The Drawer Structure and Its Improvements
Today was a beautiful, clear autumn day. The sunlight was strong, but it was not too hot, and the air felt fresh and comfortable. I think this is because the humidity is lower in autumn. If we had the same weather in August, the high humidity would probably make it feel much more uncomfortable. I was out for most of the day, so I did not have much time to work in the workshop. The 3-sun 7-step puzzle boxes are now ready for the finishing process, but I did not have enough time to work on them today. Instead, I did a little work on my next project, the 5-sun puzzle boxes with drawers.
The main parts of the 5-sun puzzle boxes are not ready yet, so today I made the drawers that will go inside them. The photo shows the drawer frames, the bottom panels, and the small round wooden knobs used as handles. Since the previous production, I have changed the front panel from Yosegi to natural Hō wood. One reason is that Hō wood is easier to work with. Another important reason is that I no longer need to prepare a special narrow Yosegi sheet, which helps keep both the retail and wholesale prices lower. This change also allows me to make every side of the drawer from solid wood. After assembly, I can sand all the surfaces evenly with a sanding machine and create a cleaner finish. I cannot use the machine on a surface covered with a thin Yosegi sheet because it would quickly sand away the pattern. This also means that any small difference in height between the frame parts cannot be removed easily. The method would be different if every surface were covered with Yosegi, but using it on only one side makes the work quite difficult.
This goes back quite a long time, but until about 15 years ago, I made the drawer of this 10-step puzzle box so that it could not be completely removed from the box. In other words, the drawer stopped partway when it was pulled out. Many ordinary drawers are also made this way. Some can be completely removed, while others have a stopper. This design came from old puzzle boxes with drawers that made a sound when opened. The sound mechanism was hidden behind the drawer, so the drawer had to stop before it came out completely. To make this type, a stopper had to be added to the back of the drawer. However, this reduced the usable space inside the drawer. A fully removable drawer can provide more space and also reduce the risk of damage. A removable drawer has a simple structure, but a drawer with a stopper is more complicated. After being opened many times, the stopper may become damaged. I have seen this kind of damage in old puzzle boxes with drawers. There is also a risk that someone may think the drawer can be removed and pull it too hard, causing it to break. For these reasons, I now make the drawer completely removable. However, if I find a good reason to improve the design again in the future, I will continue to make changes.
The main parts of the 5-sun puzzle boxes are not ready yet, so today I made the drawers that will go inside them. The photo shows the drawer frames, the bottom panels, and the small round wooden knobs used as handles. Since the previous production, I have changed the front panel from Yosegi to natural Hō wood. One reason is that Hō wood is easier to work with. Another important reason is that I no longer need to prepare a special narrow Yosegi sheet, which helps keep both the retail and wholesale prices lower. This change also allows me to make every side of the drawer from solid wood. After assembly, I can sand all the surfaces evenly with a sanding machine and create a cleaner finish. I cannot use the machine on a surface covered with a thin Yosegi sheet because it would quickly sand away the pattern. This also means that any small difference in height between the frame parts cannot be removed easily. The method would be different if every surface were covered with Yosegi, but using it on only one side makes the work quite difficult.
This goes back quite a long time, but until about 15 years ago, I made the drawer of this 10-step puzzle box so that it could not be completely removed from the box. In other words, the drawer stopped partway when it was pulled out. Many ordinary drawers are also made this way. Some can be completely removed, while others have a stopper. This design came from old puzzle boxes with drawers that made a sound when opened. The sound mechanism was hidden behind the drawer, so the drawer had to stop before it came out completely. To make this type, a stopper had to be added to the back of the drawer. However, this reduced the usable space inside the drawer. A fully removable drawer can provide more space and also reduce the risk of damage. A removable drawer has a simple structure, but a drawer with a stopper is more complicated. After being opened many times, the stopper may become damaged. I have seen this kind of damage in old puzzle boxes with drawers. There is also a risk that someone may think the drawer can be removed and pull it too hard, causing it to break. For these reasons, I now make the drawer completely removable. However, if I find a good reason to improve the design again in the future, I will continue to make changes.