Escape Room Puzzle Lock

The project this week: Mark and Matt create a puzzle mechanism for an escape room, where proper arrangement of items will trigger a magnetic lock to release.
To see this mechanism in action (and no, we didn't spoil the solution) you visit Red Door Escape Rooms in Dallas - reddoorescape.com

[@charlietighe]

Great work guys! Love the channel.

[@GratuitousSets]

Absolutely! We will be putting out more electromechanical (topic) videos soon :-) Btw, because of client confidentiality, we try to keep mechanism videos separate from prop videos, that way we don't spoil an actual puzzle. Besides, some are just props.

[@jessespeer2323]

This is great thanks for posting. And your finished product looks awesome with the routed channels and acrylic! So clean

[@GratuitousSets]

Thank you, Sir! That is incredibly kind of you to say 😃

[@markchupp4277]

Really appreciate the instructions. The perfect nudge for some design help I needed.

[@markchupp4277]

Can you provide any details on your power source and the electro magnet?

[@GratuitousSets]

The magnet in the video is fairly burly. It's a 600lb security lock from Seco-Larm (via Amazon). It can be configured to operate at 12V or 24V DC. I was actually surprised at how little amperage they draw. At 12V (which is what we used via a basic transformer) it only draws 500mA. We haven't yet done a test to see how long the magnet will last if we just have it pulling from a rack of 8 AA batteries, but it would work. Playing with the magnets we learned that the thickness of the steel plate is very important. The electromagnet has a field that's about 1/4" deep. The steel plate (comes with the magnet) is 1/4" thick. It was a cool illustration to me (who hasn't taken an earth-science/physics class in quite awhile) that the magnet grabs 3-dimensional volume not 2-dimensional area. If you put a piece of sheet metal on the magnet you can pull it off by hand.

[@dolfinmagikpro]

Great ideas! Thank you for sharing. My first thought was, "Why not use a magnet with a washer instead of another magnet?" Imbed the magnet into your "piece" and have washers below which are attracted to the magnets and complete the circuit, like you showed in the very first demo where the second set of magnets were breaking. It would have been a lot less work and you would not have needed to worry about the polarity of the magnets. Just a thought. Anyway ... keep up the great work! Have a better day!

[@GratuitousSets]

Great idea! That might work!

[@GarlandLym]

Awesome project. Love the end result. Especially as ver 1 seemed to be possible safety issue if guest completed circuit by touching both bolts. The episode was fun as I tried to problem solve that aspect and of course your solution was quite elegant and genius

[@GratuitousSets]

WOW! That is incredibly kind of you to say! I can only hope you enjoy our other videos as much 😃😃

[@tihomiruzelac6371]

Thanks for sharing, fantastic video as always! How did you connect copper strip with magnet? With hot glue as well? Thanks!

[@GratuitousSets]

Scotch brand "Extremely Strong Mounting Tape" Hot glue doesnt stick very well, even if we sanded it first. I tried to solder one, but the heat de-magnetized the magnet!

[@tihomiruzelac6371]

thanks

[@KB-yy7zt]

Nice work and I am enjoying the videos. I also like to make mechanical props but if they are using control software to run the escape room adding an Arduino or Raspberry Pi to each puzzle can be a good idea (I would use magnets and reed switches). Most control software can talk to microcontrollers and get the status of the puzzle and create triggers. This is very helpful for the person who is running the room.

[@GratuitousSets]

Thanks for watching. We've done a few projects in the past that have used Arduino control, having learned just enough to have an idea of what that tech can do on the entry level. Some of our next round of more complex puzzles for @RedDoorEscape will use more Arduino; and we'll continue to wade into those water. For now we're going with 'simple = robust.' Stay tuned for those lessons as we learn them.

[@trappedtoledo6566]

Hey Mark and Matt. I actually talked to Mark just a few days ago on phone and thanks for the call. Just for learning purposes I am curious as to why you didn't use a reed switch for the magnetic contact switch. I was guessing maybe because the puzzle has some reversed poles which I don't think you could do with a reed switch. I've seen where you can hold a reed switch closed with a weak magnet then open it with a stronger magnet but never tried it because it feels cumbersome. Just curious about your design thoughts. Thanks again. Great Work.

[@GratuitousSets]

The real driving factors were prop toughness, how much material the magnets had to penetrate, and reliability. By slightly twisting the moveable copper contacts, the switch contacts are self cleaning. The field is active through 3/4" of urethane resin and MDF. We built this mech into the Stela, but I can't say more in the comments section. Watch the "Putting it all together" video, then call me if you still have questions :-D I can tell you how the prop actually works

[@charliec.9954]

Great tutorial, but one question. You mentioned a relay to the maglock. Why is the relay needed? Can't you supply leads in from a 12 volt DC and lead out straight to the maglock?

[@juansalazar9476]

The mag lock needs constant current for it to be locked, this system is an open circuit, no current flows until you close the the circuit with the magnets, then you can switch the relay from on to off and the mag lock opens

[@TheYellow650]

so awesome

[@GratuitousSets]

thanks! i promise we'll get better!

[@Snatchycakes]

Thanks so much for sharing this video - I'm working on a puzzle box that requires the placement of objects on the top of the box and this video helped me get closer to a solution - could you go into more detail on the wiring/parts used? My plan includes an electromagnetic lock (similar to the one in the video) that disengages when the right objects are put in the right locations. Thanks so much in advance!

[@GratuitousSets]

Glad to help, and thanks for watching. Here's the basic wiring diagram. drive.google.com/open?id=0B0Zqf7VlURTmSmg2N0dyYWtGTmc The "Puzzle Mechanism" is just what we go over in this video, consisting of one or more switches in series. The power supply we used is 12V DC. You'll want to find one whose amperage just barely exceeds the requirement for your maglock, which will probably be 500mA or less. (Excess amperage becomes heat. Too much heat fries electronics. Maglocks are made to be on more than they are off, so they're good at surviving a little bit of heat. Solenoids, less so.) The relay is 12V, as that lets us use the same power for it and the maglock. Maglocks some in various strengths from 80 lbs to 600 lbs and even higher. We get ours from Amazon.

[@GratuitousSets]

There is more info on the relay, etc. posted in the comments section of the puzzle mech video; if you have any other specific questions that aren't covered there, just ask:-)

[@thomasmcdowell2422]

Great stuff! What is the youtube name of the puzzle mech video? Link, if possible. Trying to discover where to get your copper strips and magnets. What exactly are the magnets. Again, links, if possible.

[@Jertyrael]

Do you have detailed guides on how to build some of these things? Trying to make my own for a party...

[@GratuitousSets]

Not really- you should be able to get the information you need from this video. This is our simplest mechanism- it gets much more complex from here 😜

[@familiasalvaje4339]

Useful

[@GratuitousSets]

Glad to hear that!

[@davidgayman]

Cool!

[@GratuitousSets]

Thanks! We have a bunch more advanced stuff on the channel now- that was one of our first videos! 😉

[@M.Shepardbee]

excellent job guys! another way around the cnc machine is using a rotor. sheet of wood on the table, rotor in place connect a peice of wood to the base of the rotor with a little 1\2 by 1\2 peice of wood on the bottom of it and beside your project just make a channel out of 2 peices of half inch material. drop your guide into the center of your channel and away you go.... an example is to put your left and right thumb and fore finger together, drop the guide attatched to your rotor in there and someone operating the rotor could mimic the gap between those fingers perfectly.... if your hands were also nailed to the table ... ((obviously you could make any design by cutting your 1\2 material and nailing it down like in a P, the rotor cant cut corners so it will be rounded even if your channel isnt)

[@GratuitousSets]

Yup! Using a template or guide rails, preferably with a bushing set and mortising bit in a router would work great! Btw- our CNC machine is actually just a fancy motion controller for a powerful water cooled router, so either way, it's a router:-)

[@M.Shepardbee]

it looks good, do you use auto cad to operate it ?

[@GratuitousSets]

Adobe Illustrator and others for drawing/modeling, then Cut2D to generate the G-code that runs it. For 3D work, the process is a bit different.

[@GratuitousSets]

Fantastic! Thanks for subscribing- we'll keep it coming :-)

[@justinherman9443]

Can you talk about your 3m hot glue gun? What model is it? Do you use others? What were the reasons for choosing that one?

[@GratuitousSets]

I'll stick that in a video for you- we actually have two-- a low temp (low melt) and a high temp that take different glues. Mostly great because they don't use a trigger

[@jenessastewart3528]

What's the gauge of the copper sheet that you used. I want to make sure I am not getting to thin of a sheet.

[@GratuitousSets]

Micrometer says .0075 inches. I'll double check😉

[@GratuitousSets]

Yes- It checks out at .0075 inches. A bit thinner is probably okay as long as you use a retainer like we explained.

[@jenessastewart3528]

Awesome thanks so much

[@ricof2939]

Why you didn't you juse a Reed contact?

[@GratuitousSets]

The real driving factors were prop toughness, how much material the magnets had to penetrate, and reliability. By slightly twisting the moveable copper contacts, the switch contacts are self cleaning. The field is active through 3/4" of urethane resin and MDF. We built this mech into the Stela, but I can't say more in the comments section. Watch the "Putting it all together" video, then call me if you still have questions :-D I can tell you how the prop actually works

[@justinherman9443]

Surprised you didn’t use a Hall effect sensor. You might need to use a transistor or op amp to invert the signal but I would think it would be very robust.

[@GratuitousSets]

We didn't even know what a hall effect sensor WAS back then. We knew what we wanted it to do, so we just built it from scratch. The good thing is that they have never failed once!

[@justinherman9443]

Gratuitous Sets hey if it works right?

[@GratuitousSets]

Hey, subscribers! Drop a comment to enter for the T-shirt giveaway... about half of subscribers don't display their names, so post a comment to enter!

[@juansalazar9476]

Why not use Reed Switches?

[@GratuitousSets]

There were several reasons, but the main ones are: The game pieces were solid cast stone glyphs. They are expensive to produce and needed to be solid and seamless. There is no way to repair a piece once built. 2. Reed switches fail occasionally and aren't actually simpler, they're just easier to install and require a bit less labor :-)

[@GratuitousSets]

It was used in this prop- you can see the stone glyphs toward the end. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZ-8m4h3aL9li8k We have a detailed video of the individual glyphs here, in the Jaguar stelae video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3eWZoGMg6uEgrs

[@ritvarsfreimanis]

but what about reed switch?

[@GratuitousSets]

Reed switches fail more frequently than most people would guess. This video is pretty old- It was our first escape room build EVER!! We would use a Hall Effect sensor nowadays. If you watch some of our recent videos, you'll see just how far we've come!! 🤓

[@GratuitousSets]

T-Shirt giveaway! Subscribe to enter- we are gonna give away 2 t-shirts this month (December 2016)

[@juansalazar9476]

15:38, Solenoid _______what?

[@GratuitousSets]

"This is a solenoid firing."

[@markchupp4277]

.0075 is seven and half thousandths, not seventy-five thousandths. :)

[@GratuitousSets]

Doh!! Good catch there :-)

[@GratuitousSets]

Btw- watch the t shirt video- you won!

[@markchupp4277]

I did send in an email with my info. Hoping to see the cool T-Shirt soon. Cheers!

[@GratuitousSets]

i don't see it- send an email to [e-mail]