It rained all day today, starting late last night. On days like this, I usually choose my work carefully, but today I had planned to work on the Mame 1-sun puzzle boxes, so I continued as planned. Of course, even Mame puzzle boxes are affected by humidity, but because they are quite small, I continue working unless the humidity is very high, like around 80%. Today, it was quite high outside, but inside it was about 60%. In the morning, I assembled the frame parts that were already prepared. Then in the afternoon, I worked on making the Aruki sliding panels to match them.
The photo shows the frame assembly of the Mame puzzle boxes in progress. Like larger puzzle boxes, I apply glue to the sides of the axis panels and attach the long panels (Even though they are small…) on both sides. Because the parts are so small, I have to handle them very carefully. It feels more like assembling with my fingertips rather than with my hands 😅 If my fingers touch other parts even slightly, the pieces can move easily, so I work very carefully. At first, my movements can feel a bit awkward, but as I continue working, my hands gradually get back into rhythm. These Mame puzzle boxes have very small glue areas, and this type has four moving sides, supported only by the glued joints at four axis points. Because of this, I need to be very careful with the amount of glue. If it is not strong enough, the box may come apart during later processes. So I make sure to apply enough glue so that it spreads across the entire surface, even if a little excess comes out.
For Mame puzzle boxes, I usually make more pieces at one time compared to larger boxes, so assembling them one by one would take a lot of time. Of course, I glue each one individually, but when applying glue, I work on several pieces at once. There is no fixed number, but after applying glue, I gently hold the small boxes together with rubber bands. Very gently. If the pressure is too strong, the pieces can pop apart (this sometimes happens). So I use thin, small rubber bands with weak tension. With the rubber bands I use, about seven boxes fit well, so I prepare glue for seven sets of axis panels at a time. That means fourteen axis panels in total. After applying the glue, I need to assemble them quickly. By the time I reach the seventh one, the glue can start to dry. On a cool, rainy day like today, it is still manageable, but on hot summer days, the glue dries much faster, so I need to work even more quickly. Especially on the sides of the axis panels where the glue is applied. This part is the end grain of the wood, where the fibers are open and absorb moisture easily, so the glue is absorbed very quickly. After assembling the seven pieces, I carefully place a rubber band around them, making sure it sits in the center of the frame panels. If it is not centered, the pressure can cause the pieces to pop apart. The glue is still wet at that stage, so they can easily come loose.You might think that such small pieces don’t need rubber bands. I used to think the same, and about 20 years ago I tried drying them without using rubber bands. However, some of them came apart before reaching the final steps. So proper pressure during drying is very important. and I plan to attach the Aruki panels I made this afternoon tomorrow.
