Slide Puzzle Table

I met today with my Yuri, my "tutor" for the independent study. The purpose of the study is to spend the semester researching and then building a large dining table with a top surface that works like a slide puzzle. The grain of the wood will provide the "image" of the puzzle. Fifty or sixty years ago a local craftsman donated a large collection of wood to RISD. It is called the Rare Woods Collection and every student, alumni, and faculty get one chance to propose a project and use some of the wood from the collection. I thought this project would be a good opportunity to access the collection since the idea behind the table is closely linked to the wooden top. Yuri and I spent about an hour rummaging through the wood. However, we didn't come away with any clear winners. I have so many dimensional and functional requirements that my choices are pretty slim. That part of the story is to be continued. Here is a quick little video I took of a cardboard mock-up that illustrates how the top pieces would slide along. The cardboard is cut at half-scale.