by Marji
Time for me to start adding my two cents to this blog!
David and I love to visit the various craft shows around the northeast. The roots of Wood that Works are firmly planted in the now historic Rhinebeck shows of the '70s so there is some nostalgia mixed in with our exploring and the collecting of inspiring ideas. At these events we also continue to add to our collection of American Crafts and odd and wonderful things. Years ago we found "Cogworks" at the Mt. Sunapee Craft show and we left with one of their "educational gear toys" under our arm. It is beautifully crafted and has provided us with hours of enjoyment - however, we feel it is not correctly marketed. It should be sold as a puzzle!
At the time of purchase we were told that there was only one way to get the gears onto their backboard, without any part hanging over an edge, and have all the gears turn. This is the "original one solution".
But oh, a challenge was born and for years guests at our house, especially engineers, have spent hours trying to find additional solutions. Their perseverance has paid off and to date, two other solutions have been found. Each has been named after the friend or relative that first discovered it. The "Russell Solution" was the first alternative and whereas the original solution was perfectly symmetrical, this one is a radial symmetrical design.
The third solution is the "Evan Solution" and it is totally random - no symmetry at all. You should meet Evan!
So we have 3 solutions but the question remains, are there any others...