How to Make a Cypher Wheel
The wheel cipher is a way to scramble the letters in lines of text. It is an embellishment on simple codes that substitute "A" for "E" and "B" for "F." Scrambled versions of the alphabet are printed on the sides of revolving wooden disks. Each disk is numbered, and the order of the disks on the spindle can be rearranged. The key to the code is the numbered sequence of the disks. Arranging the disks 1, 2, 3, for example, yields different results than arranging them 3, 1, 2. The idea is that identical sets of disks arranged identically quickly reveal the coded message.
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Things You'll Need
- 36 paper cups
- Stapler
- Word processor
- Printer
- Paper
- Scissors
- Cellophane tape
Instructions
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1
Arrange 36 paper cups into 12 stacks of three cups each. Staple all three cups in each stack together. Each stack of three cups will be one "wheel" in two identical coding machines.
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2
Type the alphabet, with the letters arranged horizontally, in one row on one page on a word processor. At the end of the alphabet type the number "1."
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Repeat this step with the letters of the alphabet arranged in different orders in horizontal rows. Separate each row by at least 1/2 inch of vertical space. At the end of each row type a number than identifies that row. For example, type "2" at the end of the second row, "3" at the end of the third row and so on.
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4
Print out two copies the page using a printer. Cut each row into 1/4-inch strips using scissors.
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5
Work on one row of printed letters at a time. Cut the number from each row of letters with scissors. Tape the number onto the bottom of one set of three stacked cups using cellophane tape. The cups are stacked to allow room to tape the strips of letters on their rims.
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6
Tape the paper strip of letters to the rim of the set of three stacked cups that is now numbered using cellophane tape.
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7
Repeat the previous step until you have two sets of six numbered stacks of cups (or wheels) that each have a version of the alphabet taped around their rims.
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8
Arrange one set of cups to spell out the word "cipher." The key to using a wheel cipher is not the revolution of the wheels but the order of the wheels.
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9
Disassemble the six sets of cups. Note the number in the bottom of each stack, and write down the numbers in order. For example, the arrangement of these "wheels" may be 4,3,1,6,2 and 5. The code for the word cipher then becomes "431625."
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10
Arrange the second set of paper cup cipher wheels in the order "431625." Spin these "wheels until the word "cipher" appears. The word will not instantly appear but must be found and recognized by a literate human.
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References
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