wood. This again is applied by hand. After each coat of finish, we polish it with super fine steel to remove any imperfections. When this step is done, the puzzle is ready to be handled.
10. Take Photos and Count Pieces
The above steps are done with the puzzle still put together. Now that it is completely cut and polished, its time to prepare it for delivery. Since it's still put together, I know all the pieces are there. For archival purposes, I take photos of the front and back. These are also used if the puzzle will be sold online. This is also the first time I am able to count the pieces. Until now, any piece counts are estimates. Now, I can take the puzzle apart, count all the pieces, and print a label for the box. What box? Oh, yeah, I'll need to make one to fit this puzzle...
11. Box Creation
I make lots of different sizes of puzzles, so there's no "one size fits all" box. I used to buy premade boxes from craft stores or other retailers, but I never liked the finished product enough. It lacked the simplicity and the refinement to match the quality of the puzzle. I want people to notice the box, but then quickly be able to get the puzzle out or put away. When the box is closed, I want it to be able to be placed on a shelf or table without worry of spilling and losing pieces. I still wanted the box to look elegant and call to the owner to open and play. Finally, the box needed to remain affordable and quick to make.
At this time, I have decided to make my own boxes. They are slide boxes made of wood. Each box has a jigsaw puzzle icon at the front - showing where the box will open. If you are having trouble opening your box, use your thumbs to push against the top on the side with the puzzle piece icon. <Include video here>
12. Packaging and Shipping
Final step is to package and deliver the puzzle to the client. Each puzzle is delivered with a puzzle stress reliever -- for fun, marketing, and to squeeze if you get frustrated while putting the puzzle together.
One thing to note here is that the puzzle is NOT delivered with a picture of the finished puzzle picture. What?!! Yes, you'll have to discover the image while putting the puzzle together. It's fun, and it will make your brain smarter. It's also how puzzles were distributed many years ago.