4 Directions

A northwesterly wind is blowing in from the southeast, near Sharpsburg, Georgia, where corporate executive Mat Nedeljko and his wife Sherri run their family business making heirloom quality wood puzzles, mosaics, marquetry and scroll work. Mat has been making cabinetry since getting started almost twenty years ago. He began producing lovely interlocking puzzles made from exotic woods about five years ago, and he has just released his first puzzle box, a triumphant cause for celebration at B&B headquarters. Mat has generously shared his story with us.

“My Background: I have been woodworking since 2004 when I first saw a copy of Fine Woodworking magazine. When I asked my wife Sherri if she thought I could make the cabinet that was on the cover, she was very supportive and encouraged me to get into it. I bought my table saw shortly afterwards and I am still using it today! I started out making boxes and cutting boards, but as I learned more I have undertaken a wide range of projects, from furniture to built-ins to trim work.

Mat Nedeljko and Kagen Sound
*photo courtesy of Mat Nedeljko*

I have studied at the American School for French Marquetry and in October 2023 I took a class with Kagen Sound at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, ME. I have a full time corporate job as the Product Supply Director for Duracell so time in the shop can sometimes be difficult to find.

Puzzles: I made my first puzzle in March 2018 when I read Brian Menolds book Wooden Puzzles - 20 Handmade Puzzles and Brain Teasers. I started making the designs in the book and found them to be immensely enjoyable, both from a woodworking perspective and from a solving perspective. I had a Rubik's cube as a kid and managed to solve it a few times, but I was never really good at it and this was certainly a whole new world. I started sharing pictures of them on my social media pages and before I knew it I had people from around the world asking me where they could buy my puzzles. NedeljkoWoodworks.com was created as a result!

Favorite Designs: My all time favorite design is the Soma Cube. Seven simple pieces, yet so many challenges! I also tremendously enjoy Stuart Coffin designs both in the interlocking and polyhedral format.

4 Directions was directly inspired by the class I took with Kagen. During the two weeks we spent together we studied several different forms of puzzle boxes and I came home with six or seven boxes that I made in class.

The push up style of box with a dovetail slider attached to a pin that had to be navigated through a maze was one of the forms that we studied. I realized that if the box was made to be a perfect square the inner box could be rotated and each side could have a different maze carved into it, effectively making it 4 puzzles in one. This was the genesis of the design idea for 4 Directions, whose name seemed to be mandated by design.

Challenges: It took me a year to overcome the production challenges and release 30 copies. The biggest difficulty was in producing the dovetail slider and ensuring that it moved smoothly while at the same time being well hidden in plain sight. I prototyped several different jig designs in order to accomplish this task which required the sliding key to have exactly parallel sides which were exactly the same width across their entire length while at the same time maintaining opposing 22 degree angles on each of their edges.

In the end, I finally was able to produce a jig that allowed me to accurately meet these criteria using a Japanese style hand plane. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.

In class we carved out the mazes by hand using chisels, but clearly this was not practical for the production work. Fortunately I acquired a CNC that made carving the mazes to the degree of precision needed for the puzzle to work properly possible from my good friends George and Roxanne shortly before they relocated to Italy. This box is definitely a modern creation combining the use of both traditional hand tools and modern technology.

Future: I have already started developing prototypes for future designs that will feature larger mazes and multiple sliders that will need to be guided through different mazes simultaneously. There are also more traditional forms of Japanese puzzle boxes with sliding sides and lids that I am looking forward to exploring.”

4 Directions is a handsome, high quality puzzle box, hand crafted from golden brown mahogany and poplar woods, and polished to a lustrous shine. As Mat notes, and due to his painstaking process and perfectionism, the mechanism is perfectly hidden, and you will be hard pressed to imagine there is anything amiss. It’s masterfully done and a testament to his skill, and worth owning simply to marvel at this quietly astounding detail. The further beauty of the design lies in the clever use of four “directions” - North (Level 14), South (Level 19), East (Level 21) and West(Level 28) – which can be selected for difficulty and offer new challenges within the same box. It’s a very nice gift for yourself or someone special who can appreciate the elegant simplicity of a well-designed, well crafted puzzle box.

Fourth Regiment Manhattan whiskey cocktail — The Fourth Regiment adapted by Caer Maiko

I’m raising my glass to this historical achievement from Nedeljko Woodworks with an historical libation as well. The Fourth Regiment is a vintage cocktail from the days of the Manhattan, that classic combination of whiskey and sweet vermouth. The drink was first published in 282 Mixed Drinks from the Private Records of a Bartender of the Olden Days, 1889, an ancient pamphlet that calls for equal parts of rye and vermouth, with dashes of a few different bitters including, notably, celery bitters. This is what sets the drink apart from the classic Manhattan, according to Caer Maiko, bar manager at DrinkWell in Austin, Texas.

Maiko modernizes the cocktail with a celery shrub that turns the classic from baking spice to fresh herbs in a savory profile. It’s a surprising twist that takes the drink in a new direction. Classic cocktails are classic for a reason - they have stood the test of time because they are good, and simple, and elegantly satisfying. But like a classic puzzle box, a simple, well executed twist can be refreshing, surprising, easy to appreciate, and to enjoy. Here’s to new twists – cheers!

4 Directions puzzle box by Mat Nedeljko and Fourth Regiment Manhattan whiskey cocktail — this pair is worth asking four directions

Fourth Regiment adapted by Caer Maiko

1 ½ oz 100-proof rye

1 ½ oz sweet vermouth

2 dashes celery shrub

1 dash Peychaud’s bitters

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coup. Orange twist garnish recommended.

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