3-sun 18-step boxes
A new week starts today, but it seems like there will be many days with bad weather. The temperature is also low, and today feels as cold as winter. I’m using a heater in the workshop, but it will probably be the last week I need it. In this weather, I worked on the finishing and base coating of the 3-sun 12-steps box and the 5-sun 10-steps drawer box that I’ve been making. I plan to store them for a while in this state. When the timing is right, I’ll do the final coating.
I’m also continuing work on "the knock box" that I’ve been making. I successfully finished attaching the magnets, and next, I made the panel with the metal parts that will stick to those magnets. This time, I’m using iron screws for the metal parts. These are screws made for wooden products, so they can be securely attached to the panel with little risk of coming loose. However, instead of just screwing them in, I plan to also use glue. That’s because if I only screw them in, there’s a chance they might loosen over time. Since the positions of the screws are precisely decided, even a slight shift could prevent the mechanism from working properly. So once I attach the screws during the assembly process, I must make sure they don’t move at all.
and The other day, while working on the current 3-sun 12-steps box, I also prepared Yosegi boards and other materials so that I could make an 18-steps mechanism at the same time. Today, I have started working on that as well. Since the Yosegi sheets have already been attached, today I prepared the materials. Just like the 12-steps box, I will make both the traditional Yosegi type and the Ichimatsu (checkered) pattern type. It’s been a while since I made a 3-sun 18-steps puzzle box. This one is also being made based on a request from an overseas shop, but I’ll keep a small number as part of my own stock as well. Since it’s been a while since I last made this box, I plan to make a few improvements. Like the 12-steps mechanism, I will make the side panels of the structure a bit thicker. I also plan to make the shafts as thick as possible. Previously, the 3-sun 18-steps puzzle box had a slight issue — the shafts were too thin and could break easily. Unlike the 12-steps mechanism, the bottom panel is not fixed, so the structure of the box relies only on the glue applied to the four shaft parts. However, because it's a 3-sun box, the shaft panels were thin, which meant the glued surface area was small and the strength was not enough. In some boxes, if the amount of glue wasn’t sufficient and the box was accidentally dropped, it could fall apart. This wouldn't happen with normal use, but I was concerned about strong impacts.So this time, I decided to make the shaft panels about 7mm thick.
I plan to continue working on this tomorrow.
I’m also continuing work on "the knock box" that I’ve been making. I successfully finished attaching the magnets, and next, I made the panel with the metal parts that will stick to those magnets. This time, I’m using iron screws for the metal parts. These are screws made for wooden products, so they can be securely attached to the panel with little risk of coming loose. However, instead of just screwing them in, I plan to also use glue. That’s because if I only screw them in, there’s a chance they might loosen over time. Since the positions of the screws are precisely decided, even a slight shift could prevent the mechanism from working properly. So once I attach the screws during the assembly process, I must make sure they don’t move at all.
and The other day, while working on the current 3-sun 12-steps box, I also prepared Yosegi boards and other materials so that I could make an 18-steps mechanism at the same time. Today, I have started working on that as well. Since the Yosegi sheets have already been attached, today I prepared the materials. Just like the 12-steps box, I will make both the traditional Yosegi type and the Ichimatsu (checkered) pattern type. It’s been a while since I made a 3-sun 18-steps puzzle box. This one is also being made based on a request from an overseas shop, but I’ll keep a small number as part of my own stock as well. Since it’s been a while since I last made this box, I plan to make a few improvements. Like the 12-steps mechanism, I will make the side panels of the structure a bit thicker. I also plan to make the shafts as thick as possible. Previously, the 3-sun 18-steps puzzle box had a slight issue — the shafts were too thin and could break easily. Unlike the 12-steps mechanism, the bottom panel is not fixed, so the structure of the box relies only on the glue applied to the four shaft parts. However, because it's a 3-sun box, the shaft panels were thin, which meant the glued surface area was small and the strength was not enough. In some boxes, if the amount of glue wasn’t sufficient and the box was accidentally dropped, it could fall apart. This wouldn't happen with normal use, but I was concerned about strong impacts.So this time, I decided to make the shaft panels about 7mm thick.
I plan to continue working on this tomorrow.
