Cast Dial

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Vesa Timonen is one of the most represented designers in the Cast series, with at least 8 different Cast Puzzles in his name so far, including the beautiful Cast Square and the intriguing Cast Hook. His latest contribution to the Cast family is another interesting design, the Cast Dial.

Design-wise, the Cast Dial is absolutely gorgeous. It consists of a triangular shape comprised of two main pieces interlocked together, and two dials that rotate independently back and forth. The dials can also be rotated in any direction as one, which provides a satisfying feeling for anyone that likes to fidget with objects to keep the hands occupied. The goal is to separate all four pieces and return the puzzle to its original form. It's rated as a difficulty level 4/6.

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The triangular pieces are identical and have indentations that suggest a sliding movement, so you have a pretty good idea on how the puzzle should be solved. However, there's a world of difference between suspecting how it can be solved and actually solve it... And here lies the difficulty of the puzzle, which by the way can be a bit more difficult than what Hanayama might suggest.

Solving this puzzle proved to be a little frustrating, to say the least. The two dials can rotate independently, but it's very difficult to find a correct position for them to even get past the first step. Once you manage to have some progress, the frustration is not over yet. You still have to keep guessing as to which direction to turn the dials (or dial, since after a certain point only one dial can turn, while the other is locked in position). It's a game of trial and error until you can finally separate all four pieces. Here, you will be able to see exactly how the mechanism works, which is a plus, as getting the puzzle back to its original state is much easier.

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Solution: You can download the solution here.

Closing Comments:

Even knowing that the puzzle is rather frustrating to solve, I can still recommend this one. I like its movement and its design. Not a fan of the solving process, but two out of three is not bad. Looking forward to see what Vesa Timonen does next for Hanayama.

Availability: The Cast Dial is available from PuzzleMaster for $15.99 CAD. All Hanayama collection is available as well.