Cherry
Ripe was made from an art print
from 1986 (by Gallery Graphics, Inc.) which is a
reproduction of an antique print. I purchased
this print at auction; it is nearly 20 years old.
In the lower right corner you can see "1879"
which I believe is the year the artist made this
painting. On the part under the print which I
trimmed away, was the title, Cherry Ripe,
and to the left of it, Antique Classic
Collection, also a number D241. This will be
a tough one to solve as most of the pieces are
dark brown. The print has been mounted with acid-free
adhesive. The puzzle is rectangular and measures 14
1/8" X 20 3/4". There is an
average of 1.2 pieces per square inch. Puzzle
has been cut from 1/4" 5-ply Baltic Birch
using blades with a thickness of 0.010
There are no
figurals besides my "key" signature
piece (signed, numbered, and dated on
the back)
This puzzle is my first attempt
at "long arm" style cutting. Since I
usually have the pieces connect via "knobs"
I tried to do this one without the use of any
knobs. Instead the pieces connect via long "arms"
... at least, this was the plan! Inevitably, some
of the pieces end up being a little odd shaped
and not quite what I wanted, but overall I am
pleased with it... It is definitely a break from
tradition as I have not seen any other cutting
styles which resemble this one!
Below is a scan (backside) of a
particularly well-cut section:
Here is a
frontal scan; small white specs are only bits of
sawdust:
I selected a few
dozen pieces which I feel nicely represent the
cutting style:
After the puzzle
was cut, I noticed some mounting problems. I had
to go back over every piece, regluing part of the
print on many of the pieces that had lifted up
from the wood. This was very tedious and time-consuming!
Fortunately, I think I fixed most if not all of
the pieces!
The puzzle is semi-interlocking.
It is large and if you try to pick it up after
completed, it has a tendency to fall apart, but
there are some sections which are better
interlocking than others. The good news is it
will not take long to disassemble & put back
in the box for another rainy day!
Puzzle comes with the beautiful
wood box with sliding lid shown
below. I purchased this box new and finished the
outside with stain and varnish. I believe this is
basswood. My label is affixed to the outside of
the box with the puzzle title, number, and piece
count. The box measures 7 1/4" X 10 1/2"
X 5" high
Note:
This puzzle contains small pieces which may
present a choking hazard to children. It has been
designed for adults or older children and is
not meant for young children.
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