Natural wood side panels
Since last night, we’ve had steady rain, and this morning the humidity reached its highest level. It was a bit too humid to do the final finishing on the square and 5-sun boxes, but I lowered the humidity slightly with the air conditioner and went ahead with the work from the morning.
The square box uses natural wood for its side panels, so the process is different from rounding the corners of the 5-sun box. Because of that, it takes a bit more time, but today I decided to work on both types at the same time, handling them separately.
In the past, I used to round the corners even on boxes made with natural wood panels. However, depending on the type of wood, this process can easily cause chipping when cutting with blades. So now, I use a method where the corners are cut at a 45-degree angle instead. Personally, I prefer the look of this style as well.
Rounding the corners is a traditional method used in Japanese puzzle boxes, and it suits boxes with classic yosegi designs. But I always felt it didn’t match as well with Western-style natural woods. These types of woods are often harder, making them more prone to chipping. But that’s not the only reason—I also feel that the heavier, more solid appearance of natural woods pairs better with beveled corners. That’s just my personal taste, though 😅
When I start working on this process, the first step is to sand the surface. In mass production, many factories sand the wood surfaces in advance to avoid having to touch them later, but I prefer to sand them at the end, just before painting. During the crafting process, wood dust and fine scratches can appear on the surface, so finishing it at the end is more reliable. Of course, this approach isn’t suited for mass production, as it takes more time and care.
Once the surface is clean and smooth, I cut the corners at an angle. As a final finishing step, I lightly sand the top and bottom panels again. This is to remove any fine dust or particles that may have settled. Naturally, I already polished these panels once earlier during the process, but one last light sanding ensures the best result.
Also, as shown in the photos, how the boxes are placed or arranged is important too. When I arrange boxes with natural wood side panels, I always place them so that the yosegi panels on the top or bottom are facing down. This is because solid wood is more prone to fine scratches than panels with yosegi sheets. Placing the yosegi side down helps protect the more delicate natural wood surfaces. Of course, when all sides are made from solid wood, it becomes a bit tricky 🤔
After that, I also assembled the frame section of the square-type The Knock Box that I prepared yesterday. The frame is the same size as a standard square box, but the top section is raised slightly to accommodate the mechanism, which makes the axis parts a bit narrower. This time, I’m planning to make around 50 pieces.
The square box uses natural wood for its side panels, so the process is different from rounding the corners of the 5-sun box. Because of that, it takes a bit more time, but today I decided to work on both types at the same time, handling them separately.
In the past, I used to round the corners even on boxes made with natural wood panels. However, depending on the type of wood, this process can easily cause chipping when cutting with blades. So now, I use a method where the corners are cut at a 45-degree angle instead. Personally, I prefer the look of this style as well.
Rounding the corners is a traditional method used in Japanese puzzle boxes, and it suits boxes with classic yosegi designs. But I always felt it didn’t match as well with Western-style natural woods. These types of woods are often harder, making them more prone to chipping. But that’s not the only reason—I also feel that the heavier, more solid appearance of natural woods pairs better with beveled corners. That’s just my personal taste, though 😅
When I start working on this process, the first step is to sand the surface. In mass production, many factories sand the wood surfaces in advance to avoid having to touch them later, but I prefer to sand them at the end, just before painting. During the crafting process, wood dust and fine scratches can appear on the surface, so finishing it at the end is more reliable. Of course, this approach isn’t suited for mass production, as it takes more time and care.
Once the surface is clean and smooth, I cut the corners at an angle. As a final finishing step, I lightly sand the top and bottom panels again. This is to remove any fine dust or particles that may have settled. Naturally, I already polished these panels once earlier during the process, but one last light sanding ensures the best result.
Also, as shown in the photos, how the boxes are placed or arranged is important too. When I arrange boxes with natural wood side panels, I always place them so that the yosegi panels on the top or bottom are facing down. This is because solid wood is more prone to fine scratches than panels with yosegi sheets. Placing the yosegi side down helps protect the more delicate natural wood surfaces. Of course, when all sides are made from solid wood, it becomes a bit tricky 🤔
After that, I also assembled the frame section of the square-type The Knock Box that I prepared yesterday. The frame is the same size as a standard square box, but the top section is raised slightly to accommodate the mechanism, which makes the axis parts a bit narrower. This time, I’m planning to make around 50 pieces.
