Contrast of Two Woods
It was cloudy from the morning today, and it started to rain before noon. It looked like the humidity would get high, so I worked a bit quickly. I attached the Aruki panels to the 4-sun boxes and then made the top and bottom panels to match. If the box and the Aruki panels absorb too much moisture, the movement might change later when it becomes dry again. So I attached them early and stored them in a case. After that, in the afternoon, I worked on the finishing coat for the 3-sun boxes. Since they already have the base coat, I feel a bit more at ease with them. However, Japanese puzzle boxes are not coated on the inside, so even after finishing, I think it is still important to manage the humidity carefully.
As you can see in the photo, I made the panels for the 4-sun boxes, but unfortunately I decided not to go ahead with the limited edition box I mentioned yesterday. I was hoping to finish these boxes within this month, and if I make new panels for that design, it could delay the schedule by another two or three days. I have quite a few things to take care of this month, so I’d like to keep the production on track as much as possible. Now, about the panels—just as I wrote yesterday, some will be traditional yosegi, but most of the others will use a combination of walnut and rosewood like in the photo. Since this is a double box, I think there is meaning in having different combinations on the top and bottom. The colors of the two woods may feel a bit similar, but I think that can be nice in its own way. For example, if I use zebrawood, which I often use, it might stand out too much. Right now, you can clearly see the difference between the two woods, but I’m a little curious how it will look after finishing. The color usually becomes deeper and darker with the coating, so the contrast might change. The grain pattern also feels somewhat similar, doesn’t it… Well, I think this is both an experiment and a small challenge for me.
In Japan, we are about to enter a long holiday period called Golden Week. It may be rare, but some office workers might take paid leave and extend their holidays from April 29 (or even from April 25) to May 10. That would make for quite a long break! As for my workshop, I plan to continue shipping orders on weekdays as usual. Around Golden Week, I will probably be working on making hexagonal boxes 😁
As you can see in the photo, I made the panels for the 4-sun boxes, but unfortunately I decided not to go ahead with the limited edition box I mentioned yesterday. I was hoping to finish these boxes within this month, and if I make new panels for that design, it could delay the schedule by another two or three days. I have quite a few things to take care of this month, so I’d like to keep the production on track as much as possible. Now, about the panels—just as I wrote yesterday, some will be traditional yosegi, but most of the others will use a combination of walnut and rosewood like in the photo. Since this is a double box, I think there is meaning in having different combinations on the top and bottom. The colors of the two woods may feel a bit similar, but I think that can be nice in its own way. For example, if I use zebrawood, which I often use, it might stand out too much. Right now, you can clearly see the difference between the two woods, but I’m a little curious how it will look after finishing. The color usually becomes deeper and darker with the coating, so the contrast might change. The grain pattern also feels somewhat similar, doesn’t it… Well, I think this is both an experiment and a small challenge for me.
In Japan, we are about to enter a long holiday period called Golden Week. It may be rare, but some office workers might take paid leave and extend their holidays from April 29 (or even from April 25) to May 10. That would make for quite a long break! As for my workshop, I plan to continue shipping orders on weekdays as usual. Around Golden Week, I will probably be working on making hexagonal boxes 😁