Ring Bench · The Old Locksmith's Stand

Guide to the stand

The bar and the rings

Brass rings ride a notched steel bar; the tray holds those already off. Tap a ring to try one move. Ring 1 (nearest the handle) always slides. Any higher ring only slides when the ring just below it is still ON the bar and every ring beneath that is OFF. The job closes when the bar is bare.

Why the train is long

To free a high ring you must first set up the ring below it, which means clearing all the rings under that. Every tap counts; par is the proven fewest taps for the starting set on the ticket.

Seized rings (Chapter II)

A rust-freckled ring is seized: it will not slide until it has been oiled once. Tapping a seized ring oils it — one tap, from any position, on or off the bar. The oil can holds drops; each oiling uses one drop, and a drop or two come back from the bench rag and the AD can. An unmoved seized ring makes the whole train unsolvable, so oil it when you can.

Soldered ears (Chapter III)

On some jobs the two highest rings share one bent brass ear: they move together as a unit, both on or both off — never one alone. The pair may only slide when the lower of the two obeys the ordinary rule. Its twin's position is checked for you; a rejected tap never spends a move.

Scoring

Par is proven by search over every legal state, seized rings and soldered ears included.
Par taps earns three stars, par + 2 two stars, anything else one.
Drops pay for oil; 9 drops let the master show the first two taps of a route.

Ads

Every AD button is a full rewarded film you may skip at any time, and each one can be watched again as often as you like. Nothing here is locked behind an ad — the guide, the hints, the oil and all 24 jobs are free.

Bar cleared

Chapter I · First pin

0taps · par 0

HELD

The bench is held

Rings, oil and timers freeze while the film plays. Nothing moves until you are back at the stand.