How Do I Make A Monkey Puzzle Cache?

2k · October 8, 2005

I have googled it, but come up with nothing.

Can anyone tell me how to make a Monkey Puzzle Cache?

2.3k · October 8, 2005

Sure, buy it and disassemble it.

9.2k · October 8, 2005

I have googled it, but come up with nothing.

Can anyone tell me how to make a Monkey Puzzle Cache?

That would spoil the trick, wouldn't it?

7.3k · October 8, 2005

Well, that's a hoot - when I saw the thread title I was gonna tell you, "email sOulbAit, he has a couple"! and he does, only they're the ones for sale on ebay. Fiendishly easy/hard....he brought one to our last event. Sensei Doombot had it solved in a few seconds, I believe everyone else struck out. I have no idea how to make one. I was too busy hosting to play with it. As a cache he was forced to place the thing on his own front porch - people kept taking it off, determined to figure it out. Now you can't leave his yard with it.

2k · October 8, 2005

As a cache he was forced to place the thing on his own front porch - people kept taking it off, determined to figure it out. Now you can't leave his yard with it.

lol....

I will email him and see if he will tell...

1.5k · October 10, 2005

Yeah the evilness that is located in Jx Fl. is a VERY nice container. I've got a pretty good idea of how to construct one. A friend and I want to use it as part of a multi-stage...talk about evil.

The ones on Ebay I noticed were smaller then the one I saw during Geowoodstock.

1.4k · October 23, 2005

SHHHHHH - I have pictures - SHHHHHHH

9.2k · October 23, 2005

Isn't the monkey puzzle cache guarded by the evil closet monkey?

October 24, 2005

I really want one to, but I just can see paying 35 - 40 bucks for one. I would pay ten bucks for each of the plans, since there are 3 sizes.

1.5k · October 24, 2005

....

Edited October 24, 2005 by geoholic28

October 25, 2005

I googled this thing under different names for 4 hours, and nothing. :laughing: It's essentially a locking mechanical puzzlebox, you would think it would be easier to find on the net. Although, if you google that phrase, there are some really cool ones out there.

October 26, 2005

Interesting idea. Four years of locksmithing experience that I can apply to this. And I keep thinking of making my revenge cache to get even with a couple of geocachers here that already have made theirs. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. :blink:

October 26, 2005

The Monkey Puzzle for sale on Ebay is derived from the original one that was put together from scrap parts around the garage. Luckily, I'm on the good side of the evil genius who built the original. so he rarely uses his powers against me. I'll clue him in to this thread and see if he wants to share. Honestly though, I suggest dumping out your junk drawer, having a beer, and getting creative. It's a lot more fun than working from plans or buying someone else's creation.

1.4k · October 27, 2005

See what geocaching and alot of free time has done.

1.2k · October 27, 2005

See what geocaching and alot of free time has done.

Common clue us in. :unsure: I just cant see buying one for 60 bucks. And people putting film canisters and blinkers in rock piles with the hint look for rocks.Around our kneck of the woods is getting old fast, they need payback.

Edited October 27, 2005 by Mystery Ink

1.1k · October 27, 2005

Ill tell you the secret is imignation.

cheers

22k · October 27, 2005

Ill tell you the secret is imignation.
cheers

The trick is not to try to bend the spoon. That's impossible. The trick is to realize that there is no spoon.

February 12, 2008

go to greathides.com

February 12, 2008

here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wood-Monkey-Puzzle-Jew...1QQcmdZViewItem

1.4k · February 12, 2008

February 14, 2011

I know this is a very old thread, but I wanted to know if people are still using this type of puzzle. I don't see them for sale on ebay like is posted above. Are there newer types of puzzles out there now.

February 15, 2011

with that Diet Coke Puzzle...what do you do? just pull the pieces apart? looks stupidly simple

sorry i don't know how to quote on here.

Edited February 15, 2011 by hattrick364

February 15, 2011

you can't pull the bar out without removing the lock. You can't remove the lock unless you can get the key out.

Here is a picture of another monkey puzzle. The key is inside.

I am making one now. Hope it comes out working fine.

February 15, 2011

Plans , material list and instructions for 1 variation is on www.greathides.com

2.1k · February 15, 2011

you can't pull the bar out without removing the lock. You can't remove the lock unless you can get the key out.

Here is a picture of another monkey puzzle. The key is inside.

I am making one now. Hope it comes out working fine.

That looks so much like a pipe bomb. Be careful where you put it!

9.3k · February 15, 2011

I have one I built that I use as a stage in a Wherigo night cache.

I cut it to fit in a 50 calibre ammo can.

February 17, 2011

I looked at the version on besthides.com and that is an easy version compared to the one SoulBait has in Palatka. I know I have found it and opened it on more than one occasion. Even having opened it and knowing the secret it still takes me sometime to get in.

February 17, 2011

Ok, now you all have gotten me thinking about this. Couldn't sleep half the night.

Oh well... hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to Lowes I go hi-ho hi-ho.

1.5k · February 18, 2011

I've found one that based on the besthides version and really enjoyed it. It took the CO a lot of work to create but it's getting rave reviews from those who found it.

1.9k · February 18, 2011

I know this is a very old thread, but I wanted to know if people are still using this type of puzzle. I don't see them for sale on ebay like is posted above. Are there newer types of puzzles out there now.

I have one. its a 5/5

imagine the words out of someones mouth after solving a hard puzzle but to find a monkey puzzle waiting for them at GZ

GC20A37. its got one find in a year.

15.4k · February 18, 2011

I have one. its a 5/5
imagine the words out of someones mouth after solving a hard puzzle but to find a monkey puzzle waiting for them at GZ

GC20A37. its got one find in a year.

I haven't found a monkey puzzle cache yet, but I've enjoyed the on-site puzzles I've found. I particularly enjoy caches that combine an online puzzle (to get the actual coordinates) with an on-site puzzle (to access the container or to get coordinates for another stage).

7.9k · February 20, 2011

First, obtain the monkey.

There are many varieties to choose from, but the species shouldn't really affect your results.

Write the co-ordinates to the actual final container on the monkey. A tattoo would probably be best, but a Sharpie might work OK.

Cut your monkey up into several/many odd shaped pieces such that it will be difficult to tell how to put it back together again.

Place the scrambled pieces in a suitably large container and wait for the logs to roll in.

September 27, 2017

Anyone wanna help?

September 27, 2017

On 15/02/2011 at 8:31 PM, Hooligan14 said:

Plans , material list and instructions for 1 variation is on www.greathides.com

Do you have those plans?

6.1k · September 27, 2017

1 hour ago, K!nder said:

Anyone wanna help?

Ressuscitando um tópico com mais de 6 anos?

September 27, 2017

On 2/19/2011 at 10:44 PM, AZcachemeister said:

First, obtain the monkey.

If you haven't got a monkey, a ha'monkey will do. If you haven't got a ha'monkey, you don't know how lucky you are...

September 29, 2017

Wait - for a relative newbie - what is a "monkey" cache? I don't quite get it...

September 29, 2017

19 minutes ago, bigjim4life said:

Wait - for a relative newbie - what is a "monkey" cache? I don't quite get it...

There's a new invention; it's called goggle (or something like that). :rolleyes: That's what I did.

On second thought, maybe a better reference is Y-tube.

Edited September 29, 2017 by RufusClupea

22.1k · September 29, 2017

12 minutes ago, RufusClupea said:

There's a new invention; it's called goggle (or something like that). That's what I did.

On second thought, maybe a better reference is Y-tube.

That's an obnoxious answer to provide to someone who already acknowledged their newbie status.

Perhaps someone more helpful could post a brief summary of what this bumped thread is about, and what's a monkey cache?

15.4k · September 29, 2017

57 minutes ago, bigjim4life said:

Wait - for a relative newbie - what is a "monkey" cache? I don't quite get it...

I've never found one, but based on what I've seen online, the idea is that there is a hidden maze, and you have to move the monkey puzzle around in a way that causes a small object to follow the path of the maze. Once it reaches the end of the maze, the small object falls free.

Some seem to use a micro/nano cache as the small object. The large monkey puzzle is only a way to keep you from accessing the micro/nano cache.

Some seem to use a key as the small object. Once the key is free, the padlock securing the container can be opened.

1.8k · September 29, 2017

Hmmm, so a "monkey cache" is a name for a gadget cache that involves a maze of some sort?

15.4k · September 29, 2017

Actually, thinking about it, the plastic maze puzzle boxes (for example, this one at Amazon) are pretty similar in concept to monkey puzzles, and I've done a couple caches that used them. The main difference between them and what I think of as a monkey puzzle is that the ball you're moving around the maze is captive: it never comes out of the maze, but instead just moves to a position that allows you to open the container's latch.

September 29, 2017

3 hours ago, Keystone said:

That's an obnoxious answer to provide to someone who already acknowledged their newbie status.

Perhaps someone more helpful could post a brief summary of what this bumped thread is about, and what's a monkey cache?

Please check our relative join dates and #s of finds.

It wasn't intended as obnoxious; I explained how & where I found the answer to the same question.

September 29, 2017

2 hours ago, on4bam said:

We did a few. "Worst" one was a wooden cube 20cm*20cm*20cm with a locked drawer. There was a metal (pin?) ball inside that had to be lead through the 3D maze by listening where the ball was. At a certain point the ball would open the "lock" on the drawer exposing the micro with log. It took us about an hour trying to get the drawer open without success and when I turned the cube to put it back in it's hiding place the drawer sprung open... It was one of the best (and most frustrating) caches we ever did. It was one of many very special caches in 2 series by the same CO.

Another was a PVC pipe maze where you needed to use two magnets to "lead" the key to the end of the maze. At a few points there were fixtures holding the maze in place where the key would drop so you needed a second magnet to make the key pass the fixture.

The problem with some of those types of puzzles is ensuring that they can be reset very easily. If it takes even half as much effort to reset than to "open", many are likely to just leave it open/solved--or very close to open/solved. Worse yet are those individuals, who when frustrated by a challenging puzzle, will resort to brute force, lock-picking, etc. to "teach the CO a lesson".

15.4k · September 29, 2017

1 hour ago, RufusClupea said:

The problem with some of those types of puzzles is ensuring that they can be reset very easily. If it takes even half as much effort to reset than to "open", many are likely to just leave it open/solved--or very close to open/solved. Worse yet are those individuals, who when frustrated by a challenging puzzle, will resort to brute force, lock-picking, etc. to "teach the CO a lesson".

One of the things that impresses me about the plastic maze puzzle boxes that I've seen is that they reset automatically, with no effort from the solver. The latch doesn't work at all until you navigate the maze to get the metal ball from point A to point B. Then the latch works once, moving the metal ball from point B to point A in the process. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I've seen some game-theory discussion of escape rooms that address the issue of resetting the room for the next group. The ideal situation is one where solving the puzzle leaves it in a state where it is ready to be solved again, but it's hard to design puzzles that way.

September 30, 2017

17 hours ago, niraD said:

The ideal situation is one where solving the puzzle leaves it in a state where it is ready to be solved again, but it's hard to design puzzles that way.

Exactically. I spoze I'd (from a designer's P.O.V.) call it part of the challenge. A little easier if one can remember it from inception. Nothing like getting an epiphany for a whiz-bang puzzle, only to have that "D'oh!" moment halfway or more into fabrication...

14k · October 3, 2017

On 9/29/2017 at 4:03 PM, RufusClupea said:

On 9/29/2017 at 1:05 PM, on4bam said:

We did a few. "Worst" one was a wooden cube 20cm*20cm*20cm with a locked drawer. There was a metal (pin?) ball inside that had to be lead through the 3D maze by listening where the ball was. At a certain point the ball would open the "lock" on the drawer exposing the micro with log. It took us about an hour trying to get the drawer open without success and when I turned the cube to put it back in it's hiding place the drawer sprung open... It was one of the best (and most frustrating) caches we ever did. It was one of many very special caches in 2 series by the same CO.

Another was a PVC pipe maze where you needed to use two magnets to "lead" the key to the end of the maze. At a few points there were fixtures holding the maze in place where the key would drop so you needed a second magnet to make the key pass the fixture.

The problem with some of those types of puzzles is ensuring that they can be reset very easily. If it takes even half as much effort to reset than to "open", many are likely to just leave it open/solved--or very close to open/solved. Worse yet are those individuals, who when frustrated by a challenging puzzle, will resort to brute force, lock-picking, etc. to "teach the CO a lesson".

I was FTF on one of those plastic maze puzzles after someone had DNF'd it. . I think they must of left it "almost" solved as I only had to twist the box a couple of times before the metal ball fell into place and I could open the box.

5.8k · October 4, 2017

On 2/19/2011 at 10:44 PM, AZcachemeister said:

First, obtain the monkey.

There are many varieties to choose from, but the species shouldn't really affect your results.

Write the co-ordinates to the actual final container on the monkey. A tattoo would probably be best, but a Sharpie might work OK.

Cut your monkey up into several/many odd shaped pieces such that it will be difficult to tell how to put it back together again.

Place the scrambled pieces in a suitably large container and wait for the logs to roll in.

Still my favorite post in this thread.

October 27, 2017

On 29/09/2017 at 5:00 PM, Keystone said:

On 29/09/2017 at 10:13 PM, niraD said:

One of the things that impresses me about the plastic maze puzzle boxes that I've seen is that they reset automatically, with no effort from the solver. The latch doesn't work at all until you navigate the maze to get the metal ball from point A to point B. Then the latch works once, moving the metal ball from point B to point A in the process. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I've seen some game-theory discussion of escape rooms that address the issue of resetting the room for the next group. The ideal situation is one where solving the puzzle leaves it in a state where it is ready to be solved again, but it's hard to design puzzles that way.

Do you still have that discussion link. It seem prety interesting

15.4k · October 27, 2017

5 hours ago, K!nder said:

Do you still have that discussion link. It seem prety interesting

It would have been something Scott Nicholson put in one of his videos.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxwhk7mY9YTVJLUPY-R-4wQ

How Do I Make A Monkey Puzzle Cache?

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