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I made this for my Summer Camp students. A solid piece of 2×4 with no glue, nails or wood plugs. None of the students could figure out how I got the bolt and nut in the block.

I added the phrase Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur "The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived."

A fun little project that is great to do with kids. My nephew who is 11 years old was totally amazed.

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Comments

· In Loving Memory
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I've made those and had people look at them and put them back down only to think about it and go back to look some more.

I enjoy watching the faces as they try to decipher the method.
 

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My technique is to grow the tree around the bolt & nut and then carefully remove enough wood to reveal the bolt & nut. One of the slower projects in my repertoire, but I agree the looks make it all worthwhile.
 

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That's what I was gonna say^^^
But, how do you do it?
Do you bend the bolt?
 

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Wow. That is the nicest one of those I have seen. Very cool.
 

· In Loving Memory
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Joshuah… methinks thee speak too much!
 

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Dallas. I didn't realize the how to on these were still a mystery. My appologies. I edited my answer.
 

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I have no idea how you did that. Maybe I am a little slow. Care to share?
 

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Here is a link to a YouTube video that shows the process. I used a bolt and nut instead of a nail.

Here is the video link:
 

· Premium Member
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Thanks for the spoiler! I never would have guessed:)
 

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I have the one I made sitting on my desk at work. It gets a few double takes. I usally give it to the summer employees and ask them to figure it out. :)

CtL

P.S. Welcome to LumberJocks.
 

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Love these, relatively easy to make and the looks they get make them completely worthwhile, oh and by the way, i second what chris said… Welcome! I will warn you though, this site does get addicting!
 

· In Loving Memory
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You guys giving the secret away are taking the fun out of it also.
It's a problem to be figured out by learning the properties of wood.

Thanks Joshuah, I appreciate the edit, but the OP gave it away anyhow.

Bummer!
 

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Neat little brain teaser !
 

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Pretty cool!
 

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I always learn the trick, then promptly forget it and sit there, amazed, thinking surely there must be an invisible glue line somewhere!
 

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That is nicely done.

I brought one of these to my office. My casual observation, based on a small sample space, was that woman are better at figuring this out than men.
 

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placing the nut in the middle would have been even more interesting.
It is easy to see how it was done with your example.
Nicely done.
mine sits above me at my office.
TNX
 
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