Mayan Rubik's Treasure Box

In this Instructable I'm going show you how to turn a plastic Treasure Chest Rubik's Cube into a wooden one.

This cube reveals its inside once it is solved. Just hide your secret message and a fragile glass vial with a poisonous gas which will be released, should someone decide to break the cube out of frustration instead of solving it (Please, please don't poison anybody, I'm just kidding ;-)).

Step 1: What you need

What you need:
•  at least 25 two millimeter cubes (22 for the Rubik's cube and three to make a rig, but you should get a few more, in case you mess up)
•  Oskar’s Treasure Chest (from Mefferts)
•  Wood stain
•  Clear finish

Tools:
•  Hot glue gun
•  Strong two component glue
•  Phillips screwdriver
•  Dremel (114 High Speed Cutter, a Sanding Drum and a 3 mm drill)
•  Saw
•  Compass
•  Optional: laser cutter, but the graphics are easy enough, so you can just paint them on.

Comments

[nickcube4]

Awesome Idea!

[Slay.]

Can someone please make the inner plastic chamber into a 3D printable model? I would be willing to give that person a free 3 month instructables pro membership...

[12203madman]

how does it work

[dkrane]

Do you think it would be possible to make the core of the cube yourself, using wood?

[BrittLiv]

With a CNC? Certainly. By hand? Probably not (a lot of precision is needed).

[Givver112]

Where do you get the black pieces in Step 2? Do you have to disassemble a Rubiks cube?

[BrittLiv]

Hi, you need a special type of Rubiks Cube, you can get it here: http://www.mefferts.com/products/details.php?lang=en&category=13&id=621

[SlickSqueegie]

Nice job!

[Thergox]

Very cool! I am very envious of your tools and handiwork.

[Edgar]

Wonderful piece of resourfulness, there...
It's great to see these things, thank you.
You deserve a Singing Meercat!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8mjvkxgFX60#!

[CementTruck]

Love the Mayan cube. Love Rubik's Cubes in general. I have never seen the puzzle box version and it intrigues me, but the price is keeping me from adding it to my small collection of cubes.

On the center edge pieces, you could run a long piece of wood stock through a router with a bit that has the correct curvature as the plastic piece. Once the piece of wood is run through you can just cut the pieces to the correct width. Mass Produced. On the corners ... I've got nothing.

If you don't mind I'd like to "steal" the Mayan idea and wood burn it into veneer and glue it on a regular Rubik's cube.

Great Idea!

[BrittLiv]

Hi, thank you, I originally wanted to make it with a CNC, but the one we were supposed to get didn't arrive in time. I think a lathe would have worked pretty well as well.

I had the same idea with the veneer, but I'm a big perfectionist and didn't wanted the plastic to shine through, while turning the cube. It would have made my life a whole lot easier. though...

I like the idea of burning the design in the wood. I didn't think of that. I would love for you to make it and show me the result.

[audreyobscura]

I have never been able to solve these tricky puzzles, but these came out great. You have inspired me to come with additional ideas as to how a Rubiks cube can be gutted and repurposed.

[BrittLiv]

Thank you, actually they are quite easy to solve, you just need to learn a few algorithms.

You work at instructables, right? I can't edit the first step of this instructable without getting this error:

There's been a problem updating your Instructable
parsererror
SyntaxError: JSON.parse: bad control character in string literal

It would be nice if you could look into it.