To increase the strength of the boxes...
Today, I continued my work just like yesterday. I’ve finished making 4-sun puzzle boxes with drawers, and I think I’ll be able to list them in my shop in a few days. This time, I’ve prepared two types — ones made with Zebrawood and others with random wood grain patterns. They’re not limited editions, but there are only a few available for now. I’ll probably make more later on.
I also started assembling the 4-sun 27-steps puzzle boxes I worked on yesterday. The frames and parts have been assembled. I ran a bit short on parts for the 27-steps types, so I made new ones in between other tasks. Since I didn’t have any of the small stepped parts left, I made them using walnut. These parts are small but need to be strong because tiny inner pieces hit them to stop the mechanisms. Walnut is a bit hard and resistant to chipping, so I think it’s just right for this purpose.
The photo shows the process of making the frame parts, and you can see some white glue on them. I apply plenty of glue, so a little tends to squeeze out. Normally, for regular boxes or trays made as local souvenirs in this region, any excess glue is carefully wiped off. However, when it comes to the shaft sections of puzzle boxes, I don’t remove the excess glue. This bonded area supports the structure of the puzzle boxes, and its strength is very important. The extra glue also helps reinforce the bond between the shafts and the side panels. Once the glue dries, it becomes transparent, so it’s not very noticeable. However, if this happens with darker woods like walnut, the dried glue can appear white and stand out quite a bit. In that case, it must be completely wiped off before it dries.
It looks like I’ll have a few more personal matters to take care of soon, so I decided to start a new project now. It’s work of Mame (1-sun) 10-steps puzzle boxes for the Hakone Market. I think it’s been quite a while since I last made 10-steps puzzle boxes. I was planning to start this work later in the month, after finishing some errands, but I decided to do it first. The 10-steps mechanism for these tiny puzzle boxes was originally created by me — no one in the history of puzzle boxes had made this 10-steps before. I came up with it as a middle point between the 4-steps and 14-steps mechanisms. Since there’s already a 14-steps version, it’s not a particularly surprising design, but as one variation, it’s well received at the Hakone Market. Unfortunately, this batch is only for Hakone, so there won’t be any stock available on this site. I hope to make more again someday.
I also started assembling the 4-sun 27-steps puzzle boxes I worked on yesterday. The frames and parts have been assembled. I ran a bit short on parts for the 27-steps types, so I made new ones in between other tasks. Since I didn’t have any of the small stepped parts left, I made them using walnut. These parts are small but need to be strong because tiny inner pieces hit them to stop the mechanisms. Walnut is a bit hard and resistant to chipping, so I think it’s just right for this purpose.
The photo shows the process of making the frame parts, and you can see some white glue on them. I apply plenty of glue, so a little tends to squeeze out. Normally, for regular boxes or trays made as local souvenirs in this region, any excess glue is carefully wiped off. However, when it comes to the shaft sections of puzzle boxes, I don’t remove the excess glue. This bonded area supports the structure of the puzzle boxes, and its strength is very important. The extra glue also helps reinforce the bond between the shafts and the side panels. Once the glue dries, it becomes transparent, so it’s not very noticeable. However, if this happens with darker woods like walnut, the dried glue can appear white and stand out quite a bit. In that case, it must be completely wiped off before it dries.
It looks like I’ll have a few more personal matters to take care of soon, so I decided to start a new project now. It’s work of Mame (1-sun) 10-steps puzzle boxes for the Hakone Market. I think it’s been quite a while since I last made 10-steps puzzle boxes. I was planning to start this work later in the month, after finishing some errands, but I decided to do it first. The 10-steps mechanism for these tiny puzzle boxes was originally created by me — no one in the history of puzzle boxes had made this 10-steps before. I came up with it as a middle point between the 4-steps and 14-steps mechanisms. Since there’s already a 14-steps version, it’s not a particularly surprising design, but as one variation, it’s well received at the Hakone Market. Unfortunately, this batch is only for Hakone, so there won’t be any stock available on this site. I hope to make more again someday.
