5-sun drawer 10-step box (3)
Today, the wind was very strong, and the humidity dropped significantly, falling below 30%, which is rare in my area. With humidity this low, these panels are more prone to warping, so extra care is necessary during work. Despite the conditions, I attached the side panels for the 5-sun drawer puzzle box that I have been working on. This time, all the designs use traditional Yosegi patterns.
On days like this, it’s reassuring to work with traditional Yosegi designs, where the panels are laminated with Yosegi-sheets, as they are less affected by dryness compared to solid wood types. Solid wood is very sensitive to dryness and can be easily influenced by weather conditions, requiring much more attention. After attaching the side panels, I used clamps to press and fix them overnight.
Afterward, in between other tasks, I continued working on the production of checkered Yosegi-sheets. I’m making these because I ran out of checkered Yosegi sheets needed for the side panels of 4-sun 18-step puzzle boxes I plan to make this month.
As shown in the photo, I create checkered Yosegi blocks using solid wood, which I then slice into thin sheets. From a block of this thickness, I can produce about 150 to 200 sheets. If I manage to make 150 sheets, I could use them to create approximately the side panels for 130 boxes of 4-sun size.
The materials used for this checkered Yosegi include Hoo, Nyatoh, Urushi, and Mizuki wood. These are relatively easy-to-slice woods, as their grains are fine and the wood itself is softer.
On the other hand, slightly harder woods like walnut, purpleheart, or rengas wood are more challenging to slice. These harder materials tend to splinter or develop holes because the plane blade doesn’t cut evenly. Therefore, I try to select woods that are easier to slice for projects like this.
For Yosegi-sheets that require only a small quantity, I occasionally use harder woods. However, for cases like this, where I need to produce a large number of sheets and do so frequently, I choose materials that allow for smoother slicing. I will likely continue with these tasks tomorrow as well.
On days like this, it’s reassuring to work with traditional Yosegi designs, where the panels are laminated with Yosegi-sheets, as they are less affected by dryness compared to solid wood types. Solid wood is very sensitive to dryness and can be easily influenced by weather conditions, requiring much more attention. After attaching the side panels, I used clamps to press and fix them overnight.
Afterward, in between other tasks, I continued working on the production of checkered Yosegi-sheets. I’m making these because I ran out of checkered Yosegi sheets needed for the side panels of 4-sun 18-step puzzle boxes I plan to make this month.
As shown in the photo, I create checkered Yosegi blocks using solid wood, which I then slice into thin sheets. From a block of this thickness, I can produce about 150 to 200 sheets. If I manage to make 150 sheets, I could use them to create approximately the side panels for 130 boxes of 4-sun size.
The materials used for this checkered Yosegi include Hoo, Nyatoh, Urushi, and Mizuki wood. These are relatively easy-to-slice woods, as their grains are fine and the wood itself is softer.
On the other hand, slightly harder woods like walnut, purpleheart, or rengas wood are more challenging to slice. These harder materials tend to splinter or develop holes because the plane blade doesn’t cut evenly. Therefore, I try to select woods that are easier to slice for projects like this.
For Yosegi-sheets that require only a small quantity, I occasionally use harder woods. However, for cases like this, where I need to produce a large number of sheets and do so frequently, I choose materials that allow for smoother slicing. I will likely continue with these tasks tomorrow as well.
