when a puzzle cache realy is a puzzle

[GrandPotentate]

I am placing a puzzle cache that is a 2-d puzzle that must be put together, I bought a puzzle, spray painted over the image and the put the coords on. Has anyone else done this? Have you had problems with the pieces falling apart?

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I am placing a puzzle cache that is a 2-d puzzle that must be put together, I bought a puzzle, spray painted over the image and the put the coords on. Has anyone else done this? Have you had problems with the pieces falling apart?

 

I adopted a cache that had a 2-d puzzle. The original wrote the coordinates on the back of the puzzle so that the original artwork was used for the puzzle. It only had 24 (I think) pieces so it was fairly easy to put together.

[+kunarion]

I am placing a puzzle cache that is a 2-d puzzle that must be put together, I bought a puzzle, spray painted over the image and the put the coords on. Has anyone else done this? Have you had problems with the pieces falling apart?

My puzzle cache has a picture to print and cut out, on the cache description page.

 

I've considered puzzles in the field as you mention, and I'd have a backup on hand in the likely event some important pieces are damaged or vanish.

[+Kryten]

I've seen this used at an event. First a jigsaw was made which when completed revealed the co-ordinates of a cache containing a crate of beer and a crate of soft drinks. The pieces of the jigsaw were then dispersed in caches specially released for the event, with finders asked told to bring the pieces to the event barbecue being held the same evening. Eventually when sufficient pieces arrived the cache was found. (A second copy of the jigsaw was also made just in case some of the pieces didn't make it home, and a few didn't but not enough to cause a problem).

[+Ruddles1325]

There's a multi-cache near me where one of the stages is to find a small bag containing the pieces of a puzzle - the type where you have to fit a load of shapes into a square. When you complete it, it reveals the coordinates of the next stage.

[+Don_J]

I am placing a puzzle cache that is a 2-d puzzle that must be put together, I bought a puzzle, spray painted over the image and the put the coords on. Has anyone else done this? Have you had problems with the pieces falling apart?

 

I did a multi where you had to sit on the trail at the first stage and put together a 30 pc puzzle to get the final coordinates. Three different trail runners came by during the process and not one of them said a word.

[+wimseyguy]

The Devil's Playground had a different kind of physical puzzle at each stage. One was a basic jigsaw, one had several transparent sheets with lines and squiggles that had to be lined up in the right order and orientation to give up the coords, one required using a mirror, and I don't remember the fourth stage. But the cache was a blast to do; shame it was archived.

[+cerberus1]

We used to go to an annual event that had folks competing to get prizes, with the first to finish having the best "stuff", on down.

Started off with the first stage (everyone separate stages), finding caches, each with a puzzle piece and the location to the next, eventually filling the puzzle (and finished coords) with the location of a prize pile.

 

We've found some since, where there were less competitors than puzzles I guess and because most were ammo cans, the cardboard seemed to hold up fine.

- So I'd guess it'd hold up as well as any other paper products.

 

Have problems later with the cardboard, why not make one outta thin wood or plastic and coping saw the pieces?

I've made jig saws for nieces and nephews, that ended up with their kids, made out of wood. Should hold up in a cache for awhile.

[+T.D.M.22]

A store bought puzzle may not be as good idea. Small pieces that could get lost. Not waterproof-because you know someone will try it in the rain or fog.

 

My day made me some puzzles of treated wood when I was little. You could do that-maybe 4 or 5 pieces, and use wood treated to be weatherproof.

Edited April 16, 2013 by T.D.M.22

[+K'J']

I am placing a puzzle cache that is a 2-d puzzle that must be put together, I bought a puzzle, spray painted over the image and the put the coords on. Has anyone else done this? Have you had problems with the pieces falling apart?

 

I recently completed a multi just like this (GC48AQJ) and the pieces were hand cut out of plywood. It was a blast and very enjoyabe. It would seem to me that the wooden pieces would last awhile but I can't say first hand as the cache is still new. It would be funny to use one of those Melissa and Doug puzzles for 2 year olds, LOL.