Puzzle Design Kit with Sample Balloon Puzzles

This project is finally done! The most recent cutters were only published in wide because that seems to work best and is the most popular. If you want a narrow version, open the SVG, set the stroke weight to 0.4pt, then follow the instructions below for exporting the SVG, importing into a 3D program, and modeling it.

I encourage you to create derivations of this. It's the whole point! Have fun and share what you create! Just please, no commercial use . You get it for free, so you give it away for free. If you share the 3D files, please post them as a remix. Otherwise, please post your design as a make!

The great thing about this project is that all the software you need to create your own puzzle or modify my cutters are available for FREE for Mac and Windows.

The colors in the balloon puzzle are handled through color changes between print layers. You can print the full color puzzle with any filament printer, it's fast, and there's no waste! The color changes are already built into the PrusaSlicer SMF project files I've provided. Some settings may be lost if they are opened in other slicers.

I created the balloon puzzle using a style I used to use for commercial illustrations. So, it's different from what I normally post. Maybe I'll do more puzzles like this. Who knows?

This system makes use of the negative volume feature in PrusaSlicer. Similar features appear to be available in OrcaSlicer, Bambu Studio, and Cura. Maybe others, too.

The cutters are designed to create puzzles with as many pieces as possible while keeping the pieces strong and big enough to work with. These are intended for adults and older children.

I've created a number of different cutters. They vary in shape, size, and thickness of the cutting “blade.” The puzzles labeled “narrow” have a tighter fit than those labeled “wide.”

300mm Puzzles:

- Balloon: 94 pieces

- Square (Grid): 225 pieces

- Square (Radial): 245 pieces

- Circular (Grid): 190 pieces

- Circular (Radial): 188 pieces

- 3x4 Rectangle (Grid): 165 pieces

- 3x4 Rectangle (Radial): 198 pieces

- 2x3 Rectangle (Grid): 150 pieces

- 2x3 Rectangle (Radial): 185 pieces

200mm Puzzles:

- Balloon: 46 pieces

- Square (Grid): 100 pieces

- Square (Radial): 117 pieces

- Circular (Grid): 97 pieces

- Circular (Radial): 92 pieces

- 3x4 Rectangle (Grid): 80 pieces

- 3x4 Rectangle (Radial): 99 pieces

- 2x3 Rectangle (Grid): 70 pieces

- 2x3 Rectangle (Radial): 92 pieces

Printing

A successful print of a puzzle is all about precision – NOT speed. Be patient when you print AND when you separate the pieces.

If you're just printing a thin, flat puzzle, I've found that 1 perimeter and 2 bottom layers are sufficient and it saves a lot of time and filament. For more sculptural puzzles, I've used:

- 2 perimeters

- Use the Classic perimeter generator - not Arachne

- 10% Rectilinear infill

- 3 bottom layers

- 4 top layers

- Print external perimeters first (more precise)

- I've had good luck printing with PrusaSlicer's “speed” presets, but I wouldn't print much faster than that. If the printer is rocking back and forth, slow it down.

- Top Fill Pattern: Concentric (creates fun patterns)

- No brim