Hexagon box 3

I will write a little more about the hexagon puzzle box. The finish coating process for this box is currently being carried out. Usually, Japanese puzzle boxes are painted using air spray painting. In most cases, two coats of paint are applied: a base coat and a finish coat. This is because if I use a brush, the paint will easily seep through the joints between the moving panels and the main structure, causing the panels to stick together. However, even air spray paint can seep in and cause sticking, although not as much as brushed paint.

So, when I finish the base coat, I operate the mechanism (six steps of the hexagon box) to open the puzzle box. This process allows any paint that has caused the panels to stick to break free. If I don't do this, the mechanism will stick even more during the next finishing coat, and the puzzle box will not work at all.

The photo shows the box opened after the base coating process. Then, after applying the finishing coat, I open the puzzle box again. The moving panels of this hexagon box are designed so that each step's moving panels overlap with the previous ones, so you cannot push the panels from behind (as shown in the second and third pictures). Therefore, I try to make the moving panels of this box a little softer (looser) than normal Japanese puzzle boxes. However, this box does not have a slide key, so if you make it too loose, the panels will move on their own. Adjusting this balance is quite challenging🤔