Top panels
Today wasn’t just warm—it was really hot! I heard that in some parts of Tokyo, the temperature reached 30 degrees Celsius. My workshop is about an hour from Tokyo, so it was just as hot here too.
Today, I continued from where I left off yesterday by first attaching the Aruki panels (moving panels) to the 3-sun boxes. After that, I glued the top and bottom Yosegi panels onto both the 5-sun and 3-sun boxes. Since I’m only making 16 pcs. 5-sun boxes this time, all of them use the traditional Yosegi design. I applied them in the usual way. As for the 3-sun boxes, about one-third of all, as shown in the photo, feature a checkered pattern (Ichimatsu). This three-color checkered Yosegi was originally made for 3-sun cube type puzzle boxes. The width of that Yosegi sheet fits well with the longer side of a regular 3-sun puzzle box, so I’m using it here.
and I also attached the traditional Yosegi-style panels. Since I’m making three different types of 3-sun boxes this time, I’m being careful not to mix up the steps..haha. Normally, once the glue on these panels dries, I often attach the side panels on the same day. But since I’m working on both the 3-sun and 5-sun boxes and there are quite a few this time, I’ve decided to attach the side panels tomorrow instead.
In addition to the other tasks today, I also worked on making the drawer for the 5-sun box. I built the frame and attached the bottom panel. The front of this drawer is decorated with traditional Yosegi marquetry. This Yosegi wasn’t made specifically for the drawer. It’s actually a reused piece—leftover from when I made other puzzle boxes. Yosegi-sheets are always made larger than the boxes themselves, so every time, I have to cut off and discard the extra parts. It feels like a waste, but it’s difficult—actually impossible—to make Yosegi to the exact size needed. Usually, the leftover amount is small, but depending on the box, there can be more extra material. I keep those pieces and reuse them for narrow areas like this one.
Along with the drawer body, I also made its lid to match. Since this lid tends to warp easily, I used MDF board instead of solid wood. The drawer itself is stored inside the box, so it isn’t painted, but the top surface of the lid has a light coating. This is because when opening the lid, people usually press on the top, which can easily get dirty. That’s why I apply a light finish there.
I plan to continue working on these steps tomorrow as well.
Today, I continued from where I left off yesterday by first attaching the Aruki panels (moving panels) to the 3-sun boxes. After that, I glued the top and bottom Yosegi panels onto both the 5-sun and 3-sun boxes. Since I’m only making 16 pcs. 5-sun boxes this time, all of them use the traditional Yosegi design. I applied them in the usual way. As for the 3-sun boxes, about one-third of all, as shown in the photo, feature a checkered pattern (Ichimatsu). This three-color checkered Yosegi was originally made for 3-sun cube type puzzle boxes. The width of that Yosegi sheet fits well with the longer side of a regular 3-sun puzzle box, so I’m using it here.
and I also attached the traditional Yosegi-style panels. Since I’m making three different types of 3-sun boxes this time, I’m being careful not to mix up the steps..haha. Normally, once the glue on these panels dries, I often attach the side panels on the same day. But since I’m working on both the 3-sun and 5-sun boxes and there are quite a few this time, I’ve decided to attach the side panels tomorrow instead.
In addition to the other tasks today, I also worked on making the drawer for the 5-sun box. I built the frame and attached the bottom panel. The front of this drawer is decorated with traditional Yosegi marquetry. This Yosegi wasn’t made specifically for the drawer. It’s actually a reused piece—leftover from when I made other puzzle boxes. Yosegi-sheets are always made larger than the boxes themselves, so every time, I have to cut off and discard the extra parts. It feels like a waste, but it’s difficult—actually impossible—to make Yosegi to the exact size needed. Usually, the leftover amount is small, but depending on the box, there can be more extra material. I keep those pieces and reuse them for narrow areas like this one.
Along with the drawer body, I also made its lid to match. Since this lid tends to warp easily, I used MDF board instead of solid wood. The drawer itself is stored inside the box, so it isn’t painted, but the top surface of the lid has a light coating. This is because when opening the lid, people usually press on the top, which can easily get dirty. That’s why I apply a light finish there.
I plan to continue working on these steps tomorrow as well.
