11-Feb-2025
Today is a national holiday in Japan (National Foundation Day). In reality, the exact date of Japan’s founding is unclear, but 11 February was designated based on “Japanese mythology,” which consists of ancient stories and legends passed down in Japan. I had some errands to run in the morning, but in the afternoon, I went to my workshop and did some work.
I applied the final coat of paint to the 4.2-sun puzzle boxes that I primed yesterday. After sanding the primer coat with fine sandpaper, I sprayed the finishing paint. As I’ve mentioned before, using a spray-type painting method is the most efficient way to paint a large number of boxes (40 this time). Also, brush-applied or rubbed-on paint is not suitable for my puzzle boxes.
This finishing paint is available in several levels of gloss, allowing you to choose according to your preference. If you like a very glossy finish, you can select a “glossy paint” with 100% shine and no cloudiness. On the other hand, if you prefer a matte finish, you can opt for a “matte paint” that completely eliminates gloss. These paints are typically categorized into five levels of gloss, and I use a “70% matte paint,” which reduces gloss by 70% while retaining 30% (a slight amount) of shine.
Around 40 to 50 years ago, most wooden products in this region were coated with glossy paint. However, in recent years, more customers have preferred a subdued appearance, making matte finishes the mainstream choice.
Today, in addition to other tasks, I worked on applying the yosegi sheets that I briefly mentioned yesterday. I applied them to the side panels of the 4-sun 27-step puzzle box and the top and bottom panels of the 5-sun puzzle box. Since my next project is the 4-sun 27-step puzzle box, I first prepared the materials for its side panels. The drying condition of these side panels is crucial. Additionally, to ensure that I can start working on the 5-sun puzzle box at any time, I applied the yosegi panels in advance as part of the preparation. If possible, I would like to make the 5-sun size as the 36-step box in near future 😊
