Aug 21, 2025
Since the other two types of boxes have now entered the painting process, today I mainly worked on the 3-sun, 12-step puzzle box. The tasks I did today were making and attaching the Aruki panels (moving panels), and attaching the top and bottom panels.
For the overseas shop order, the top and bottom panels are made of solid wood. I had already prepared these panels, and since they were well dried, I was able to process and attach them. For the other boxes that will have characters added, I first attach plain MDF boards with no design. The characters or other designs are applied at the very end, just before the final painting.
At this time of year, the wood dries very well. This is good when drying the boards before use, but once the box is assembled, I have to be careful that it does not dry too much during the process. With the continuing hot weather, I also have to watch out that the attached Aruki panels don’t become loose.
Personally, however, I feel that this season is actually easier to handle than Japan’s May climate. May is spring in Japan, but the sudden rapid drying often causes the box to warp. In comparison, the midsummer climate now has a little more humidity, so the boxes are more stable.
The stock of the square 12-step puzzle box I made recently, with a rosewood sheet on the top panel (and side panels are agathis wood), is now down to just one piece. If you are interested, I recommend considering it soon. This box turned out to be more popular than I expected 😅 Maybe the slightly lower price also helped.
It reminded me again that there are many people who like boxes made without traditional Yosegi. Of course, this box is not a limited edition, so I think I will make it again, but I don’t know when that will be 😂
This afternoon it became a little cloudy, which makes it easier to spend the time, although it is still quite hot. The main reason, of course, is the humidity. In Japan, it feels hot even when the sun is not shining, because of this humidity. But since the sunlight is not so strong now, the air conditioner works well indoors. With this weather, I am thinking of doing a bit of sanding work in the evening.
