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| Well, what can I say... they um "like" each other... |
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| Ash and M are doing the kiddie puzzle M bought when she was drunk and I was getting my tattoo finished. |
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| Awwwwww! Ain't they cute! |
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Ash Comes to Puzzle... I mean visit
For M's birthday, we brought her friend Ashley down to puzzle. Ash is her best friend from childhood so they really had a good time on island. We even managed to do some puzzling, but not much.
Border Complete 4 World Maps 1st Section
I finished the gold border of the first section this morning after 5 days! All of the pieces are accounted for which was my biggest concern as I thought it might be difficult to reconstruct a gold piece if one was missing (if you recall, we bought this puzzle used off of craigslist and the section we are working was already open and bagged in a garbage bag...)
I came to realize an interesting pattern in the puzzle on the row and column without edges, that entire row and column facing the other section have a uniform small knob in the middle of the piece or a uniform small receptacle for the matching knob from the other section. This threw me off a bit as the matching piece pattern is broken in this row and column. Additional, there are columns of irregular pieces (less or more than two knobs and two holes) and in the top row of the border (where it has uniform small knobs to join the next section, the pattern it has odd shaped pieces all over the place (in order to keep the uniform knob pattern I assume.
So, if you are reading this and attempting to do this puzzle, each section will have two actual borders and two borders with alternating in out uniform knobs. I recommend solving the top (or bottom) with an edge, then the other edge, then the bottom or top adjoining the other section and finally the vertical edge uncompleted. the hardest and slowest is the first section (with three rows of solid gold pieces) but I think you will find it is the best way.
I came to realize an interesting pattern in the puzzle on the row and column without edges, that entire row and column facing the other section have a uniform small knob in the middle of the piece or a uniform small receptacle for the matching knob from the other section. This threw me off a bit as the matching piece pattern is broken in this row and column. Additional, there are columns of irregular pieces (less or more than two knobs and two holes) and in the top row of the border (where it has uniform small knobs to join the next section, the pattern it has odd shaped pieces all over the place (in order to keep the uniform knob pattern I assume.
So, if you are reading this and attempting to do this puzzle, each section will have two actual borders and two borders with alternating in out uniform knobs. I recommend solving the top (or bottom) with an edge, then the other edge, then the bottom or top adjoining the other section and finally the vertical edge uncompleted. the hardest and slowest is the first section (with three rows of solid gold pieces) but I think you will find it is the best way.
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| Border Complete! |
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| This is the pattern along the internal borders, the knobs are identical and centered in the piece. The knob receptacles are also identical and centered. The patter strictly repeats in and out all along these internal edges. |
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| This threw me off at first, Here I am showing the "identical piece" that also fits there, but these edges are modified to fit the other sections. Remember the puzzle repeats horizontally per section, so when solving the hoizontal edges, make sure you solve both halves at the same time! It saves a ton of work. Just beware that the internal "edge" pieces will not have a twin. |
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This is the whole puzzle, what you see completed is the lower right section.
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
AUCTION WON! Wedding Feast At Cana - 9000 pieces By Ravensburger is on its WAY!
I WON, I WON! I WON! This is one of my favorite puzzles. Check out more about it here.
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| After 4 months of searching daily, I found it on ebay Germany and won the auction for $37 bucks (plus like 55 for international shipping)! WAHOOOOOOO! |
4 World Maps Update... Wedding Feast At Cana Bid End Today
So I take back a bit of what I said about 4 World Maps, specifically, I take back my gripe about the loosely interlocking pieces and the lateral variation. It is true, the double retrospect, their newest large format puzzle, its WAY better, this is still a very good effort but does take a bit more concentration to see the differences.
I have very much enjoyed my time assembling the gold border. It is strange however, this section appears to have a gold border 3.5 pieces on the bottom, 2.5 pieces on the side with an edge 1.5 piece on the side without an edge and the top. So far, so good, all pieces accounted for. (Keep your fingers crossed!)
Today, the holy grail of puzzles for me ends on ebay Germany and I hope to win it! I will keep you updated! It was my first large format puzzle and I never completed it. I had it 90% done and it was destroyed in a move. This one has already been assembled and unassembled so it is actually a 9000 piece puzzle! This will be a real challenge (versus all of our other large format puzzles break down into 4-6000 piece sections. Currently the bid is at $20 USD plut $55 international shipping....
We are looking at a new place to live, and the top priority after location, kitchen and bathroom size and view is space for a massive puzzle table and wall space to hang puzzles.
I have very much enjoyed my time assembling the gold border. It is strange however, this section appears to have a gold border 3.5 pieces on the bottom, 2.5 pieces on the side with an edge 1.5 piece on the side without an edge and the top. So far, so good, all pieces accounted for. (Keep your fingers crossed!)
Today, the holy grail of puzzles for me ends on ebay Germany and I hope to win it! I will keep you updated! It was my first large format puzzle and I never completed it. I had it 90% done and it was destroyed in a move. This one has already been assembled and unassembled so it is actually a 9000 piece puzzle! This will be a real challenge (versus all of our other large format puzzles break down into 4-6000 piece sections. Currently the bid is at $20 USD plut $55 international shipping....
We are looking at a new place to live, and the top priority after location, kitchen and bathroom size and view is space for a massive puzzle table and wall space to hang puzzles.
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| So far I have finished the bottom border and now I am working on the left side. The only way in my opinion to assemble this border is start with the "inside" gold border with a partial picture on it. This at least can then give you two sides to get started. The pieces are challenging in that wrong fits are common place and I have had to back track more than once (about 5 times so far). This puzzle repeats horizontally across each section once(If it is anything like Double Retrospect it actually is pressed from 1x1000ish die and rotated etc but i have not been able to find that pattern yet). This made solving the bottom border easier because when you find one piece, you know what its mate looks like half way down the border. This is why the bottom border is split in half. You can tell where the split in these puzzles are because this is the only place the grid patter does not align perfectly. |
Sunday, May 12, 2013
What have I done.... 4 world maps is a not going to be easy
Last night I sorted the open section of the 18,000 piece 4 Historical World Maps and started assembling it. I sorted into gold pieces, gold edge pieces, water pieces (favoring continents), continents and black edge and flowers with maze and blue border, and man drawn objects.
It took roughly 5 hours to sort (about the same amount of time it took M to book her "free" flight home with Spirit Airlines... worst airline ever) and I started assembling the "border". By border I mean the gold pieces with a picture on them. It turns out this is going to be a seriously difficult puzzle. The pieces do not interlock well. Ravensburgers new puzzles fit much much better. The pieces appear to interchange readily and have little translation variation (all knobs seem to fit in the middle of each peace). All of this combined with the image quality and subject matter made fitting pieces with a pattern on it difficult and frankly, this puzzle is damn near impossible. Hats off to the patient few who have suffered and completed it!
Well here is the border and all the little gold soliders lined up (roughly 436 of them pure gold) which makes for just over 1200 of these little guys in the whole puzzle... Well if you think that is hard, you should see the bag with all the little dots that is the ocean.... I think we will be here for a while. I know I was "going" to start another section of double retrospect, but until we get the leak in our roof over the puzzle table fixed, I am not risking damaging that one!
It took roughly 5 hours to sort (about the same amount of time it took M to book her "free" flight home with Spirit Airlines... worst airline ever) and I started assembling the "border". By border I mean the gold pieces with a picture on them. It turns out this is going to be a seriously difficult puzzle. The pieces do not interlock well. Ravensburgers new puzzles fit much much better. The pieces appear to interchange readily and have little translation variation (all knobs seem to fit in the middle of each peace). All of this combined with the image quality and subject matter made fitting pieces with a pattern on it difficult and frankly, this puzzle is damn near impossible. Hats off to the patient few who have suffered and completed it!
Well here is the border and all the little gold soliders lined up (roughly 436 of them pure gold) which makes for just over 1200 of these little guys in the whole puzzle... Well if you think that is hard, you should see the bag with all the little dots that is the ocean.... I think we will be here for a while. I know I was "going" to start another section of double retrospect, but until we get the leak in our roof over the puzzle table fixed, I am not risking damaging that one!
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| All that gliters IS gold! |
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| Putting the board on an incline make working with a large puzzle a LOT easier! |
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| All lined up and ready to puzzle! |
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Puzzle Craziness
Well, we have completed two puzzle, found 4 more at the thrift store, decide to start on the 18,000 pcs 4 Historical World Maps by Ravensburger and one a bid from ebay Germany on the 9000 piece Tower of Babel since the last post! It's getting crazy around here!
It took me about 5 hours to sort the first bag of world maps today. I think the pervious owner started on this hardest one! This puzzle is going to be extremely hard.
It took me about 5 hours to sort the first bag of world maps today. I think the pervious owner started on this hardest one! This puzzle is going to be extremely hard.
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| Power outage? No reason to stop puzzling! Thats why we have headlamps! M puzzling Maui Moon in the dark! |
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| Getting started on 4 World Maps. This might be missing pieces. We bought it used off of craigslist and this section was opened. I feel confident I can make a missing piece if need be. It took about 5 hours to sort this thing. |
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| M and Tessa working on a puzzle. |
Completed:
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| Maui Moon Bay - 500pc, Master Pieces Purchased at K-Mart in Plymouth, MI on 3/26/2010 for $8.00
Started: 5/8/2013
Finished: 5/10/2013 Assembled by: Tom, Mercedes and Tessa |
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| Aimee Stewart: The Dreaming Tree - 750pc, Mega Puzzles Reflections K-Mart in Plymouth, MI 3/26/2013 $8.00
Started: 5/9/2013
Completed: 5/10/2013 Assembled By: Tom, Mercedes and Tessa |
Acquired:
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| John O'Brian: Gallerie de Montmarte - 1500pc, Jumbo Purchased from Human Society St. Thomas for $2.00 on 5/11/2013 |
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| M.C. Esher: Hand with Reflecting - 1000pc, Pomegranate Art Piece Puzzle Purchased from Human Society St. Thomas for $2.00 on 5/11/2013 |
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| Giovanni Paolo Pannini: Picture Gallery with View of Modern Rome - 1000pc, Pomegranate Art Piece Puzzle Purchased from Human Society St. Thomas for $2.00 on 5/11/2013 |
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| Colorful Candies - 1000pc, Springbok Purchased from Human Society St. Thomas for $2.00 on 5/11/2013 |
Friday, May 10, 2013
Early Bday Present
Today we won LIFE from ebay as an early bday present! I cant wait to build this one, it will be so fun!
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Life, The Greatest Puzzle - 24000pc, EDUCA
You can do it to! Buy it from Amazon.com |
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