26-Feb-2025
I was out for about half the day today, so I wasn’t in my workshop. After returning, I did a bit of work. Continuing from yesterday, I worked on the base coating for the 5-sun 27-steps puzzle boxes. This time, I made 32 of them, which is not a particularly large batch. However, since the 5-sun size boxes are quite big, the painting process is still quite challenging.
I did this work in the afternoon when it was sunny, but I usually avoid this time of day for this task. I was a bit concerned today as well, but although it was sunny, the temperature wasn’t too high. So, I blocked the sunlight and worked quickly. The puzzle boxes before painting are that delicate and easily damaged. Once the base coating is applied, it provides a layer of protection against the outside air, though it’s not perfect. Today, I was able to complete this task without any issues.
After that, I had some time, so I planed down the thickness of the wood materials I prepared yesterday for the 3-sun cube puzzle box. Each part is shaved to its designated dimensions. As you can see in the photo, from left to right, there are materials for Aruki (moving panels), the structural axis, and the structural side panels. For a regular Japanese puzzle box, four types of materials are usually prepared: side Aruki, top and bottom Aruki, axis, and side panels. However, since this is a cube-shaped 27-step puzzle box, the size of the Aruki for the top, bottom, and sides is the same. Although their construction is different, their thickness and width are almost identical. Therefore, for this project, only one type of Aruki material is needed. Of course, since it is used in four sections, the total number of pieces is larger, as shown in the photo. By the way, the thicknesses are as follows: Aruki – 8.5mm, Axis – 6.5mm, and Side Panels – 6mm.
All of the materials used are Agathis wood. It may be difficult to see in the photo, but I have carefully selected the specific quality of the wood for each of the three types of parts. Agathis wood varies greatly depending on the section of the tree—it can have straight or irregular grain, and some parts are soft while others are very hard. The hardness, in particular, has a wide range. Because of this, I choose different sections of the Agathis wood depending on the part of the puzzle box where it will be used—essentially following the concept of “the right material for the right place.” For the Aruki, I select particularly soft sections. For the axis, I use the hardest sections. And for the side panels, I choose pieces with straight grain and medium hardness. That said, when it comes to the axis, the hardest parts of Agathis wood are actually too hard and not very practical to use. So, The axis part is not affected by hardness, so I use the harder material there…😅
I will probably continue these tasks tomorrow as well.
