Stepped cutting
Today is back to a normal weekday. The recent holidays are over, and the next long weekend in Japan will be from October 11th (a three-day holiday). In Japan, this series of holidays that lasted until yesterday is usually called “Silver Week,” but since there were weekdays in between this year, it wasn’t considered a big holiday. Next year, however, it seems it will become a longer one.
At the workshop, I continued my work from before. First, I worked on the frame panels for the 4-sun 27-steps puzzle boxes, which are my next project. During the holiday, they had been kept tightly pressed in a vise to prevent warping. For the side panels of the frame, being perfectly straight is essential—if they warp, it can cause serious problems for the shape and structure of the boxes.
I finished this work early and then moved on to the finishing touches of the 4-sun 18-steps puzzle boxes I had been making earlier. I smoothed the corners, sanded the surfaces, and carefully checked the Yosegi patterns and other details for any problems. The visual check is especially important, because once the boxes are coated, it’s not easy to make corrections.
In the afternoon, I assembled the frame parts of the 27-steps puzzle boxes and attached the necessary parts. For this batch, I used some extra parts that I had prepared earlier. Since those are now running low, I may need to make more when I work on the next set of 27-steps puzzle boxes.
When I make the frame panels for the 27-steps puzzle boxes, I always do the stepped cutting for the Aruki moving panels at the same time. I think I mentioned before that making Aruki panels of 27-steps usually takes me two days. The stepped cutting is often done on a separate day, usually on the same day I make the frame panels (as in the photo).
The reason is that the blade I use to cut the grooves for fitting the Aruki panels into the frame is the same blade I use for the stepped cutting. Normally, I don’t use this blade for anything else. I attach it to the machine just for this purpose. So when the blade is already set up, I do the stepped cutting at the same time. That’s what I did today as well.
At this stage, the Aruki panels only have the stepped cutting done, and they haven’t yet been cut to their exact size. I plan to do that tomorrow or later, once I match them to the frame parts I made today.
At the workshop, I continued my work from before. First, I worked on the frame panels for the 4-sun 27-steps puzzle boxes, which are my next project. During the holiday, they had been kept tightly pressed in a vise to prevent warping. For the side panels of the frame, being perfectly straight is essential—if they warp, it can cause serious problems for the shape and structure of the boxes.
I finished this work early and then moved on to the finishing touches of the 4-sun 18-steps puzzle boxes I had been making earlier. I smoothed the corners, sanded the surfaces, and carefully checked the Yosegi patterns and other details for any problems. The visual check is especially important, because once the boxes are coated, it’s not easy to make corrections.
In the afternoon, I assembled the frame parts of the 27-steps puzzle boxes and attached the necessary parts. For this batch, I used some extra parts that I had prepared earlier. Since those are now running low, I may need to make more when I work on the next set of 27-steps puzzle boxes.
When I make the frame panels for the 27-steps puzzle boxes, I always do the stepped cutting for the Aruki moving panels at the same time. I think I mentioned before that making Aruki panels of 27-steps usually takes me two days. The stepped cutting is often done on a separate day, usually on the same day I make the frame panels (as in the photo).
The reason is that the blade I use to cut the grooves for fitting the Aruki panels into the frame is the same blade I use for the stepped cutting. Normally, I don’t use this blade for anything else. I attach it to the machine just for this purpose. So when the blade is already set up, I do the stepped cutting at the same time. That’s what I did today as well.
At this stage, the Aruki panels only have the stepped cutting done, and they haven’t yet been cut to their exact size. I plan to do that tomorrow or later, once I match them to the frame parts I made today.
