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inspired by : Make a square table top with six (or fewer) pieces

A carpenter has three pieces of beautiful wood, measuring 12 inches, 15 inches, and 16 inches square, respectively. They want to use them to make a small square table top 25 inches by 25 inches, using as few straight cuts as possible. How are they to do it?

Note: Cutting 2 pieces of wood with 1 cut (by stacking or lining up pieces, for example) is not allowed.

Additional remark/extra challenge: The intended solution cuts only triangles off the pieces of wood. However, it only matches Lezzup's answer in number of cuts.

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  • $\begingroup$ Stacking is not allowed, but is lining up two pieces of wood allowed? $\endgroup$
    – justhalf
    Commented Apr 14 at 12:48
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    $\begingroup$ No, I guess that is not exactly the same, bet also not allowed $\endgroup$
    – Retudin
    Commented Apr 14 at 14:56
  • $\begingroup$ About the challenge, I am not sure this is possible. I have found a solution with only 1 straight cut at maximum. Are you sure all cuts are creating triangles? $\endgroup$
    – Lezzup
    Commented Apr 16 at 21:09

4 Answers 4

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It can be done in

4

(but not without 30 characters)

enter image description here

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    $\begingroup$ This is the kind of answer I was hoping to get/to be optimal. $\endgroup$
    – Retudin
    Commented Apr 17 at 19:03
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Here is an answer with only

5

straight cuts. See image below:

enter image description here Note that in the smallest square, the first cut is the vertical one :)

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Another answer matching the current best number of cuts, but using only horizontal and vertical cuts (my brain doesn't work well with triangles).

Made in 5 cuts. Cuts on the 15x15 square must be made in decreasing order of length (longest cuts first). Squares split into pieces

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  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to PSE (Puzzling Stack Exchange)! $\endgroup$
    – Will.Octagon.Gibson
    Commented Apr 15 at 20:38
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For completeness: A suboptimal answer I had in mind was:

enter image description here

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