4.2-sun 21-step box
Today is Monday, the start of a new week. However, tomorrow, Tuesday, is "National Foundation Day" in Japan, a national holiday. So, it seems that people aren’t very productive at work today 😂 Some have even taken today off to make it a long weekend, so the roads are less crowded.
Today, I mainly worked on finishing and applying the base coat to the 4.2-sun puzzle boxes that I have been making since last week. As you can see in the photos, I made two different designs this time, both with a 21-step mechanism. Recently, we’ve had a stretch of dry weather, which has been ideal for making puzzle boxes. However, last weekend, the humidity dropped to an unusually low level for our area (around 25%), which slightly affected the mechanism. Specifically, the extreme dryness made the movement of the Aruki (moving panels) feel a bit loose.
That said, this is still within an acceptable range. Since these boxes will be shipped overseas, where the climate is likely even drier, it might actually be beneficial that they have already adjusted to lower humidity.
By applying the base coat today, the wood's moisture exchange has been stabilized, bringing the boxes to an ideal condition. Since I attached the panels on a properly dry day, even with today’s extremely low humidity, there is no warping in the panels, which is also a good sign. If possible, I plan to apply the final coat tomorrow.
Next, I attached the side panels to the 3-sun, 12-step puzzle boxes that I have been working on since last week. This time, as shown in the photos, the top and bottom panels are solid wood, while the side panels feature a checkerboard design (ichimatsu). Now that all the panels have been attached, I will probably be able to apply the base coat the day after tomorrow. Until then, I will keep them secured with rubber bands and store them in a protective case.
Today, I also started preparing for the next project. Considering various factors, I have decided to make the 4-sun, 27-step puzzle box this time. The design will be a combination of standard traditional Yosegi and a checkerboard pattern (ichimatsu).
To prepare for this, I worked on the base panels for attaching the Yosegi-sheet today. Tomorrow, I plan to attach the Yosegi sheets to these panels.
Since tomorrow is technically a day off and I have other errands to take care of, my working time will be limited. I’ll try to make as much progress as possible within the available time.
Today, I mainly worked on finishing and applying the base coat to the 4.2-sun puzzle boxes that I have been making since last week. As you can see in the photos, I made two different designs this time, both with a 21-step mechanism. Recently, we’ve had a stretch of dry weather, which has been ideal for making puzzle boxes. However, last weekend, the humidity dropped to an unusually low level for our area (around 25%), which slightly affected the mechanism. Specifically, the extreme dryness made the movement of the Aruki (moving panels) feel a bit loose.
That said, this is still within an acceptable range. Since these boxes will be shipped overseas, where the climate is likely even drier, it might actually be beneficial that they have already adjusted to lower humidity.
By applying the base coat today, the wood's moisture exchange has been stabilized, bringing the boxes to an ideal condition. Since I attached the panels on a properly dry day, even with today’s extremely low humidity, there is no warping in the panels, which is also a good sign. If possible, I plan to apply the final coat tomorrow.
Next, I attached the side panels to the 3-sun, 12-step puzzle boxes that I have been working on since last week. This time, as shown in the photos, the top and bottom panels are solid wood, while the side panels feature a checkerboard design (ichimatsu). Now that all the panels have been attached, I will probably be able to apply the base coat the day after tomorrow. Until then, I will keep them secured with rubber bands and store them in a protective case.
Today, I also started preparing for the next project. Considering various factors, I have decided to make the 4-sun, 27-step puzzle box this time. The design will be a combination of standard traditional Yosegi and a checkerboard pattern (ichimatsu).
To prepare for this, I worked on the base panels for attaching the Yosegi-sheet today. Tomorrow, I plan to attach the Yosegi sheets to these panels.
Since tomorrow is technically a day off and I have other errands to take care of, my working time will be limited. I’ll try to make as much progress as possible within the available time.
