Tips on Building the Puzz-3D Flying Dutchman

Separate the Pieces

• Before you start piecing things together, separate all of the pieces out based on the pattern on the face of the piece. For example, the Dutchman has three masts and some rigging. The masts and rigging will have similar patterns on them. Look for other variations, such as the ship's deck, which you can use to divide the colors, shapes and sizes of the pieces away.

Cleanup

• When the puzzle is printed, the areas where voids need to be cut out are marked with small, red dots. Not all of these pieces are thrown away before your set is packed and purchased. As you go through, look for pieces marked with those tiny dots, and throw them away. This means there are fewer things to worry about, making your job a little easier.

Build the Structure

• There are a number of cardboard pieces included with the ship. Start by assembling the core of the ship before you put the rest of the pieces together. The 10 cross-sections of the ship are numbered and should be placed along the long sections of the ship.

Solve the Puzzle

• Construct all of the pieces that make up the exterior of the ship, using the separate piles of pieces you made earlier. Slot them together based on what fits together. The deck is made of a single piece, the sides of the ship are made of six pieces each. There are two pieces that make up the keel. The poop deck is its own set of sections, as is the bow. Each mast is made of three tall sections, and eight different pieces of rigging. The capstan and anchors are their own unique pieces as well. You can download a "cheat sheet" PDF from the link under References. This shows not only how to assemble the pieces, but also what shape the pieces should have.

Assemble in Order

• The first pieces you need to put together are the keel and underside of the ship. Attach those pieces to the core, and then place the deck on top. Apply each of the six side sections that make up the port and starboard of the Flying Dutchman. Finally, assemble the decks and rigging topside, and attach all of the remaining pieces to the deck.