Walnut kannuki panel
Today, I continued working on the two types of boxes from yesterday.
First, I made and attached the side panels for the smallest 12-steps box. This time, the entire box features a traditional yosegi design, so the side panels are also made from traditional yosegi marquetry.
The material used is the same as what I use for the Mame (1-sun) puzzle boxes. Since the thickness is the same, I used yosegi panels that were originally prepared for those mame puzzle boxes.
The panels are about 2.3 millimeters thick, so they are thin and tend to warp easily. That’s why I press them quickly after applying the glue.
and Today, I also started making and attaching the Kannuki (slide keys) panels for 100 of the 3-sun 12-step boxes. This time, all of them are being made with walnut wood.
Ideally, Kannuki parts should be made from softer wood. Since they are a key part of the puzzle box mechanism, using softer wood helps bring out the traditional, rustic charm that’s unique to Japanese puzzle boxes. In that sense, walnut is not a soft wood—it's actually on the harder end of what is acceptable for Japanese puzzle boxes.
However, it has some advantages. For example, it helps highlight the traditional yosegi on the top and bottom panels, and it makes the sliding keys less noticeable. Above all, walnut is popular around the world for its rich, elegant appearance.
First, I made and attached the side panels for the smallest 12-steps box. This time, the entire box features a traditional yosegi design, so the side panels are also made from traditional yosegi marquetry.
The material used is the same as what I use for the Mame (1-sun) puzzle boxes. Since the thickness is the same, I used yosegi panels that were originally prepared for those mame puzzle boxes.
The panels are about 2.3 millimeters thick, so they are thin and tend to warp easily. That’s why I press them quickly after applying the glue.
and Today, I also started making and attaching the Kannuki (slide keys) panels for 100 of the 3-sun 12-step boxes. This time, all of them are being made with walnut wood.
Ideally, Kannuki parts should be made from softer wood. Since they are a key part of the puzzle box mechanism, using softer wood helps bring out the traditional, rustic charm that’s unique to Japanese puzzle boxes. In that sense, walnut is not a soft wood—it's actually on the harder end of what is acceptable for Japanese puzzle boxes.
However, it has some advantages. For example, it helps highlight the traditional yosegi on the top and bottom panels, and it makes the sliding keys less noticeable. Above all, walnut is popular around the world for its rich, elegant appearance.
