Posted on March 31, 2012 [Permalink]

Continued from [Arts of Japan cases - 3] : tooling up ... | Starting point of the thread was [Arts of Japan cases - 1] : how we build them

Lee-san has gone home to see if his kids still remember him; while he's away, I'm sneaking a bit of work on this construction, among the other jobs ...

I tested a new router bit for cutting the small slots that will hold the base (and top) of the case:

... and then cut a few sample pieces to length:

The two side pieces need to be rabbeted again after cutting to length - to receive the front and back pieces:

So - together with the base piece, which I ordered pre-cut - that gives us the main parts of the carcass itself:

We're going to glue them up a batch at a time, but we haven't yet built the jig for that, so I used a small plywood tray (one of the jigs for making the Surimono Albums print mountings, actually) as a quick 'n dirty glue jig for this sample:

It's going to be a nice little piece of joinery, I think!

And with the top rabbeted and slipped into place, our basic box is together:

At this stage, it is indeed very 'boxy'!

Next step is to use the router to put some 'feet' on it:

And also to gently curve the two top corners - front and back:

We're not completely done yet, as we still have to figure out how to put the slots in the top for carrying the print stand, but anyway, this is pretty much what it will look like (we're going to stain and finish it, of course):

And when opened, the print stand - just as with the previous Mystique series case - acts as a cover for the print storage compartment.

So we've confirmed that the set of scribbled sketches is actually going to result in a nice-looking case in actual practice. Once Lee-san returns on Monday, we'll get that gluing jig built, and start up our little assembly line!

The thread continues in [Arts of Japan cases - 5] : the production line starts to hum ...

Added by: Brian on March 31, 2012

Looks great! You guys are pros! I actually like the natural finish of kiri without any staining. There is a clear matte finish stain Ikea uses that keeps the natural wood finish without adding much tint. Just a suggestion! Can't wait to get one! Perhaps you could use the same box for the carving tool set, just modify the inside to fit the tools, etc.(space for booklet, sharpening stones) Again just another suggestion! Cheers!

Added by: Dave on March 31, 2012

natural finish

One possible 'problem' with the idea of leaving them clear is that the top of each case (and some of the sides) are jointed from multiple pieces, and these are frequently different colours (as indeed, you can see in this first sample).

But I see no reason that we couldn't leave off the stain on yours, if you wish!