Today I finished a Macaw puzzle it was made from poplar and the stand is made from red-oak. It is the first puzzle that I have painted and I thought it turned out pretty good. I wanted to stain it and get some brighter colors but found that bright colored wood stains are very expensive. So I ended up thinning some acrylic paint and made a wash that turned out pretty good.

It did raise the grain, which means the original sanded smooth surface finish will get a rough texture from the grain being saturated with water. The grain will raise and then needs some light sanding when it is dry. I was nervous about this as the puzzle has a very tight fit and any expansion of the wood would make it harder to fit together... and it did but not as much as I thought. One reason this was so tight fitting is I used a #3 scrollsaw blade which leaves a very small kerf and some of the lager pieces which connect in several places have to fit just right to go together.

One of the things I love about this puzzle is you can hang it anywhere... it is free standing (well sitting anyway).