For creators, precision is key to build best puzzles

Inside a community of puzzle makers pushing the limits of logic and craft

- SIOBHAN ROBERTS

FICTION IS A force that opposes the motion of one object relative to another — and it’s always an important consideration for Junichi Yananose, a Japanese Australian puzzle-maker.

The plan for a new puzzle might work perfectly in design software, Yananose explained in an email interview, but once the pieces are machined and assembled, “friction interferes and spoils the enjoyment.” When translating an idea into a physical object, he pays close attention to how it feels in the hand. He often softens sharp edges with a chamfer cut, even if it compromises aesthetics. “If leaving the edges sharp would make the puzzle uncomfortable to handle, I will not hesitate to choose chamfering,” he said.

Yananose, who goes by Juno, runs Pluredo, a puzzle business based in Queensland, Australia, with his wife, Yukari.