Impatience Puzzle

Ancient Chinese ring puzzle.  Remove the shuttle from the rings.  Oh, and put it back together again.

Six, seven, and nine ring versions available.  The six ring version is very challenging.  Adding rings makes it even more so.

Solution documentation provided below, just in case you need it:)

Category:  Very Hard

Printing

• PLA
• 0.4mm Nozzle, 0.2mm Layer Height
• 4 Wall loops, 22% infill, Gyroid, Support ENABLED
• Print-in-place, no assembly required (you do need to capture the shuttle)
• 6 Ring Print Profile has Print Sequence set to “By object” to allow multi color components.  Set to “By layer” for single color.
• 7 and 9 Ring Print Profiles have Print Sequence set to “By layer”.  Rings and Shuttles are arranged on separate plates to allow for multi-color.
• Shuttles included are different lengths depending on the number of rings.
• The included display stand will support all three versions

Post Processing

The use of support on this model is extensive.  Plan on 10 or 15 minutes of support material removal after printing.  I found that twisting the rings helped separate the support material.  If a pin or ring is broken during the process, use your favorite glue to repair.  

Solution [SPOILER ALERT]

I don't know if my solutions are the same as others, never compared.  I can say there is a direct relationship between the number of rings and the number of moves I need to solve the puzzle (give or take one or two):  

How many moves does it take you to solve it?

Solution spreadsheets for the 6, 7, and 9 ring puzzles are included below, and the following video will help explain these spreadsheets.

A Metal Version

Here are some links to Tavern Puzzles, they made the version I first came across many years ago:

Amazon.com: Patience Puzzle Tavern Puzzle : Toys & Games

Tavern Puzzle

Revision History

• 1/26/2026 - v1.00 Private release
• 2/12/2026 - v1.00 Public release