Custom Puzzle Craft - Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle 21 - The Road

This puzzle is based on the famous Currier & Ives' print of the same name.

Significant milestones

First puzzle with 100% of the edge pieces in the "Indirect Interlocking Edges" style. One of my top early puzzles.
Continued exploration into the "Swirl Curl" style. Now very mature, a couple variatiions introduced since the previous Swirl Curl puzzle (#18 - Ghost of Florence).

Specs

Size: 14 5/32" wide by 9 1/8" high
Cutting Style - Swirl Curl
Number of pieces: 240
Line cutting: none (except around heads)
Figurals: snowman, rabbit and two stars
Treat piece: none (perhaps the two riders count partially)
Signed and dated Signature Piece

May 4, 2000

I finished cutting #21. Look great - no problems. This is the first Swirl Curl since #18 (Ghost of Florence). The "swirl" goes well with the winter scene. This is the first puzzle I've cut where every edge does not interlock with the adjacent edges, but all interlock via interior pieces. There are four whimsies: a running rabbit (drawn by a friend) near the two horses, a snowman (with his hat in the tree line so it appears dark while the rest of the piece is snow white) and a couple stars. The puzzle may be picked up with no pieces falling out. I will post a picture tomorrow after sanding, inspecting and counting the pieces. In the meantime I'll be building a puzzle holder and screen to aid in the sanding and cleaning process. This puzzle will be placed for sale under "John's Picks".

May 3, 2000

I started a new cutting #21. This time I had the print laminated. So far so good, I'm a little more than half way through with no problems. Doing the "Swirl Curl" again, continuing to become familiar with the flow of this style, really nice. Several pieces have some new Swirl Curl interlock variations, for example, a "double mushroom", I may document these developments in the "Cutting Styles" section, maybe not. There will be several whimsies (figurals) in this puzzle, and just a tiny bit of color line cutting. I prefer to do color line cutting when using the "Long Round" cutting style. I should finish the puzzle tomorrow and have a picture on the web by Friday at the latest. At this time, I'm planning to have a new cut of the Green Dragon [see #23] as the puzzle I'll be auctioning on eBay. #21 will likely end up in "John's Picks" as my first puzzle for sale via this website. I'm guessing it will have about 225 pieces. [note: "John's Picks" later discontinued in favor of the 100 Puzzles Project].

May 1, 2000 - I started cutting #21, "The Road - Winter" a Currier & Ives print in the Swirl Curl cutting style. Abandoned after a couple hours of work due to an accident which removed some of the image from the print. This is disappointing because I wanted to spend time creating a new puzzle. Now I know how the astronauts feel when the count down is canceled at the last moment. There will be another day.