Slow and Careful Work
Today was even warmer, and it felt quite hot again. The weather was ideal for the panel-gluing work I had been doing until yesterday, but today I had planned to begin the finishing process, and hot weather always makes me a little cautious. Because of that, I decided to postpone the finishing work on the Square puzzle boxes and spend the day preparing for the next production run instead. If the conditions are better tomorrow, I hope to continue with the finishing work then.
The next project is another batch of 4-sun 14-step puzzle boxes. Most of them are a new production run of an existing model, but I also plan to include a small number with a limited design. Today I made the axis panels and side panels, and also prepared the top panels for the limited edition. This time, I plan to make about ten boxes with a random-grain design. It is a variation of the three-wood pattern I made before, using different wood species. Today I attached the wood for those panels, as shown in the photo. For this version, the three-wood design will be used only on the top panel, while the bottom panel will be finished entirely in Walnut. The side panels are also visible in the photo. Although they have already been cut to their final dimensions, they were only attached recently, so I keep them clamped to prevent them from warping.
I worked on the three-wood design panels in the afternoon. Since it was quite hot today, I was actually glad to spend the time sitting down doing this kind of work instead of operating machines, which can be more tiring. It is important not to overdo things 🤣 To be honest, making these panels is a very quiet and careful process. It is probably not the most efficient way to produce puzzle boxes. Compared with machine work that allows many parts to be made in a short time, this kind of work is not the best from a production standpoint. You could even call it more like creating a piece rather than mass production. Still, I enjoy doing work like this from time to time. It may even help shape the direction of my future work. As I get older, large-scale production becomes more physically demanding, so it also gives me a chance to think about how I want to continue making puzzle boxes in the years ahead. As I mentioned on social media yesterday, I am also thinking about changing the colors of the four-color checkered Yosegi that I have been making for many years. One reason is the materials I have available. I would like to make better use of the materials I still have in stock. In a way, that may also be part of the direction I want my work to take in the future.
The next project is another batch of 4-sun 14-step puzzle boxes. Most of them are a new production run of an existing model, but I also plan to include a small number with a limited design. Today I made the axis panels and side panels, and also prepared the top panels for the limited edition. This time, I plan to make about ten boxes with a random-grain design. It is a variation of the three-wood pattern I made before, using different wood species. Today I attached the wood for those panels, as shown in the photo. For this version, the three-wood design will be used only on the top panel, while the bottom panel will be finished entirely in Walnut. The side panels are also visible in the photo. Although they have already been cut to their final dimensions, they were only attached recently, so I keep them clamped to prevent them from warping.
I worked on the three-wood design panels in the afternoon. Since it was quite hot today, I was actually glad to spend the time sitting down doing this kind of work instead of operating machines, which can be more tiring. It is important not to overdo things 🤣 To be honest, making these panels is a very quiet and careful process. It is probably not the most efficient way to produce puzzle boxes. Compared with machine work that allows many parts to be made in a short time, this kind of work is not the best from a production standpoint. You could even call it more like creating a piece rather than mass production. Still, I enjoy doing work like this from time to time. It may even help shape the direction of my future work. As I get older, large-scale production becomes more physically demanding, so it also gives me a chance to think about how I want to continue making puzzle boxes in the years ahead. As I mentioned on social media yesterday, I am also thinking about changing the colors of the four-color checkered Yosegi that I have been making for many years. One reason is the materials I have available. I would like to make better use of the materials I still have in stock. In a way, that may also be part of the direction I want my work to take in the future.