Walnut design himitsu-bako
Today started with a very cold morning. The temperature was higher than yesterday, but there was no sunshine at all and the sky was cloudy, so it felt much colder. I did not have much work using machines today, and because the temperature did not rise very much, I tried not to push myself too hard.
Even so, I worked on two things today. I still had some small office and paperwork tasks, but my main work was checking the Mame puzzle boxes with 18 steps and preparing for the next work. For the Mame puzzle boxes, I am making more than 90 pieces this time, so the checking process took quite a bit of time. I open all the mechanisms and check how smoothly each one moves. I usually make them slightly stiff on purpose, so at this stage I adjust each box to reach the best possible movement. While doing this work, I thought again that the katsura wood used this time is really good. It has a nice elasticity, or flexibility, and when I want to loosen the movement a little, it adjusts very smoothly. Agathis wood is a similar material, but it feels a bit harder and is not as easy to adjust. When attaching the Aruki panels, they need to be slightly stiff. If they are too loose at that stage, the panels move during later work, which makes everything difficult. So in the middle stages, I keep them a little tight. If I make a mistake here and make them too tight, it becomes very hard work later on π . Still, it is easier than trying to add stiffness to panels that are already too loose. With that in mind, I checked the movement of each panel one by one, and this process is now finished. At last, the boxes are ready to be delivered.
I also prepared for the next production today (photo). The next boxes I will make are 3-sun 12-step puzzle boxes. I received an order for a good number of them, so I will focus on making those. I may be able to keep a small number for stock as well.This time, the design has traditional yosegi on the top and bottom, with walnut wood used for the side panels. I have made this model many times before, and it is a popular one. In fact, I have received requests for the same box from other people as well, but this order was placed last year, so I am making this one first. Because the quantity is fairly large, I plan to make only this order for now. I will start working on the other requests again soon. Today, I attached the side panels. Walnut wood is more likely to warp than boards with yosegi attached, so it is better to fix it with clamps for a slightly longer time. I would like to use walnut with straight and calm grain as much as possible, but in recent years walnut wood has become very expensive, so it is not always easy to use only the best parts. Even so, I carefully select the wood, using the best grain for the side panels of the box and also choosing good grain for the sliding key panels. Come to think of it, it feels like it has been a long time since I last made a box using walnut wood.
Even so, I worked on two things today. I still had some small office and paperwork tasks, but my main work was checking the Mame puzzle boxes with 18 steps and preparing for the next work. For the Mame puzzle boxes, I am making more than 90 pieces this time, so the checking process took quite a bit of time. I open all the mechanisms and check how smoothly each one moves. I usually make them slightly stiff on purpose, so at this stage I adjust each box to reach the best possible movement. While doing this work, I thought again that the katsura wood used this time is really good. It has a nice elasticity, or flexibility, and when I want to loosen the movement a little, it adjusts very smoothly. Agathis wood is a similar material, but it feels a bit harder and is not as easy to adjust. When attaching the Aruki panels, they need to be slightly stiff. If they are too loose at that stage, the panels move during later work, which makes everything difficult. So in the middle stages, I keep them a little tight. If I make a mistake here and make them too tight, it becomes very hard work later on π . Still, it is easier than trying to add stiffness to panels that are already too loose. With that in mind, I checked the movement of each panel one by one, and this process is now finished. At last, the boxes are ready to be delivered.
I also prepared for the next production today (photo). The next boxes I will make are 3-sun 12-step puzzle boxes. I received an order for a good number of them, so I will focus on making those. I may be able to keep a small number for stock as well.This time, the design has traditional yosegi on the top and bottom, with walnut wood used for the side panels. I have made this model many times before, and it is a popular one. In fact, I have received requests for the same box from other people as well, but this order was placed last year, so I am making this one first. Because the quantity is fairly large, I plan to make only this order for now. I will start working on the other requests again soon. Today, I attached the side panels. Walnut wood is more likely to warp than boards with yosegi attached, so it is better to fix it with clamps for a slightly longer time. I would like to use walnut with straight and calm grain as much as possible, but in recent years walnut wood has become very expensive, so it is not always easy to use only the best parts. Even so, I carefully select the wood, using the best grain for the side panels of the box and also choosing good grain for the sliding key panels. Come to think of it, it feels like it has been a long time since I last made a box using walnut wood.