We have released a put together puzzle and a science toy today.

Linearsaw Puzzle

The "Linearsaw Puzzle" we've released this time is truly unique. Juno had never seen this type of puzzle before! The objective is simple: fit all the pieces into the frame. 

However, there's a twist - both the pieces and the frame contain strong magnets, which repel each other and make it challenging to fit everything in place. I've tried several times, but I still haven't solved it yet!  

The materials were carefully selected for their natural coloring.

The Helix Tree

Alongside the "Linearsaw Puzzle", we're also releasing a miniature marble run "The Helix Tree" with a 3D printer. I had been wanting to create something using a 3D printer, and now that dream has finally come true! After many rounds of trial and error, I finalized the design last month. The biggest challenge was ensuring the print didn't require supports. In order to reduce printing time, I had to redesign the green spiral branch - and Juno was a huge help in this process. Thank you, Juno!  

If you've ever used a 3D printer, you'll know how frustrating and time-consuming it is to remove supports - especially from like spiral shapes. Plus, using supports increases both printing time and filament consumption.  

Thanks to this new design, the printing time has been significantly reduced. The green branch alone still takes nearly five hours to print, but before this improvement, the estimated print time was close to eight hours! That's a huge difference.  

At the center of the tree is a spiral-shaped trunk that lifts the balls from the yellowish dish at the bottom to the top. The balls then roll down along the green branches and return to the dish. The design also features three gears: one beneath the yellowish dish and two shaped like snowflakes. The star topper is a small stellated dodecahedron.  

This set includes 30 stainless steel balls, but if you'd like more, you can use 10mm stainless steel or iron balls. At first, I thought marbles would be a great option since they come in various colors and look beautiful. However, after testing some, I realized that marbles aren't as precisely sized as metal balls, which can prevent them from being lifted properly by the spiral. So, in the end, I decided not to use them. 

I hope you enjoy this little marble run - whether it's Christmas or not!  

Yukari