From Scraps to Smiles

Problem
A local lumber yard Vintage Lumber in Woodsboro, Maryland throws away tens of thousands of scrap ¾” hardwood cubes that result from its furniture construction processes. The material is expensive and the scrap represents a sizable loss of profit.

Design Statement

• Vintage Lumber would like to return value to its waste product by using it as the raw material for children's toys donated to local P-K Programs
• Your mission is to design, build, test, document, and present a three-dimensional puzzle that is made from the scrap hardwood cubes.
• Look at the cube on the right and ask yourself what 3 year old will be excited about a cube, make something interesting that fits together.

Criteria and Constraints

• The puzzle must be fabricated from 30 – ¾”hardwood cubes.
• The puzzle system must contain between 5 and 9 combined pieces
• Each individual puzzle piece must consist of at least 3, but no more than six hardwood cubes, that are permanently attached to each other.

Criteria and Constraints

• No two puzzle pieces can be the same.
• The puzzle pieces must assemble to form a shape of your choice. (The example below is a cube)
• Some puzzle parts should interlock.
• You will work with one partner.

Materials

• 30 ¾” wooden cubes/Group
• Glue (Wood, super or hot at teacher discretion) Wood/white glue is preferred; hot glue adds width and can cause challenges with assembling the pieces.

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