So I was able to get some progress done today. I have now placed all the lettering of the continents, assembled all but the green and completed the rounded corners and so far so good, all pieces accounted for.... (Keep your fingers crossed)
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| I have broken this section (4500 pieces of the 18,000) into three sheets to make it easier to work on. So far so good, all pieces accounted for. Tomorrow I hope to finish green and the legend. That might take me a good two days, but then I have a week to finish the water while M goes home to visit for a week. |
I can't help but laugh...you crack me up sometimes. It's so funny because the puzzle is deceptive...from looking at it through pictures it doesn't look that difficult (other than the gold border of course), but I can also see that if I were to really zoom in and see the detail, I would realize just how difficult it actually is. I kind of want to do this one now because of you...thanks a lot! LOL
ReplyDeleteHey, also because of you I actually bought that James Rizzi puzzle too. I don't know if you want me to tell you how much I got it for, don't want to make you too jealous! LOL
Penny
Glad to hear you got the Rizzi! It's a fantastic puzzle! How much did you get it for? Did my craigslist tip help?
DeleteAs far as 4 world maps from hell, I would like to hear Scott weigh in on what puzzle was the least enjoyable/hardest puzzle he has done. 10:1 says it was this beast and once you start on double retrospect, you will be less worried about solid color pieces, seriously, its not that difficult (but that gold on 4 world maps IS a bit harder than Double Retrospect)
I have Krypt int he closet (Ravensburger 654 pieces all sliver). I am tempted to get that out to take a break from 4 fucking maps.
The hardest puzzle we've done was a 5000 piece by Falcon. There is a picture of it on our "http://www.aegroup.com/puzzle" website.
DeleteThe maps puzzle is really easy. If you look closely there are a bunch of complete vertical columns that are nothing but irregular shaped pieces. Something like every 4th column is 100% made of completely irregular shaped pieces. Do those first. Then fill in with the normal shaped pieces after. You may have to get a good chunk of the first section done to see where the columns are but that should help a lot.
The gold border was definitely a pain in the ass!!! No doubt about it. I'm sure we didn't get all the pieces in the exact right place because the sections didn't fit too well together. We messed with moving pieces around until they fit better. We did manage to get everything to fit but some were not the perfect fit they should have been. Oh well, you'll never see it once it's on the wall.
DeleteThe green border in the 18000 Tropical Impressions or white border in Double Retrospect is not that easy either. The white in DR actually has a pattern which makes it somewhat easier though.
Hey Scott, I have actually found this already and you are right, that is a big help! I find the solid border of Double Retrospect SOOOO much easier than the gold of 4 maps. The water in this section is so daunting, all of those specs. Thanks for the encouragement, and reminding me about the irregular pieces. Also its easy in that the section borders are all the small centered knobs it aids in the task.
DeleteThats funny you say that about the Falcon puzzle. I was thinking about every Springbox puzzle we have done and how they dont have a grid pattern (the grid pattern is considered inferior by the wooden puzzle folk) and that doing a large format puzzle without a grid pattern would be so much harder than a Ravi puzzle! Looking at that puzzle you mentioned, its so dark, no wonder you rank that the hardest! Nice work!
DeleteOMG - I have to say that I am so happy I found your blog (through Scott's blog) because you guys have been a huge inspiration and help to me already!!! The craigslist tip was awesome as was the drywall mounting tips.
ReplyDeleteActually, I had already found the Rizzi puzzle on my own (through a painfully slow search process on Craigslist itself) before I got your tips, but your tips are AMAZING! I immediately did a google search using your search parameters and found the "4 Historic But F'ing Hard Maps" puzzle in Columbus, OH for $30. I have contacted the seller to see if they're willing to ship it to Atlanta. We'll see what they say. I also tried doing a search for Double Retrospect the same way, but didn't come up with anything. I've seen several on Ebay but they're just too pricey. I want it cheap. I'm still bummed I didn't win the one on Ebay a few weeks ago that essentially went for $120.
Anyway, I think you're trying to scare me off from this one, but I'm not going to let it work....I LOVE the picture. And for me, I have to absolutely love the picture or there's no way I would ever commit the time it will take to do it. That's the main reason why up until just about a month ago I said I would never get and make Double Retrospect. I just don't like the artwork that much. It's one that if I do ever get it, it will be simply because it was a great price and that it's the current world's record holder. I would donate that one somewhere because I have no desire to have it hanging in my house. I think it would be fun to donate it to a hospital or something like that.
Anyway, I ended up getting the Rizzi puzzle for $20 plus $8 in shipping. Not too bad! This one I could see putting up in my basement where the kids can see it. It's kind of cartoonish.
What did you guys end up doing about your 25 or so pieces that got the wine spilled on them? Are you going to eventually replace them or no? I couldn't see the damgage from the pictures you took, but they probably just weren't up close enough I guess. If I end up not making the puzzle after several years, I'll ship you the pieces you need. LOL
You should just wait until your Life puzzle arrives and take a break from Maps with one of the Sections of that! Much easier and more fun I'm sure. LOL
Penny
We are curious if your husband puzzles with you? We are glad we found other puzzle heads! We also have no space for the puzzles we are doing... I think we are going to resort to putting laquer on a few and framing them outdoors around the city and donate them to public places like libraries or hospitals etc.
DeleteAlso, the wine pieces, well, to be honest, they are a bit discolored on a few, but unless you are very closely inspecting the puzzle, you will never notice them. But thank you and you better do the puzzle! Besides, the chances that it is from the same die is unlikely (they switch them out after so many)
DeleteNo, my husband doesn't have any patience for hobbies like that. He doesn't have a lot of patience for most things other than internet research on superhero stuff, technology, movies and tv, etc. LOL
ReplyDeleteIn the past he has helped me with a 1,000 piece Christmas puzzle and a 500 or so piece vintage baseball cards puzzle. I think he is boycotting the Life puzzle because he wasn't overly pleased when I bought it to begin with since it was so huge and so expensive (I paid about $275 for it back in summer, 2010). I think he really had doubts that I would ever finish it and thought it was a waste of money. However, he was impressed that I got the first section done, even though he said he wasn't going to help on it at all. I think if I can get all the way to the last section and I really need help, he might help a little, but puzzles are just not his thing. I have the most patience of anyone in his or my immediate family so I'm pretty much on my own here, which is fine. I don't mind.
I was curious about something with you guys as well...it seems like you, Tom, are always the one posting the blog entries and responding to all my goofy comments. Does M read them too or is it just you and she just puzzles? How did you both get so into doing this?
I know for me I have always had a love for doing puzzles, but until I finally discovered the puzzle roll, I had a hard time finishing any of them because I would inevitably need the table back before I was finished with the puzzle, and then I would just give up rather than taking it apart and starting over again later. So the puzzle roll really helped me foster my love of puzzles, and I'm even happier now that I have my puzzle room in the basement with a puzzle "table" large enough to support doing up to 6,000 pieces at a time.
UPDATE ON 4 HISTORIC MAPS: I've been emailing back and forth with the person on Craigslist in OH who has the puzzle, almost brand new....the first bag was opened by her husband who loved the idea of having four beautiful old maps...he did about 100 pieces and thought it was too hard and put it back in the box. LOL She said it was his first puzzle...why on earth you would choose an 18,000 piece puzzle as your FIRST puzzling attempt is beyond me. That's just setting yourself up for failure as far as I'm concerned. She's only asking $30 for it, but then I have to pay for shipping. It looks like shipping via UPS or FedEx is the cheapest. Still that will cost me about $20+ too. Working out the details now, but I should have it sometime soon. :o)
Penny
Another update on 4 historic maps....it's on it's way tomorrow. I was able to work it out through pay pal and she's shipping it via FedEx manana. So, I should have that one and Rizzi City by the end of next week. Sssshhh....don't tell my husband! LOL I told him I wouldn't buy anymore puzzles until after I finished Life, but I just couldn't resist these two as they were pretty good deals.
ReplyDeletePenny