Process of Mame boxes
Well, here comes another typhoon. Another one is expected to arrive this weekend. Since it looks like it’s going to rain, I’ll need to put the unfinished boxes into the storage cases before going home.
Today, I mainly worked on the Mame puzzle boxes. There are quite a few of them, but the process is moving along well. I made the Aruki moving panels, attached them, and then finished attaching the yosegi panels for the top and bottom sides.
In the end, it looks like I’ll be making about 80 boxes this time, so my hands started to hurt a bit after attaching all the Aruki panels 🤣 But the 10-steps type is a little easier to make. The Aruki panels for the top and bottom don’t have a front or back direction, which makes them easier to attach — I don’t have to check the orientation each time.
I could have gone ahead and attached the side panels today as well, but I decided not to — it would have taken too long. I’ll continue with that part from tomorrow. Still, it seems like the humidity will rise, so I’m a little worried. I might need to use the dehumidifier. When I close off the small workshop room and run the dehumidifier, it really makes a difference. I do that whenever I absolutely have to keep working in humid weather.
Fortunately, with Mame puzzle boxes, the panels are small, so they’re less likely to warp later. Also, since the glued areas are relatively large compared to the panel size, that helps. If these small panels still end up warping, it’s usually not because of humidity but because the wood itself was prone to warping from the start. Such boards are already slightly bent even before gluing. That’s something that often happens with wood.
So, I pay close attention when choosing the yosegi boards for the side panels — I try to pick pieces that are a bit softer and have straight, even grain. After all, they’re only about 2 millimeters thick, so it doesn’t take much for them to warp 😅
Starting tomorrow, Japan will have a three-day weekend. Monday is a national holiday called Sports Day. When we were children, it used to be called “Health and Sports Day (taiiku).” The words taiiku (physical education) and sports may sound similar, but they’re said to be slightly different. In Japan, there’s a school subject called taiiku (physical education). It sometimes involves playing sports, but its main purpose is education through physical activity. Sports are considered competitions, while taiiku is seen as a form of education.
However, in recent years, this distinction has become less clear, and physical education classes often focus more on playing sports. Some educators believe that returning to the original idea of taiiku — physical education aimed at developing a healthy mind — is important.
In any case, having Health and Sports Day at this time of year is perfect for physical activity, as the weather is usually pleasant. Many outdoor events are probably planned for the weekend, so I hope the typhoon won’t cause too much trouble.
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!
Today, I mainly worked on the Mame puzzle boxes. There are quite a few of them, but the process is moving along well. I made the Aruki moving panels, attached them, and then finished attaching the yosegi panels for the top and bottom sides.
In the end, it looks like I’ll be making about 80 boxes this time, so my hands started to hurt a bit after attaching all the Aruki panels 🤣 But the 10-steps type is a little easier to make. The Aruki panels for the top and bottom don’t have a front or back direction, which makes them easier to attach — I don’t have to check the orientation each time.
I could have gone ahead and attached the side panels today as well, but I decided not to — it would have taken too long. I’ll continue with that part from tomorrow. Still, it seems like the humidity will rise, so I’m a little worried. I might need to use the dehumidifier. When I close off the small workshop room and run the dehumidifier, it really makes a difference. I do that whenever I absolutely have to keep working in humid weather.
Fortunately, with Mame puzzle boxes, the panels are small, so they’re less likely to warp later. Also, since the glued areas are relatively large compared to the panel size, that helps. If these small panels still end up warping, it’s usually not because of humidity but because the wood itself was prone to warping from the start. Such boards are already slightly bent even before gluing. That’s something that often happens with wood.
So, I pay close attention when choosing the yosegi boards for the side panels — I try to pick pieces that are a bit softer and have straight, even grain. After all, they’re only about 2 millimeters thick, so it doesn’t take much for them to warp 😅
Starting tomorrow, Japan will have a three-day weekend. Monday is a national holiday called Sports Day. When we were children, it used to be called “Health and Sports Day (taiiku).” The words taiiku (physical education) and sports may sound similar, but they’re said to be slightly different. In Japan, there’s a school subject called taiiku (physical education). It sometimes involves playing sports, but its main purpose is education through physical activity. Sports are considered competitions, while taiiku is seen as a form of education.
However, in recent years, this distinction has become less clear, and physical education classes often focus more on playing sports. Some educators believe that returning to the original idea of taiiku — physical education aimed at developing a healthy mind — is important.
In any case, having Health and Sports Day at this time of year is perfect for physical activity, as the weather is usually pleasant. Many outdoor events are probably planned for the weekend, so I hope the typhoon won’t cause too much trouble.
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!
