This is a fun and easy project to make. The goal is pretty simple: remove the large ball from the puzzle. You might notice that the solution is similar to the puzzle I made a few weeks back. As for materials, I used a scrap piece of wood, excess wood beads from the last project, paracord and a plastic ball that I scavenged from the kids old toy box. Note that I'm not the originator of either of these puzzles. I understand these types of puzzles have been around for 500+ years before patent protection :).

Unfortunately, I give away the solution while showing how to make the puzzle. As a challenge, try to figure it out from this picture. Once you are done or give up, watch the video to see the puzzle being solved and how to reset it for the next person.

Step 1: Tools/Materials

Tools:

Saw
Drill or Drill Press
Drill Bits (1/2" and 1")
Sander
Ruler
Pencil
Scissors
Lighter

Materials:

Wood: 6" Long, 2" Wide, 1/8" to 3/4" Thick
Paracord: 5/32" Diameter x 36" Long
Wood beads: 3/4" OD, 3/16 ID (x2)
Ball (1.5" Diameter) or Block (1.5" Cubed), 1/2" Hole Through Center

Step 2: Block

Cut a block to 6"x2". Thickness doesn't matter. I used a 3/4" thick piece of wood. Drill holes in block as shown. Sand to break sharp edges. You also might want to chamfer/round the holes to allow the cord to slide freely.

Step 3: Feed String Through First Hole

Step 4: Feed String Through Middle Hole

Step 5: Feed String Through Last Hole

Step 6: Counterbore Beads

I used a drill to add counterbores to one side of each bead. These were needed to capture the knot in the paracord. Note that this picture is showing both sides of the beads.