For some strange reason, humans sure love to knock themselves on the head with countless mind puzzles. The Rubik’s Cube, Chess—heck, even Candy Crush are all examples of how we have a penchant for exercising our minds in different ways.

This wooden dowel puzzle by Instructables user mtairymd is no different. It may sound easy enough to jam some wooden pieces into a tight box, but when you’re short a saw and some sandpaper, getting these things to fit can be quite the challenge!

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Like most other projects, the build starts by carefully laying down the dimensions for each piece to ensure the finished puzzle fits together precisely as intended. As for the dowel pieces, these rounded bits of wood have varying lengths, but they all share the same 60° angle and 1-inch diameter.

It’s a simple project, but the real task here is solving the puzzle. You can find all the materials and instructions (as well as the solution to the puzzle) over at Instructables.

Author

Carlos wrestles gators, and by gators, we mean words. He also loves good design, good books, and good coffee.