Ichimatsu yosegi
Today, the sky was cloudy, and it started raining in the evening. The humidity was quite high overall, making it feel like the season is shifting to spring.
I successfully completed the hexagon 6-step puzzle boxes today. Tomorrow and beyond, I will open the mechanism and make final adjustments. This box has its own unique construction method and techniques, making it quite challenging to create. In fact, it might be the most difficult box among the ones I am currently making. The reason is its shape. Accurately moving the angled Aruki (moving panels) panels is a difficult task. In the beginning, I struggled a lot with making it, but recently, I have accumulated some know-how, allowing the work to proceed a bit more smoothly. Even so, getting the mechanism to function perfectly in its completed state is still quite challenging. In the final adjustment phase, I will carefully check each mechanism and make fine-tuned corrections. This process takes more time compared to other square-shaped puzzle boxes.
As I mentioned yesterday, I have received several other projects, but before working on them, I plan to make the Knock Box. Since the materials need to be dried, I may work on it alongside other projects. Today, I worked on making the ichimatsu (checkered) yosegi for this box. Usually, I combine several different colors of wood, but for this box, I decided to use only two colors. It may look simple, but I believe it gives off the feeling of a traditional Japanese pattern. Additionally, ichimatsu yosegi is typically arranged diagonally, but this time, I will arrange it vertically (or horizontally). I think this layout will make it feel even more like a traditional Japanese pattern. In fact, other craftsmen have already been using this method of placing the ichimatsu pattern at right angles. Since this approach is closer to Japanese tradition, I decided to adopt it as well.
However, while making the pattern at right angles is a good approach, using it to construct the box increases the difficulty. With a vertical pattern, any misalignment becomes very noticeable, so the sheet must be applied perfectly straight when attaching it to the board.In fact, this is the reason why yosegi-zaiku patterns (of all types) are traditionally arranged diagonally. Even if the sheet is slightly misaligned when glued to the board, the diagonal arrangement helps to hide any imperfections. This makes mass production much easier.
I successfully completed the hexagon 6-step puzzle boxes today. Tomorrow and beyond, I will open the mechanism and make final adjustments. This box has its own unique construction method and techniques, making it quite challenging to create. In fact, it might be the most difficult box among the ones I am currently making. The reason is its shape. Accurately moving the angled Aruki (moving panels) panels is a difficult task. In the beginning, I struggled a lot with making it, but recently, I have accumulated some know-how, allowing the work to proceed a bit more smoothly. Even so, getting the mechanism to function perfectly in its completed state is still quite challenging. In the final adjustment phase, I will carefully check each mechanism and make fine-tuned corrections. This process takes more time compared to other square-shaped puzzle boxes.
As I mentioned yesterday, I have received several other projects, but before working on them, I plan to make the Knock Box. Since the materials need to be dried, I may work on it alongside other projects. Today, I worked on making the ichimatsu (checkered) yosegi for this box. Usually, I combine several different colors of wood, but for this box, I decided to use only two colors. It may look simple, but I believe it gives off the feeling of a traditional Japanese pattern. Additionally, ichimatsu yosegi is typically arranged diagonally, but this time, I will arrange it vertically (or horizontally). I think this layout will make it feel even more like a traditional Japanese pattern. In fact, other craftsmen have already been using this method of placing the ichimatsu pattern at right angles. Since this approach is closer to Japanese tradition, I decided to adopt it as well.
However, while making the pattern at right angles is a good approach, using it to construct the box increases the difficulty. With a vertical pattern, any misalignment becomes very noticeable, so the sheet must be applied perfectly straight when attaching it to the board.In fact, this is the reason why yosegi-zaiku patterns (of all types) are traditionally arranged diagonally. Even if the sheet is slightly misaligned when glued to the board, the diagonal arrangement helps to hide any imperfections. This makes mass production much easier.
