Kagen Sound
Kagen Sound has been a full-time puzzle box maker for 25 years. After studying math in college he gravitated towards the form as an expression of logic and riddles. His puzzle boxes have won numerous awards in the worldwide puzzle collecting community, and are considered an artform that intersects with mechanical puzzles and woodworking.
Kagen's Links:
Kagen's Upcoming Workshops
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Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jun 8 - 12, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Making a Traditional Japanese Puzzle Box
Kagen Sound
Tuition $1,250
Code W0202-26
This unique and dynamic woodworking class explores the Japanese art of making secret opening boxes in three stages. Students begin by creating a box infrastructure, then cut plates of wood, which slide in a sequence and stay attached to the framework. Finally, the box is assembled and a finish is applied. After each student completes an initial warm-up puzzle box, they explore a number of other wooden mechanisms and decorative inlays meant to disguise and hide moving parts. Students are encouraged to design and build their own custom puzzle box variation, focusing primarily on hand tool use with the aid of miniature router table set-ups that assist in cutting notches for moving parts and joinery.
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Level II
Students have experience working with stationary machines and power tools and are familiar with basic principles of joinery and 3-D design.
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Level III
Students have some formal training in 3-D design, experience with a variety of materials and fabrication processes, and know how to use machine and hand tools competently and safely. Students have a portfolio of their artwork.
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IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of furniture design. Students are highly motivated and have multiple portfolios of their artwork.
Jun 15 - 19, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Advanced Puzzle Box Design: Designing and Fine-Tuning Mechanisms
Kagen Sound
Tuition $1,250
Code W0303-26
This class is open to students who have taken the basic puzzle box workshop and want to go further, dreaming up their own mechanism for a unique box. Students work with precut milled woods and have access to a variety of specific hardware like springs, magnets, and ball bearings to prototype a more thematic puzzle concept. Time is spent testing and making a puzzle mechanism work before moving towards building a box that is locked with a puzzle mechanism.