Top and bottom panels
Yesterday and today have been even hotter than usual, with some areas reaching 40°C.
In my area, we’re close to the sea, so the breeze helps lower the temperature just a little—but even so, it reached 34°C today 😂☀️
Despite the heat, I focused mainly on attaching panels today, working on both Mame Himitsu-bako and 3-sun 18-step puzzle boxes.
The photo shows part of the Mame Himitsu-bako process, where I’m attaching the top and bottom panels one by one.
The structure of the Mame Himitsu-bako is a little different from standard puzzle boxes. The internal frame and the outer Yosegi panels are combined as one unit.
So when I attach the top and bottom panels, it’s more like fitting them into place rather than gluing them flat.
The tightness of the fit is very important — it has to be just right. If it’s too tight or too loose, it won’t work.
Since the panels are pressed into place with slight pressure, there’s no need to use clamps or rubber bands for this step. That’s why the perfect fit is so important in this part of the process.
Later in the day, I also started working on a new project: a 2-sun (about 6 cm) cube puzzle box.
I have several other tasks lined up, but this project is for a new domestic business opportunity. In order to offer a proper product lineup, I decided to start this work in between other jobs.
I’m planning to make about 30 of these boxes. I haven’t decided on the final design yet, but the main concept will be something that doesn’t follow traditional styles.
The goal is to show the pure handmade puzzle box techniques of Japan, without focusing on traditional decoration.
However, I also plan to make a few boxes (I haven’t decided how many yet) with traditional Yosegi panels on the top and bottom. These will go into my own stock.
The mechanism will be a 7-step one — simple and easy to understand.
I chose this mechanism because I want the box to be accessible, and also because the production time is limited.
According to the weather forecast, tomorrow will be another hot day.
To everyone living in areas with intense heat — please take good care of your health!
In my area, we’re close to the sea, so the breeze helps lower the temperature just a little—but even so, it reached 34°C today 😂☀️
Despite the heat, I focused mainly on attaching panels today, working on both Mame Himitsu-bako and 3-sun 18-step puzzle boxes.
The photo shows part of the Mame Himitsu-bako process, where I’m attaching the top and bottom panels one by one.
The structure of the Mame Himitsu-bako is a little different from standard puzzle boxes. The internal frame and the outer Yosegi panels are combined as one unit.
So when I attach the top and bottom panels, it’s more like fitting them into place rather than gluing them flat.
The tightness of the fit is very important — it has to be just right. If it’s too tight or too loose, it won’t work.
Since the panels are pressed into place with slight pressure, there’s no need to use clamps or rubber bands for this step. That’s why the perfect fit is so important in this part of the process.
Later in the day, I also started working on a new project: a 2-sun (about 6 cm) cube puzzle box.
I have several other tasks lined up, but this project is for a new domestic business opportunity. In order to offer a proper product lineup, I decided to start this work in between other jobs.
I’m planning to make about 30 of these boxes. I haven’t decided on the final design yet, but the main concept will be something that doesn’t follow traditional styles.
The goal is to show the pure handmade puzzle box techniques of Japan, without focusing on traditional decoration.
However, I also plan to make a few boxes (I haven’t decided how many yet) with traditional Yosegi panels on the top and bottom. These will go into my own stock.
The mechanism will be a 7-step one — simple and easy to understand.
I chose this mechanism because I want the box to be accessible, and also because the production time is limited.
According to the weather forecast, tomorrow will be another hot day.
To everyone living in areas with intense heat — please take good care of your health!
