A jigsaw puzzle board is wooden or plastic pieces of equipment designed to help those who are blind or visually impaired learn to put together jigsaw puzzles. The puzzle board is the same size as a standard puzzle box and holds all the pieces necessary for assembly.
The 7 Steps to Building a Jigsaw Puzzle Board
This is the only stock image we can find of a jigsaw board, and it does not provide enough detail to build our own. Therefore, we will be using pictures from other sources:
1. Cut the Puzzle Board to Size
Using a jigsaw will result in an accurate model, but be careful when cutting with this tool – often things can happen which you are not expecting. Also consider purchasing kits designed especially for the blind, as their pieces will be easier to assemble.
2. Paint the Board
The reason for painting the board is to avoid using it directly in front of bright light during assembly, which can cause premature wear on the surface
3. Glue Puzzles into Slots
When gluing you should be very careful – I once tried glue that was designed to stick paper together and ruined several jigsaws before giving up! Instead, try fusing three layers of the card along with one layer of Superglue (but only when wet).
4. Cover the Top Half of Each Puzzle with Labels
Attaching tags, letters or tape allows you to read what pieces are where during assembly, which can be rather confusing for those starting out. For example “T” is three tacks wide and four tacks long”, so there are six wire clips in total that must align correctly.
5. Affix the Half-Back Piece to One Side of Each Puzzle
The goal is for both sides of every piece to stick out the same amount, unlike several jigsaw puzzles that use some pieces twice on some boards, like this. If you end up with mismatching parts (which some people confuse for complete lines/gaps in between) get help from someone more experienced!
6. Placing the Puzzle Board into Position
This is where it gets difficult. Firstly, the model may not fit into your work area comfortably (which can lead to stress) – for example, how many people have had their drawing table conveniently pushed over by a diorama? Furthermore, it is important that you do this with your eyes closed as much as possible!
7. Assemble c40
I used to avoid using clamps on the puzzles, but it seems I was broadly correct this time around about how many parts each puzzle contained. To see if you’ve got everything lined up correctly on the board first place all of your non-printed pieces into one pile then bend or push your printed sections – they should match up.
Conclusion
This is a simple guide on how to make a jigsaw puzzle board. The best part of this guide is that you can easily create your own puzzle board by following the steps mentioned in this blog post. So, if you want to know how to make a jigsaw puzzle board, please read the complete guide here.