Impossible Keychain

by oliveira.igorm

9.5K6211

Intro: Impossible Keychain

This simple keychain was inspired by the impossible nail through wood puzzle, that makes people rack their brains! Using only a piece of wood, a nail and a keychain cord, you can make it.

STEP 1: Wood Working

The size of my keychain is about the same of a small eraser but it can vary. After cutting and shaping the wood, you can draw fome lines that will help to get an E shape.

STEP 2: Cooking and Clamping

The secret of this project is to "cook" the wood on boiling water for about 2 minutes. Doing that makes the wood softer and able to be compressed using a clamp. Now the wood has to dry while clamped for about 24 hours.

STEP 3: Nailing and Cooking Again

To prevent the wood from cracking, a hole was drilled using a needle and a nail. After drilling, just push the nail through the wood. Now the wood has to be "cooked" again to get its shape back. Let it dry for 24 hours.

STEP 4: Sanding and Keychaining

To remove some marks from the wood and make it smooth, sandpaper was used on this step. Also, to make it a keychain, a hole was to be drilled. I made my own cord using a copper wire and a keychain loop.

That's it! It's a very easy project to make and requires simple materials. Do your version and don't forget to vote on this instructable!

9 Comments

fullclip765 8 years ago

im definatly making o e i got enough spare blovks of wood

Blade1111111 8 years ago

it's made to look like there is no way to get the nail to pass through the first block. however, it is.

oliveira.igorm 8 years ago

The trick is using hot water to make wood moldable.

fulltimerart 8 years ago

This is slick! I am going to make one-----it will be a great conversation starter with my woodworking friends! Art

arcov 8 years ago

very cool. i didnt know that trick.
does it work with any wood or can you recommend some?

offseid 8 years ago

Yes, use softwood. And it's also important that you are clamping perpendicular to the direction of the grain (see the pics above). Otherwise you may not be able to compress the wood.

oliveira.igorm 8 years ago

I believe if you use soft wood it's easier but any wood may work.