Kyoto Joinery Documentary

[seth lowden]

I ran across this recently, and felt like this documentary could fuel some great hand tool discussion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aRZT0PYhJU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gkt3yrdZVw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNBrBM5DySc

I posted three links: first is only half of the video, but with subtitles and English narration (very noisy audio); second and third are the video in it's entirety untranslated. I wish there was a copy with subtitles for the second half.

[Tony Wilkins]

I have seen those and they are great documentaries. I share your frustration in the translation and the quality. It feels to me that it was originally recorded from VHS.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Just watched the first link, and I really enjoy that, thanks for sharing.

The bent-wood box with the cherry-bark stitching I found particularly attractive.

All the little paring blocks where quite neat, as well, and I found the idea of the little lipped work surface intriguing. Something like that could be quite useful for some work.

Right around the 7:50 mark in the first video, he appears to dip or rub his chisel on something before proceeding to work on the end grain of the joint - anyone have idea what's going on there?

[David Wong]

Joshua,

He is passing his chisel over a wadded cloth soaked in most likely camilla oil. You take strips of light cotton cloth and roll them together so they fit tightly into a container. The container serves as a reservoir for the oil, and the cloth wicks the oil up. I sometimes apply camilla oil directly to end grain for easier paring. The oil is light so it will evaporate eventually.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I figured it had to be something to help with the cutting of end grain. Thanks for the clarification, David!

[seth lowden]

The bent-wood box with the cherry-bark stitching I found particularly attractive.

All the little paring blocks where quite neat, as well, and I found the idea of the little lipped work surface intriguing. Something like that could be quite useful for some work.

I thought those boxes were cool. I have made lots of Shaker oval boxes, and had an interest in making Scandinavian type bentwood boxes. The crispness and attention to detail could easily be applied to those.

I also found the various paring blocks inspirational. The modular paring block was neat, and I thought of an immediate use for that type of thing for some of my work.

What kind of leaves was the fella rubbing on his project after the horsetail stem? And was the white substance some kind of ash?

[Sam Takeuchi]

Quick and dirty translation for the third video

3:10 blah blah sashimono (woodworking joinery) produced in Kyoto are not only tea equipments etc etc (...abridged...)

3:46 Even now, you can still find traditional lumber yard

3:55Natural beauty and texture of the material are the most important quality of Kyo-sashimono, and drying process and storage of the lumber are the most important part of the production of Kyo-sashimono.

4:17 Drying kiri (paulownia tomentosa) is especially difficult and in some cases, it can take 30 years before becoming usable (paulownia is very resistant to moisture, and it can trap moisture, thus preventing it from drying).

4:24 Allowing plenty of air, let it weather through the sun light and rain for years in order to achieve the best texture and quality.

4:42 Here, production of small tansu (storage cabinet with drawers and such) begins using thoroughly dried kiri material.

4:51 First, observe grain and knots in order to determine maximum yield and mark the material.

-Skipping whole board prepping process-

5:40 Master craftman: "...so it'll be joined this way..."

5:42 Making joints begins

6:02 This is called uchi-ari-hozo (I won't translate obvious joinery, but should be self explanatory in the video). This becomes invisible after assembly and requires great deal of work to create it.

7:15 Cut dado for the shelf for the drawer.

7:22 This dado is cut so that width is narrower toward the back. Shelf boards are prepared this way, too, slightly thinner at the back, this is to allow for some wiggle room for the drawers.

7:44 Master craftman: "When drawer goes in, this will keep some opening between shelves and back of the drawer. Here at the back, it's 2-sun 3-bu (old unit of measurement. I don't know and don't want to look up, so please do if you are curious) and here at the front...it's 2-sun 3-bu 2-rin wide. Here you see, it's 2-sun 3-bu 2-rin. The difference is very slight, but if the back of the shelves were not relieved, drawers won't go in, too tight and air will be trapped between the back and drawer.

8:11 Master craftman: "See, this board fits into this dado perfectly. When you make perfect fit, you know you did a good job".

8:23 Glue is made from rice. There are much stronger glues available, but when boards are precisely prepared and fit is good, rice paste is more than strong enough.

10:38 Round off the top corner using a plane to a soft curve. Gradually any trace of complicated joinery becomes less obvious.

11:25 In order to round off inside of corners, glue small pieces and carve soft inside curve using a knife.

12:18 Master craftman: "This is called tenmaru, this piece creates soft round corner inside. This completely hides the dovetail work. Traditionally in Kyoto, we strive to achieve elegance by using thinner, and even weak looking materials. But even then, outside elegance is supported by dovetailed work so that it is much stronger than it looks".

Edit: Corrected a typo "1-sun 3-bu" to "2-sun 3-bu".

[David Wong]

Very generous of you Sam. Thank you...

[Chris Vandiver]

One sun equals around an 1 3/16" or 33mm. One bu equals around an 1/8" or 3mm. A rin is 1/2 of a bu

By the way, 10 sun equals one shaku and one shaku equals around 1 foot or 330mm.

[Bob Warfield]

Those chisels appear to have a LOT more miles on them than mine ever will!
Bob

[Gary Herrmann]

Amazing talent. Thanks for posting.

[Stuart Tierney]

One sun equals around an 1 3/16" or 33mm. One bu equals around an 1/8" or 3mm. A rin is 1/2 of a bu

By the way, 10 sun equals one shaku and one shaku equals around 1 foot or 330mm.

Actually, shaku-sun-bu = 303mm-30.3mm-@3mm. The rulers call it as 1 bu = 1/33 of a metre.

Unless you're talking planes, where a 2bu = 80mm. Nobody knows for sure why, and I mean NOBODY knows for sure why. Closest we can guess is they used kujira-jaku (whale measure) for that measure, but no reason why anyone would do that because the carpenter's measures have been the most consistent through the ages, every other measure has been altered at one time or another for convenience (or tax reasons).

Kujira-jaku are made from baleen, a ready made, stable 'stick' good for accurate rulers and were most often used in clothes making. Which adds confusion as no tailor has ever made a plane...

Easiest way is to think they're decimal inches. 10 to a foot. ;)

(Sorry Chris!)

Stu.

[Chris Vandiver]

My mistake Stu, you are absolutely right.

[Stuart Tierney]

My mistake Stu, you are absolutely right.

Now, I'm right. But about 3 months after I first got here I bought a ruler, looked at it and said "Hey, that's in inches! That'll be handy to have..."

Also had metric on it, which I most often used. About 6 months later, I'm trying to measure the wear in my bicycle chain and wondering what the heck is going on because 12 links equals 1 foot, but only 10 'inches'... :o

I also have a sashigane sitting within touching distance telling me how long it is, in 1/33m.

You would have loved being with us trying to work out why a 2bu plane is 80mm wide. Lunch was good, the company while eating it was better. ;)

Stu.

[Sean Richards]

It can be just as confusing in Europe - for example Sweden used to have their own version of the inch as 1/10 ft ...

[Jack Curtis]

About that third video. Near the beginning, right after the wedges are sawed off and planed, the woodworker shows what looks like some sort of sanding device made out of what looks like strips of wood, or maybe reed. Anybody know what's going on there? What that's made of.

[Sam Takeuchi]

About that third video. Near the beginning, right after the wedges are sawed off and planed, the woodworker shows what looks like some sort of sanding device made out of what looks like strips of wood, or maybe reed. Anybody know what's going on there? What that's made of.

It's a plant based abrasive, using what you guys call "horsetail (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equisetum_hyemale)" (Equisetum hyemale). It's made by boiling the stem and drying it.

[Randy Goodhew]

What kind of leaves was the fella rubbing on his project after the horsetail stem?

Elm leaves are used for rubbing out a finish.
We also do that in Appalachian/Cherokee tradition.

Blessings.

[Sam Takeuchi]

Elm leaves are used for rubbing out a finish.
We also do that in Appalachian/Cherokee tradition.

Blessings.

In the video, the man is showing leaves from this tree (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphananthe_aspera).

[Jack Curtis]

It's a plant based abrasive, using what you guys call "horsetail (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equisetum_hyemale)" (Equisetum hyemale). It's made by boiling the stem and drying it.

Thanks, Sam, another trick to try.

[Chris Vandiver]

For interest's sake, here is a photo of some sashigane(Japanese carpenter's square). The top one is in "inch" measure(made for the Western market), while the bottom two are in "shaku" measure. Of course, they are also available in metric measure.

[Randy Goodhew]

In the video, the man is showing leaves from this tree (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphananthe_aspera).

Thank you for the reference.
We've been calling this tree the Muku Elm or sometimes as an Oriental Elm. It's supposed to be distantly related to other elm species.
Our local elm trees (here in Kentucky) yield leaves that also work well as an abrasive.

Many thanks.
Blessings.

[Jonas Baker]

About that third video. Near the beginning, right after the wedges are sawed off and planed, the woodworker shows what looks like some sort of sanding device made out of what looks like strips of wood, or maybe reed. Anybody know what's going on there? What that's made of.

I hear from violin makers that horsetail works well to burnish the wood, which leaves a different surface than sandpaper. There is someone selling a burnishing tool made of corn straw, which was mentioned in Roubo's book. I saw one in use and it leaves a very impressive burnished surface to the wood, which apparently is very useful before finishing. I was told that it allows the surface to soak up less finish, which means that you don't have to use as much shellac, etc. to build up a finish.

Here's a mention of it on Chris Schwarz's blog, lost art press:

http://blog.lostartpress.com/2012/04/17/roubo-the-broom-salesman-part-2/

[seth lowden]

thanks for the translation, Sam! I forgot to ask about the glue, but now I know. I am still curious about what he was burnishing with after the Mubu. I am going to see if there is any horsetail around nearby. I am familiar with corn straw and cattail leaves, somehow the horsetail slipped under the radar with me. I may look around for some elm leaves too!

[Sam Takeuchi]

He's rubbing in wax. This is a wax secreted by insect called ericerus pela (http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/E/Ericerus_pela/) (I think it's like baby moth). Basically that's the finish.

[Jack Curtis]

I hear from violin makers that horsetail works well to burnish the wood, which leaves a different surface than sandpaper. There is someone selling a burnishing tool made of corn straw, which was mentioned in Roubo's book. I saw one in use and it leaves a very impressive burnished surface to the wood, which apparently is very useful before finishing. I was told that it allows the surface to soak up less finish, which means that you don't have to use as much shellac, etc. to build up a finish. ...

Thanks, Jonas. I bought a couple of the Broom Straw burnishers a few months ago. They work quite nicely. Of course, usually the burnishing from my Japanese planes is good enough finish for me in most cases. Here's the link: http://www.thebroombrothers.com/newsite/?page_id=419

As for horsetails, I'll probably have to visit a bog and cut some, or a garden store and try growing some; although they propagate underground via rhizome, just like bamboo, so care is advised when planting.

[Sam Murdoch]

Thanks for that link Jack - and for your links Seth. Pretty humbling. All kinds of doings out there in the world. I wish I had another lifetime...

[Charlie Glover]

Thanks for posting, the attention to detail is outstanding.

[Chris Griggs]

Wow! Just finally got around to watching that. Watching the man make that little chest of drawers in the 2nd video was incredible. He makes it look so easy. Did you all notice the fit of the drawer? I don't think I've ever seen a drawer that fits that nice let alone could I make one!