1. Important things to know about opening a Quagmire Puzzle Box:
Because puzzle boxes can vary so much in style
and operation, this list is more of a Do’s and
Don’ts list and generic in a sense that not all
rules apply to every box.
* Initially when opening a box that you have never opened before, you should be
aware that just because a piece doesn't initially
move doesn't mean it never will. But, it may never
move and only looks like it should. Sometimes part
of the trick is the one fooling you into thinking
it does move.
* Pieces have limited free movement.
Never force it beyond its limited free movement.
* Force is never needed!
* Pieces that slide out or lift up should not be
used as handles or levers.
* Parts may only move in small increments of approximately an 1/8" which sometimes
makes it difficult to tell if a piece has moved at
all. It may
move any increment of measurement. Sometimes pieces
can be move beyond the point of which it
needs to be moved requiring you to feel the part(s) under
movement, while manipulating associated pieces in
order to execute the proper action.
* Some parts may be spring loaded pieces that could require being held in a
specific position while executing the following move or moves.
~ It's the not knowing what to expect that makes it challenging! ~ * When manipulating parts, try not to use your
fingernails as they will dent the fine edges of
the wooden parts or even the finis.
* Try moistening your fingertips to help get a grip. Rubber fingertips or even a
soft eraser can be a good help. BACK TO INDEX
2. What if a piece won't move?
* Force is never needed! If a piece does not move
with gentle persuasion, it should be determined that it is not time for the piece to be moved. Or, the part is only
intended to make you think it is supposed to move.
*Force or using any other means such as pencils,
screw drivers and hammers will most likely
damage or break the mechanism.
*If a piece (s) gets hung or wedged with another, carefully persuade the piece
back in the opposite direction of which it was going when it got stuck.
This may seem like obvious advice but, we have seen individuals trying to open
a box get a piece hung up and then continued to force the part. Some folks just don't know!
Force = breakage.
*If the box has been sitting for some time, it may be possible that some wood
expansion or even shrinkage has occurred. See number 4 below for more details. BACK TO INDEX
3. How to display your Quagmire Puzzle Box
*Placing your Quagmire puzzle box somewhere like a
china cabinet is a great idea. If placed on a unenclosed area such as a shelf
or table, please keep far enough from the edge to prevent it from being knocked
off. (Also see #4 below for additional info.) BACK TO INDEX
4. Places you shouldn't keep your Quagmire Puzzle Box! * Never place your box in an area where it will be exposed to direct sunlight
for any extended period of time such as a window sill or like area.
* Store away from damp or high humidity areas such as the shower area.
*Store away from heat ~ areas such as your vehicle in the summer time or a
fireplace mantel.
* Do not leave your box exposed to the outdoor elements for any period of time.
All materials expand and contract when they
change temperature from hot to cold, even steel.
Additionally,because of it's fibrous composition,wood can expand and contract as it absorbs or exudes moisture. Because of this,
maintaining a constant environment is most
advantageous. But we are talking about puzzle
boxes that have very fine and often snug fitting
parts. Even the smallest amount of movement of
the wood could cause the box not to operate as
intended by the maker. Whether you have a
Quagmire Puzzle Box or a Japanese puzzle box,
the conditions where your box is kept is very
important.
Acclimating your puzzle box is not just a good
thing to do when you first get it but for
the life of the box. It is good to know
what the conditions are where your box was made
and where you live so that you can properly care
for your puzzle boxes. If your relative humidity
conditions are much different than that of where
the box was made, it may be necessary to properly acclimatize. For example,
if you take a box from 67% relative humidity to
a climate that is 45% relative humidity such as
Colorado Springs, you
should assume that the box is possibly going to shrink
some over time. If the climate is even drier
like a desert area, it
is possible that the box could shrink rather
quickly if proper acclimatization steps are not
taken.
Here are a couple average relative humidity
rates (yearly over-all average):
Athens, Texas 67% (Proximity of
where Quagmire Puzzle Boxes are made.)
Hakone, Japan 63% (Proximity of where
Japanese puzzle boxes are made.)
*If the atmospheric conditions where the box is
to be stored is a drier climate, the wood could shrink. When these
conditions exist, placing a small container of water near the
box in your display cabinet may help. Another thing many puzzle box collectors
do is use a humidifier to add moisture to the area
where their boxes are kept. This can help prevent shrinkage of the wood.
Care must be taken not to over do it. Too much
moisture will have an adverse affect.
*If the atmospheric conditions where the box is
to be stored is a higher humidity climate, the wood could
swell. You may want to consider a dehumidifier
to control these conditions.
Note: Being in a different climate condition
than that of which the box was made does NOT
automatically mean you will have problems. For
most, there are never any problems! When you get
your puzzle box, you should at least take the
time to note how the parts move and how much
play there is. Then you can regularly check it
and know what to do if any changes do occur. BACK TO INDEX
5. Keeping up appearances! ....Maintenance Tips
* It is recommended that you wax the box
periodically with bees wax. Do not apply wax
directly to the box. Wax will build up in
between the moving parts causing the pieces to hang
or stick. Instead, apply the wax lightly to a
100% soft cotton cloth and rub into wood. Finish buffing using another clean dry soft
cotton cloth. Be careful not to get wax down in between moving parts. Spray
waxes or furniture oils applied directly to the box can cause also operational
problems.
*After playing with your puzzle box it is suggested that you buff the box
well before putting it up. Fingers can smudge and deposit oils to the wood's
finish. Buffing after each use and waxing periodically will certainly prolong
the integrity of the finish. BACK TO INDEX
6. Are Quagmire Puzzle Boxes safe for children?
*Generally, puzzle boxes are not recommended
for children under 13 years old. That is only our own recommendation and not a
set rule. Since puzzle boxes are made of wood and have moving parts, there
should be a certain understanding and maturity required when handling
them. As we know with our own kids, some children are just naturally careful
with things whereas others tend to go at things with a "bull
in a china shop" mentality. The latter probably would not have a working puzzle box for very long. Only you can make the decision whether your child is
old enough and responsible enough to have a puzzle box. It should also be noted that many puzzle boxes contain small
pieces that may be even hidden from obvious view that could possibly create a choking hazard or otherwise cause injury. BACK TO INDEX
11. What does "Woodborne" mean? *Woodborne is a term that Randal uses to describe his boxes
when constructed of 100% selected hardwoods. This means that there are no
nails, screws, staples, metal fasteners, plastics, or any other materials that are not
wood. You will NEVER find composite materials such as plywood or veneers
used in any of his box constructions. BACK TO INDEX
12. A few things to know about wood. *Many woods get darker with age and some species will even change color
over time. Keeping wood out of the sunlight will help retard this effect.
*Wood expands and contracts when heated and cooled and when subjected to higher
moisture or drier conditions than what the wood is acclimatized to. Keeping wooden
puzzle boxes in a stable atmosphere and periodically waxing will help
excessively to extend longevity.
*Wood can swell in times when humidity is up causing some pieces of your puzzle
box to be difficult, if not impossible, to move. Making attempts to force 'dry'
the wood will cause damage to your puzzle box. It can dry the wood too
fast which could cause the wood to crack or warp. Glued joints can become
loosened. And heat can also degrade the integrity of the finish. Placing your puzzle box in an area with a controlled environment where
the wood can 'dry' naturally and slowly is the best solution. This will
require some patience because it can take weeks for the wood to completely
acclimatize. Even though this is not a likely occurrence, it is good to know
what to do if it does happen.
BACK TO INDEX
14. Will all of the boxes look exactly like the one pictured? *Not only is this impossible, but it would completely take
away from the originality of each box. This is the great thing about wood - it
is unique. Wood color, and grain characteristics can range quite a bit in a single
batch of wood and sometimes even in a single board.
Wood species such as Mahogany can range from deep red tones to a light blonde
color. Here is an example of this variation. (EXAMPLE)
.This picture is a composite of 10 different Mahogany pictures that I clipped
from various wood suppliers on the web.
*Quagmire Puzzle Boxes are not stained. They are finished to
show the natural grain. However, every effort is made to try to match
pieces up on a per box basis.
*The other thing that should be noted here is that
pictures are affected by their prominent surroundings, lighting, the angle of
the wood's grain to the camera, etc.. There are too many things involved with
color perception. The color as you see it can also be
altered by the monitor on which they are viewed. These conditions are simply
uncontrollable variables. BACK TO INDEX
15. All this box care talk got you a little perplexed? *All of this information provided here is simply to help you take care of
your puzzle box in the best manner possible. Fact is, if you keep the box inside a climate
controlled environment such as your home, you should not have any problems. Just
keep these tips in mind and you'll be playing with and displaying your Quagmire
Puzzle Box for many decades to come. BACK TO INDEX
16. Keeping stuff in your puzzle box? It is fine to keep stuff in a Quagmire Puzzle Box. While most items such as
paper money or documents is no problem, things such as coins or small jewelry could possibly get into a movement. It is strongly advised to place any such items in a zip lock bag
for example to prevent any possible problems. Be sure that anything you placed inside your box cannot bind with internal parts (if any) which could cause damage to the box. BACK TO INDEX
19. Are Quagmire Puzzle Boxes collectables?
Yes, it seems reasonable to say this is true. The majority of our puzzle boxes
have been sold to collectors from all around the world... USA, UK, Netherlands,
Taiwan, Germany, Canada, Australia and even Japan amongst others. Of course not
all our boxes are sold to collectors and the term collectable my vary by the individual who purchases our puzzle box(s).
But you don't have to be a collector purchase a Quagmire Puzzle Box.
Anyone may purchase one when available.
BACK TO INDEX
20. If I buy a Quagmire Puzzle Box will it go up in value? We certainly cannot predict whether or not any item that we make will increase or decrease in value. If you purchase one of our boxes it should be because you really like it and want it for your collection but certainly not for any anticipated increase in value. That said, many of our puzzle boxes, limited and unlimited editions, have sold at auction for a considerable amount more than the
original price. BACK TO INDEX
21. Why are there so few Quagmire Puzzle Boxes available or non at all at times?
All Quagmire Puzzle Boxes are designed and produced by Randal G.. The
design process is very time consuming as well as producing them because our
limited edition boxes are really handcrafted piece by piece. Our puzzle boxes
have proven to always sell out within days of release.
BACK TO INDEX
22. I lost my certificate or instructions to my Quagmire Puzzle Box, can I get another one? If we can verify that you are the original purchaser we will send a copy of the instructions for a $5.00 processing fee and $15.00 processing fee for a limited edition Certificate of Authenticity
( includes shipping for domestic locations). Certificates and/or instructions are not available to individuals who are not the actual original purchaser. If you purchased your box through another retailer you will need to contact them for the Certificate (Limited Editions only) and you will be subject to their requirements.
Contact us via our Message Form if you need a certificate or instructions.
BACK TO INDEX
23. Why don't you publish the solutions to your puzzle boxes? It has always been QPB's intent to keep the operation instructions to our puzzle boxes unpublished and copyright protected from anyone making them public. We consider this to be
privileged information that is only intended for the purchaser. BACK TO INDEX
24. Do you have a waiting list I can get on for your puzzle boxes? What we do offer is a membership to our newsletter which will keep you informed of all new Quagmire Puzzle Box releases. You can even select what kind of selections you want to be notified about. Best yet, we only send out a
newsletter when we actually have a new release to offer and therefore not spam mail. Newsletter members will be the first to know of a new release and will be given the first chance to purchase before availability is made public on the website. In many cases members are offered a discount price if their order is placed within a given period of time before being made available to the non-member public.
Click here to be added to our Newsletter mailing list. BACK TO INDEX
25. I have a puzzle design. Can I send you my prototype or drawings and will you make it for me? We get asked this on an occasion. First, do NOT send us your prototype or drawings unless we have discussed it first and we have requested for you to do so. Any packages sent to us without our pre-approval will not be opened or returned. We do not accept any liability or responsibility for any items sent to us and/or in the event that we already have a similar item or mechanism planned. As for making someone
else's designs, we would first need to discuss the full details. Before proceeding you should know the following requirements:
1.) 100 units minimum is required - no exceptions.
2.) Everything we make is made by hand and is not mass produced. Handmade products take longer to produce.
3.) A prototype must be made by us (QPB) regardless if you have already made one or not. The prototype is generated to provide us with the
necessary production details and for the purpose of customer approval before production will proceed. Prototypes will only be made once the work has been secured (minimum 50% deposit - non refundable once work has begun).
4.) Please do not call us expecting us to come up with a quote over the phone. It won't happen. Many details will have to be
predetermined to provide a quote.
5.) Getting any custom work into production may take at least 6 months from the time of prototype approval. Since we do not have a dedicated staff just for making custom orders, they must be worked into the production schedule.
If you have a serious inquiry, write us first via
Our Message Form and provide us with full details and intent (no drawings or pictures). If it appears that it is something we may be interested in we will contact you and arrange further discussion. BACK TO INDEX
