The position of the parts
Last night, it became very cold because of a cold wave that covered Japan. For the past two days, the wind has also been strong, and it really felt like winter. Yesterday, I was at my workshop from the afternoon, and I had many things to do, so I ended up staying until almost nine o’clock at night. On my way home, I planned to stop and buy dinner, but the supermarket near my workshop, which I often go to, closes at 9 p.m. I rushed there about ten minutes before closing, quickly did my shopping, and then went home. It is a large supermarket, but we were the only customers there 😅
Today is Monday, but in Japan it is a national holiday called Coming of Age Day, so many people are off work. During this three-day weekend, ceremonies celebrating people who have turned 20 are held in many areas. These ceremonies are usually organized by each city or town, often in the area where people attended their elementary and junior high schools, which are part of compulsory education in Japan. By the way, Japan lowered the legal age of adulthood from 20 to 18 in 2022. This change is said to reflect global trends and the growing participation of young people in society. However, drinking alcohol, smoking, and public gambling are still prohibited until the age of 20. On the other hand, voting rights and being treated as a legal adult under the law now apply from the age of 18.
This afternoon, I went to my workshop and did a little work and took care of some tasks. I am currently making 5-sun nested puzzle boxes. Yesterday, I assembled the frame panels and attached the small internal parts. Because this is a 14-steps mechanism, there are three types of internal parts, and their shapes are simpler compared to mechanisms like 27 steps. There are many different ways to make this part of a puzzle box, but when attaching the parts later like this, the exact position is very important. About thirty years ago, the puzzle boxes I studied had marks showing where these parts should be attached. Small wooden pieces like the ones in the photo were glued onto those marked positions. I no longer make these marks. Instead, I look at the length of each part and attach them by feel. Of course, this means that they are not always placed in exactly the same position. Sometimes there can be a difference of about one millimeter. Even so, the mechanism still works well because there is a little “play” built into it. This “play” means a small amount of looseness or tolerance in the mechanism. Since wood expands and contracts, this kind of allowance is necessary. Without it, the mechanism would quickly stop moving. This way of thinking is used in many parts of making these Japanese puzzle boxes.
Today is Monday, but in Japan it is a national holiday called Coming of Age Day, so many people are off work. During this three-day weekend, ceremonies celebrating people who have turned 20 are held in many areas. These ceremonies are usually organized by each city or town, often in the area where people attended their elementary and junior high schools, which are part of compulsory education in Japan. By the way, Japan lowered the legal age of adulthood from 20 to 18 in 2022. This change is said to reflect global trends and the growing participation of young people in society. However, drinking alcohol, smoking, and public gambling are still prohibited until the age of 20. On the other hand, voting rights and being treated as a legal adult under the law now apply from the age of 18.
This afternoon, I went to my workshop and did a little work and took care of some tasks. I am currently making 5-sun nested puzzle boxes. Yesterday, I assembled the frame panels and attached the small internal parts. Because this is a 14-steps mechanism, there are three types of internal parts, and their shapes are simpler compared to mechanisms like 27 steps. There are many different ways to make this part of a puzzle box, but when attaching the parts later like this, the exact position is very important. About thirty years ago, the puzzle boxes I studied had marks showing where these parts should be attached. Small wooden pieces like the ones in the photo were glued onto those marked positions. I no longer make these marks. Instead, I look at the length of each part and attach them by feel. Of course, this means that they are not always placed in exactly the same position. Sometimes there can be a difference of about one millimeter. Even so, the mechanism still works well because there is a little “play” built into it. This “play” means a small amount of looseness or tolerance in the mechanism. Since wood expands and contracts, this kind of allowance is necessary. Without it, the mechanism would quickly stop moving. This way of thinking is used in many parts of making these Japanese puzzle boxes.