I Have a Storage Problem...

Solving the puzzles doesn't help!

Oskar's Paperclips

The detail is wonderful!

Mrs S has mentioned to me on several thousand occasions that I need to sort out my study! I always acknowledge the issue and then carry on playing with my toys and (shock/horror) keep buying more which adds to my storage issues. At the end of 2019 I had finally managed to acquire a set of Oskar's paperclips. I had been drooling over these for years, ever since I had seen it on Allard's website right back at the beginning of my puzzling career. I saw this as a fun puzzle but also an absolute masterpiece of puzzle manufacture - it looked so fragile and yet was perfectly safe to play with. I had attempted several times to get a copy through various auctions but had always been beaten. Finally Eric reproduced it for a third time and I was fast enough on my keyboard to get one of the 53 copies. This version in Grenadillo and Maple (unlike the previous 3 wood version) was one of only 53 made. The workmanship is superb with shoulder joints and reinforcing splines.

The puzzle was sent out disassembled with the pieces sandwiched between polythene fabric for safety. After taking my initial photos and having a quick fiddle, I put this on the shelf next to me to keep them safe from inadvertent damage and to prevent a certain cat gnawing on the ends (he couldn't resist small pokey objects for chewing). The flatpack nature of the puzzle as delivered was perfect for placing amongst books and pamphlets (it was next to my CFF journals). Over the months it sort of got hidden and I, blush, forgot about it - for 3 years!!!

This week, I was forced to do a little tidying up (not a lot) and came across my hoarded masterpiece. It was well stored but needed to be on show. Out it came and I had a little play. The dimensions are perfect. Everything slides and fits together with millimetre accuracy and I had a fun time exploring. I did use the picture on Puzzlewillbeplayed to work out the relative orientation of the pieces and the see the end result. Armed with that, I started work - the disassembly level is 15.2 and so was not going to be easy. It certainly is pretty confusing. There is a lot of movement possible at any one time but this means that there is a long way between moves and a lot to undo if you get stuck. 

It is extremely logical and actually solves more by thought than randomly trying things. It took me a while to realise that and I spent a happy couple of evenings playing with it before finishing my assembly.

Boy! It's tough to get good photo of this!

It is certainly even more beautiful having been assembled but now I have even more of a problem...it takes up MUCH more space like this and I need to find somewhere to put it. I very much doubt that Mrs S will let me keep it in the living room (where it probably should go) and there is no room amongst all of the rest of the "Fuller shelves". Sigh! I can see a complete reorganisation in my future sometime!