gketell
Local Chapter Leader
Ever since my son read The DaVinci Code in 6th grade he has wanted a cryptex. He even did a rough design of his own creation so he could make it. This year he took an Advanced Studies class that let him pretty much do what he wanted as long as he did research, did a write up, and did a project. He chose the cryptex. He and I designed it and built it pretty much from scratch starting with his plans and enhancing them and filling in all the missing parts. This was implemented as a prototype so we took a short cut in using the PVC for the central tubes since we couldn't figure out how to make the tubes from scratch in the time we had left.
It is 6-1/2" long and 4-/14" diameter and is made out of Walnut and Bloodwood and PVC.
There are seven combination rings each with 27 possible entries resulting in over 10.4 Billion possible combinations.
This is the architecture of the beast:
You have the inner "safe tube" with attached PVC lock teeth that is inset into, and glued to the "outer door". And outer "C" tube that keeps the thing from falling apart while open that is inset into and glued to the back end piece. The "Lock Rings" and the outside "combination rings". You can set the combination to anything you like by loosening a set screw in the lock ring and rotating the combination ring about it then tightening the set screw again. (See attachments for more details.)
My son did all the band saw work, all the scroll saw work, all the planer work and I ended up doing all of the tablesaw work and most of the router work on the rings (after he lost his fingernail to the router during a moment of inattention
).
All in all it was a great project and we learned a lot and know lots of areas for improvement if we ever get around to making a "final draft" and "finish" versions.
GK
It is 6-1/2" long and 4-/14" diameter and is made out of Walnut and Bloodwood and PVC.
There are seven combination rings each with 27 possible entries resulting in over 10.4 Billion possible combinations.
This is the architecture of the beast:
You have the inner "safe tube" with attached PVC lock teeth that is inset into, and glued to the "outer door". And outer "C" tube that keeps the thing from falling apart while open that is inset into and glued to the back end piece. The "Lock Rings" and the outside "combination rings". You can set the combination to anything you like by loosening a set screw in the lock ring and rotating the combination ring about it then tightening the set screw again. (See attachments for more details.)
My son did all the band saw work, all the scroll saw work, all the planer work and I ended up doing all of the tablesaw work and most of the router work on the rings (after he lost his fingernail to the router during a moment of inattention
All in all it was a great project and we learned a lot and know lots of areas for improvement if we ever get around to making a "final draft" and "finish" versions.
GK
.
