Mame 10-steps boxes
Because of the approaching typhoon, it’s been very windy since this morning. It hasn’t rained in our area, but it seems that regions further south are experiencing heavy rain. I hope the damage will be minimal. The typhoon is expected to move away from Japan, and the weather should start to improve this afternoon.
However, another typhoon has already formed, and it’s expected to come close around this weekend, which is worrying. Japan is now entering the typhoon season. Typhoons usually occur during the hot months, but sometimes this weather continues until around November. One of the worst typhoons we had in the past actually came in November, so we can’t let our guard down.
Today, I went out for a bit to have my car inspected. In Japan, this is called "Shaken". It’s an important mandatory inspection required for all cars. If you buy a new car, the first inspection is after three years, and then every two years after that. If you buy a used car, it must be inspected every two years.
The cost depends on the type of car, such as the engine size, but it’s usually around total 100,000 yen. Some car shops may offer lower maintenance fees, but in Japan, taxes, insurance, and other fees related to cars tend to be quite expensive. This time, I’ll be leaving my car at the shop for about two days. During that time, they lend me a replacement car.
I might have sounded a bit like I was complaining yesterday 😅, but since the weather is unstable today, I decided to postpone attaching the sliding key panels for the 27-steps puzzle boxes and started working on the Mame 10-steps puzzle boxes instead.
The weather was nice yesterday, so the yosegi panels for the Mame puzzle boxes dried well. They’re now ready for processing. Today, I first made the frame parts and assembled them. I also prepared the materials for the Aruki panels. I think I’ll be able to make about 80 boxes this time. It’s a lot of delicate work, but I’ll keep going patiently.Since these are for Hakone, all of the boxes will be made with traditional yosegi.
This 10-steps Mame puzzle box is made with the same design as the 14-steps version. The frame panel design and the thickness of the Aruki panels are the same. The difference is that the height and number of steps on the Aruki panels have been adjusted to make it a 10-steps mechanism. Compared to the 14-steps version, the movement of each step is larger. In other words, while the Aruki panels on the 14-steps version move about 1.3 mm per step, those on the 10-steps version move about 1.8 to 2 mm. So, it’s a bit easier to make as well 😊
However, another typhoon has already formed, and it’s expected to come close around this weekend, which is worrying. Japan is now entering the typhoon season. Typhoons usually occur during the hot months, but sometimes this weather continues until around November. One of the worst typhoons we had in the past actually came in November, so we can’t let our guard down.
Today, I went out for a bit to have my car inspected. In Japan, this is called "Shaken". It’s an important mandatory inspection required for all cars. If you buy a new car, the first inspection is after three years, and then every two years after that. If you buy a used car, it must be inspected every two years.
The cost depends on the type of car, such as the engine size, but it’s usually around total 100,000 yen. Some car shops may offer lower maintenance fees, but in Japan, taxes, insurance, and other fees related to cars tend to be quite expensive. This time, I’ll be leaving my car at the shop for about two days. During that time, they lend me a replacement car.
I might have sounded a bit like I was complaining yesterday 😅, but since the weather is unstable today, I decided to postpone attaching the sliding key panels for the 27-steps puzzle boxes and started working on the Mame 10-steps puzzle boxes instead.
The weather was nice yesterday, so the yosegi panels for the Mame puzzle boxes dried well. They’re now ready for processing. Today, I first made the frame parts and assembled them. I also prepared the materials for the Aruki panels. I think I’ll be able to make about 80 boxes this time. It’s a lot of delicate work, but I’ll keep going patiently.Since these are for Hakone, all of the boxes will be made with traditional yosegi.
This 10-steps Mame puzzle box is made with the same design as the 14-steps version. The frame panel design and the thickness of the Aruki panels are the same. The difference is that the height and number of steps on the Aruki panels have been adjusted to make it a 10-steps mechanism. Compared to the 14-steps version, the movement of each step is larger. In other words, while the Aruki panels on the 14-steps version move about 1.3 mm per step, those on the 10-steps version move about 1.8 to 2 mm. So, it’s a bit easier to make as well 😊
