Spyglass

Growing up, I had a vintage Viewmaster stereoscope that belonged to my father. I used to be fascinated by the mysterious images of exotic locales, landscapes and untold tales depicted in faded 3D through my own private viewing device. One might imagine these snapshots had been collected by William Dampier himself, famed British explorer, privateer and naturalist of the seventeenth century. The Spyglass, an immersive adventure story that unfolds and expands with puzzles wrapped in a mystery, rekindles that nostalgia and wonder in a uniquely modern meets vintage presentation. It is absolutely delightful.

Luke B., proprietor at LeisureLuke.com, has been hard at work on the follow up puzzle experience after his sensational debut To the Moon!. Like many recent puzzle designers who have been inspired to bring their own ideas to life using modern printing and carving technologies, Luke has a background in engineering. To the Moon saw him develop his 3D printing skills with the help of 10,000 friendly advisers who provided feedback and ideas as they freely printed that complex open sourced puzzle project. Luke mentioned that after To the Moon, he was working on something completely different, which would incorporate mixed media and many types of materials, including metal, glass and fine wood along with 3D printing. The final result is Spyglass, and it has been worth the wait.

“The project started around March 2023 and the Spyglass had taken shape by the end of that year. It began with a search for an interesting core mechanism, and testing struts, springs, and magnets. Once a few favorite mechanisms were identified, focus shifted to the shape. A spyglass with layers of cylindrical puzzles is a naturally challenging and interesting concept. I worked a lot outside my 9 to 5 to refine the design and learn how to CNC machine in 2024. The first prototypes in wood were made in 2024, but those took hundreds of hours to produce each one. A lot of effort has since gone into actually making them.

Many changes were required during the prototyping phase. Whole mechanisms and “games” were designed, prototyped, tested, and scrapped. I wasn’t in a rush, just had a level of quality in mind for the end. Perhaps 2 or 3 full puzzles were designed, built, and put on the shelf. Several of the mechanisms will live on the backburner, and plenty of lessons were learned.

It feels like I’ve learned more from this project than my aerospace degree. People do and should go to school for CNC machining. It’s an art of nuance and precision. You can watch videos and read books, but at the end of the day you need to learn from experience and failures. Haha, and I did a LOT OF LEARNING! Woodworking and 3d design have become second nature, but CNC machining after almost 2 years still has me feeling like an absolute rookie. The amount I’ve learned is huge, and I’ve only just scratched the surface.

Chronologically speaking, it was built layers at a time. The mechanisms and puzzle on the outside were unknown when I was building the inner cores. It was a joy to move on to the next layer. Luckily, stitching them together in the end went surprisingly well. The next evolution was iterations of testing and increasing its robustness. Lately I’ve perfected the cuts and finishes for speed and beauty.”

The puzzle as presented is quite striking. As Luke mentions, the carved wood details are beautiful, and lend a compelling interest to the piece that begs for exploration. The initial phase of discovery is simply fun, and the object is like a fidget toy which can be enjoyed even if you aren’t getting anywhere! There is a rich backstory provided, so you have some sense of what you need to try to accomplish, and there is something quite novel you will notice very quickly that will capture your attention, and hold it.

“Spyglass is built for the solver, and To The Moon was made for the makers. My first large sequential puzzle box, To The Moon, is available for anyone to print. It’s packed with unique mechanisms and 3d printed springs, but the solve is the journey. Crazy to solve and crazy fun to make. Spyglass was built for the adventure of the solve first and foremost, with an easy and satisfying lock/reset. Spyglass is fun, engaging, lightly challenging, but isn’t meant to stump you for too long at any step. Spyglass presents clear and approachable challenges to solve at every step.”

It's true that the puzzle aspect is “lightly challenging”, although that doesn’t mean you don’t need to think a bit. There are a few steps that require some forethought, understanding and planning, a section that requires some sleuthing, and a finale that may keep you guessing. The puzzle is highly interactive and its solution combines a number of different styles. The novelty of the mechanisms and immersive nature of the journey are really fun to experience, and each step has a satisfying reward as the story unfolds.

“For me, conceiving the puzzles is the most fun, design in 3d is enjoyable and satisfying, then actually building and manufacturing in high volume to a high quality is the big challenge. My biggest challenge was my personal learning curve into new materials, namely CNC machining. The limitation for me making To The Moon was manufacturing, and that was just 3d printed. The most premium materials are needed for where I want to go. CNC machining is an incredibly long shortcut to getting there.

I love how the form and function are so completely integrated. It genuinely looks and feels like a solid, quality artifact. My last one was 100% 3d printed. Now I’ve used real wood, metal springs, magnets, carving, milling, and all the fun tricks! This would be extremely difficult, nearly impossible, to replicate. I’m proud of the design, quality, and optimistic that I will be able to produce these in a large quantity.”

Luke is ambitious, with plans to produce hundreds of Spyglasses for this edition. His wife helps him by spray painting the shipping boxes, a nice touch for the customer to receive. “Anytime I get to work with her and be fun and creative, we have a blast. Looking forward to many more spray paint stencil dates with her!” As he works through current orders, he already has his next project design ready, a wood puzzle he is excited about that will be available on his website later this year (along with 3D print files!). “If ever I could leave my 9-5, the puzzles, designs, collaborations, and youtube videos would happily become my full time (and WAY more frequent) endeavor!

I am continually humbled and inspired by the global community of puzzlers and makers. Your passion and stories and photos of your makes always make me smile. The messages from other makers (and their parents and teachers) also motivate me to continue. I hope to inspire more people to make puzzles and get into 3d printing. I hope that Spyglass brings everyone immense joy and a sense of wonder, that encourages more exploration of mechanical design! Also, stay tuned, more in the hopper for EVERYONE!”

Spyglass cocktail — Spyglass by Tyson Buhler

I spy a toast on the horizon with my ancient, magical telescope. It’s coming into focus now, and appears to be a perfect accompaniment for this marvelous viewfinder to adventure. The cocktail was created by award winning bartender Tyson Buhler while at Death & Company NYC in 2017. Buhler obtained a culinary degree but then found his true passion, working as a bartender. His culinary acumen is on display in this drink, which presents as a uniquely novel gin martini, with surprising flavors of fennel and chocolate that work incredibly well.

Spyglass cocktail recipe — what it takes to become a spy …

Wild fennel liqueur is an Italian staple which may be largely unknown to most people beyond those borders. Like homemade limoncello, its more famous sibling, finocchietto (wild fennel liqueur) is made from locally harvested plants in season. Italians swear by their digestives, and often enjoy a glass of bitter amaro after dinner. Fennel is thought to have similar properties, and a small glass of finocchietto may provide a sweetly spiced alterative. The recommended Don Ciccio & Figli in this recipe is hard to come by, and I’m always up for a challenge, so crafted my own fennel liqueur from seeds and stems over the past few weeks, having spied this recipe some time ago. It’s a delicious and interesting cocktail you should keep your eyepiece on. Cheers!

Spyglass puzzle by Leisure Luke and Spyglass cocktail — spies like us

Spyglass by Tyson Buhler

1 ¾ oz Plymouth gin

¼ oz Krogstad aquavit

½ oz Dolin dry vermouth

½ oz Don Ciccio & Figli Finoccheitto fennel liqueur

1 teaspoon Marie Brizard white crème de cacao

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Express a lemon twist and discard.

explore more:

I Spy

Spyglass

The Royal Game

A Tribute to Gary Foshee