04-Jul-2025
Today, I mainly worked on attaching the panels for two types of puzzle boxes—the Knock Box and the 2.5-sun box.
For the Knock Box, I continued working with the checkered pattern panels I started yesterday. Since these panels don’t contain Kannuki (slide keys) parts, it would be possible to attach both sides at once if the box were small. However, with a box of this size, there’s a chance the panels could lift or warp, so I attached them one side at a time.
The Aruki panels (moving panels) on the left and right sides are different in size. I started with the larger one and waited a few hours before attaching the other side. Even though it seemed set after a few hours, it’s still a bit risky to handle too soon. So I began with the side less likely to warp.
With that, the assembly of the box is now complete. I’ll move on to the finishing process once the timing feels right.
What I’m most concerned about with this box is the solid-wood top panel, which has a more detailed design than usual. Since I cut grooves into it, I was worried it might warp. But so far, it seems to be stable.
Even when the weather is good this time of year, humidity levels tend to be a bit high, which may actually help the wood stay balanced. I’ve been managing humidity and giving the materials time to settle as I work, so they can hopefully remain stable even when the air gets drier.
Wood can change over time, and you can’t always predict how it will behave—so I believe it’s important to work slowly and leave room for adjustment.
Later in the day, I began paneling the 2.5-sun boxes. Today I attached the top and bottom panels. I’m planning to make around 60 boxes this time, with over 50 of them using traditional yosegi panels. I’ll also make a few with the checkered pattern design.
As I mentioned a few days ago, I’m using some leftover yosegi panels for this batch, so the top and bottom panel bases are made of solid Agathis wood. Traditional yosegi is attached on top of this solid wood.
Usually, I avoid using solid wood for the top panel because it can shrink, and I use plywood instead. But these pieces seem to be well-dried, so I believe they’ll be fine.
These panels were cut into small pieces and stored for several months, so they’ve had time to stabilize.
Wishing you a great weekend—see you again next week! 😄