Shelves

Our puzzle is a mystery/physical combination. Players must climb on the shelves to reach high jars. For that purpose, the shelves extend 7 inches beyond the edge of the jars. An easy gripping feature is routed on the edge of the shelves so players have something to hold on to.

Assume a worst-case loading scenario of 5 players, each weighing 200 lbs, standing on one shelf. Set the safety factor to two. Assuming the shelves are made out of high stiffness OSB and are 120 in long, 16 in deep, and 4 in thick. The maximum deflection will be 0.09 inches total, or 0.009 inches/foot. For cabinet building, a recommended maximum deflection is 0.02 in/foot or less. Therefore, the shelf will not visibly deflect and is safe to climb.

The Open World staff is very successful in mounting features from MDF that the players can hang off. without stripping the bolts through the MDF. We suggest they apply their knowledge to mount the shelves securely to the walls. For reference, the expected loads can be held with five two-inch toggle bolts.

Players must climb on the shelves to reach the top row. Their friends on the ground can tell them how many faces to turn the jars on top. An average sized person will probably have to climb onto the second shelf to reach the top. This is approximately 20 inches off of the ground, well within OSHA limits.

The shelves are actually constructed of several pieces of OSB. The hollow center allows an easy place to route the electrical connections.