Types and production volume
A new week has started again today. The feeling of the New Year has completely faded, and we are returning to our normal daily routine. Today has been cloudy since the morning, and the weather is not very good. The news is warning about a strong cold wave expected to arrive around the middle of this week. However, we have had many warm days recently, so this colder weather is said to be closer to the normal temperatures for this season. They are reminding everyone to be careful not to catch a cold. I also prepared for that by buying some extra kerosene. I do use electric heaters as well, but at this time of year, it is really hard to get through the cold without kerosene heaters.
Today, I continued working on the smaller inner box that will go inside the 5-sun nested puzzle box. Today, I glued the top and bottom panels, and after that I prepared the side panels, including the sliding key panels. I plan to glue these panels next. Because this is a smaller box with a 7-step mechanism, I think I will be able to glue both the left and right sides at the same time. One side is a fixed panel made from a single board, which makes the process a bit simpler. Once these panels are glued, the assembly of the smaller inner box will already be complete. As expected, a 7-step mechanism can be made quite quickly. In the past, I often made 7-step or even 4-step puzzle boxes to increase my product lineup, mainly because they could be produced quickly. These days, however, I no longer work that way and instead focus on making more time-consuming boxes. I probably can’t produce boxes in large quantities like I used to.
Yes, in the past I was often asked, “How many puzzle boxes do you make in a month?” At that time, I made about 500 puzzle boxes per month. This was not one single type, but a total of around 500 boxes made up of many different types. When I say this, people often respond, “Wow, that’s amazing!” However, there are other workshops that produce thousands of boxes a month (though I’m not sure if they still do today). In most cases, these boxes are not sold directly by the makers, but are produced for wholesale to shops, which is why such large numbers are needed. This kind of work is very demanding and tiring 🤣 However, making a large number of boxes also has the advantage of sharpening one’s skills. These days, my style has changed. I now prefer to make smaller quantities of boxes that require more time and care, with more complex mechanisms.
Today, I continued working on the smaller inner box that will go inside the 5-sun nested puzzle box. Today, I glued the top and bottom panels, and after that I prepared the side panels, including the sliding key panels. I plan to glue these panels next. Because this is a smaller box with a 7-step mechanism, I think I will be able to glue both the left and right sides at the same time. One side is a fixed panel made from a single board, which makes the process a bit simpler. Once these panels are glued, the assembly of the smaller inner box will already be complete. As expected, a 7-step mechanism can be made quite quickly. In the past, I often made 7-step or even 4-step puzzle boxes to increase my product lineup, mainly because they could be produced quickly. These days, however, I no longer work that way and instead focus on making more time-consuming boxes. I probably can’t produce boxes in large quantities like I used to.
Yes, in the past I was often asked, “How many puzzle boxes do you make in a month?” At that time, I made about 500 puzzle boxes per month. This was not one single type, but a total of around 500 boxes made up of many different types. When I say this, people often respond, “Wow, that’s amazing!” However, there are other workshops that produce thousands of boxes a month (though I’m not sure if they still do today). In most cases, these boxes are not sold directly by the makers, but are produced for wholesale to shops, which is why such large numbers are needed. This kind of work is very demanding and tiring 🤣 However, making a large number of boxes also has the advantage of sharpening one’s skills. These days, my style has changed. I now prefer to make smaller quantities of boxes that require more time and care, with more complex mechanisms.