Towers Puzzle

The Towers Puzzle (Sometimes know as the Tower of Hanoi) is a litte puzzle that is simple to build but tricky to solve.

As a workshop project, it can be made from a strip of MDF and some wooden dowels. Pupils will get the opportunity to use marking out tools, the tenon saw and pillar drill. They can also sand and finish the model with varnish, paint or even coloring pencils.

The Tower of Hanoi can also be used as a first 3D modelling project. The simple shapes and repetition required to build all of the bricks introduces pupils to the 2D sketch, extrude and extrude subtract tools. Other tools like fillet and chamfer can also be introduced if required.

Materials and Costings

This project can be made from MDF or Plywood - whatever you have lying around the place.

You can use this website to calculate the number of strips you should be able to get from a sheet of material.

Engineering Toolbox - Rectangles Layout

For example, with a table saw width of 5mm, you should be able to get 110 of these strips from one full sheet (2440mm x 1220mm) of plywood or MDF. If a sheet of 12mm plywood costs £50, this gives a price per project of £0.45

9mm dowels come in 2440mm lengths for a cost of ~ £6 each. One full length of dowel should do 8 pupils.

To do 110 projects, you will need 14 lengths of dowel at a cost of £6 each.

Total cost for 110 projects using MDF = 50 + (14*6) = £134

Total cost per project using MDF = £1.20