Bamboozlers: Panda Carrier

This was the hardest wooden puzzle I have ever done in my life. The Bamboozlers range: Panda Carrier (Level 5 difficulty, 8 being top) by Professor Puzzle (the site is down for unknown reason).

I got this for Christmas by my parents, knowing that I like to solve puzzles (except crosswords or anything that requires high knowledge of many things, I'll never be able to solve those). I found it interesting it was made from Bamboo, containing facts about Bamboo.

When my sister's family was over Christmas night for a little gift exchange, I was slowly taking the puzzle apart. Trying to keep in mind how it was assembled in the process (aka reverse engineering). Apparently in the early stages of taking it apart, it basically collapsed on me.

Good news: Managed to take it apart. Bad news: Had to put it back together. Worse news: No cheat sheet. The only hint that was given was a perspective diagram of the puzzle in the container (behind the puzzle inside). People in engineering would be able to understand it more than others.

I tried to figure out how to assemble it back together on that same day, but had to call it quits while my niece and nephew were over. Since the pieces were made from bamboo, they were delicate and didn't want to risk either of them breaking a piece. I left it unsolved for a few days later.

2-3 days ago I started working on it again. I started by studying the diagram, given the perspective of what I can start on and seeing how each side would look. Eventually figured out of what the sides were to look like, according to the diagram angle, along with the top and bottom piece. I would work on it for a few hours, trying to find different methods of putting it back together (would have to take breaks to prevent throwing it at a wall and ruining it). Some methods only worked so far that I had to go back to scratch.

I'm not sure how to describe it, but the puzzle does require simultaneous sliding and fitting of multiple pieces inside and out. You would also need a very delicate touch to make sure it won't fall a part on you when assembling, nor try to put too much stress on fitting as some pieces are not at the same exact size and angle in fitting, eventually leaving some loose bamboo trimmings that look like toothpicks but slimmer and more fragile.

Today (after many attemps to fix any mistakes which would lead to it collapsing several times, 2-3 different methods, and a few breaks) I finished assembling the Panda Carrier (a nightmare of a wooden puzzle for me). I'd say it took me overall maybe 5 hours, maybe more, to solve it. It was very fun though, and oh so excited to finally solve it. Right now praying no one, strongly including my niece and nephew and a few cousins, no one breaks it apart unless they intend to re-assemble it.

As the box says:

"Finding the way to pull this puzzle apart is not easy at all, but it's panda play compared to rebuilding it!"

No kidding!

Great Christmas gift though, nonetheless.

(Facts found inside and behind the container)

• It can be harvested in 3.5 years. As opposed to 10 or 20 for most softwoods. It is also one of the strongest building materials with a tensile strength of 28,000 PSI. Mild steel  measures 23,000 PSI!
• Bamboo can be eaten (new shoots). Made into fiber for clothing, be used in concrete reinforcement or as livestock feed with the foliage being up to 22% protein.
• Bamboo can also tolerate extreme conditions that most plants cannot. It was the first plant to regreen after the atomic blast in Hiroshima in 1945.
• There are around 1,500 different species of bamboo, native to very continent except Europe.
• Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet. It has been recorded to grow at amazing 47.6 inches in 24 hours.
• Bamboo is a crucial element in the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A grove of bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than an equivalent number of trees. Because of this, planting Bamboo is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and help fight global warming.