Thread: Possible method for Kintaro Yazawa's Trick Box Joint?

Brilliant idea Zen A lot of brain power has been used to come up with that, and a fantastic set of diagrams. The only thing that stands out for me is a rebate equal to the slide-in pink bit thickness will be needed, so when it slides in all four sides are of a uniform thickness. Again well done

G'day Drew, excellent drawings mate, Sketchup?

Would this be feasible?

The direction of the females is rotated 90 degrees and the males are mitred, forgive the crude botching of your pic (the tiny red lines).

Remember that it is a "trick" box, the males would be very weak resulting in basically a butt joint.

Tankstand: I'm not sure of the purpose of your suggested change. Maybe we can talk about it at the barbeque on Saturday.

Lignum: agreed. I had thought about that when I was drawing it. Attached is the illustration with your recess included. (I would have attached the Sketchup file, but it's too big for the forum limits, even when compressed. )

Originally Posted by Zenwood

Tankstand: I'm not sure of the purpose of your suggested change

Can anyone think of a method that doesn't involve veneer?

Drew, I was trying to eliminate the need for veneer as you asked!

Please find attached a rough drawing highlighting the assembly directions of your method compared to my suggestion. And note the area of yours that needs covering.

I hope this clarifies my suggestion.

See you Sunday.

Still confused. Cutting out the piece you indicated doesn't seem to offer any advantage: sliding it in from 'inside' the pink piece still needs the holes exposed on the inside, and sliding it in from the other direction doesn't work unless you make holes exposed on the ends of the straight fingers.

See you on Sunday.

I think tankstand was meaning something more like this, with the "shafts" and "holes" alignied on the other 45deg angle. I had to fudge it a bit to hide the construction, but still wasn't ale to manage it. The changes from the original design are:

- The shafts now extend past the depth of the pins, instead of all being in line
- The two parts are of different width (i.e., the front is thinner than the side by half the width of the shaft
- Both ends of the shaft are visible on the front piece (green)

Perhaps it is possible to keep the original design with this method of construction, but i can't see how to do it right now.

One idea is to change the angle from 45 degrees, as I hinted above, which would be required if the sides of the box were different lengths (to allow the two two-side sub-assemblies to go together).

If anyone wants to play with the Sketchup file, PM me and I'll mail it to you.

I've got no suggestions but just wanted to say;

I love you guys


You remind me of why god invented the nail and hammer

Originally Posted by zenwood

One idea is to change the angle from 45 degrees

I'm not sure if that would make a difference, besides, you should be able to assemble it as long as the shafts and pins on diagonally opposite corners are parallel no matter how long the sides/front are.

Having re-read tankstands post I realised that i didn't exactly do what he suggested, i might have anpther go tomorrow.

These cad models are nice, but how would you go about cutting those pins with perfectly round shafts on them? The words "very carefully" come to mind .

Well done with these drawings guys, thank you Mingus.

And sorry Drew but I did not forsee your oops senario, sure helps when things are drawn!

I'm sure with some relieving or trickery this attack method could still be possible.

If what I'm about to suggest has already been said in 'sketch up' language, please forgive me.

What if the both sides were originally thicker to start with and had been cut down (like thicknessed) except for the protruding circular pins? The 2 boards slide together but the protruding pin goes further.

Carry Pine

Sorry, I was looking at mignus's 2nd drawing attempting to get the extra depth in the pin. There is no need when you look at Yazawa's box.

Zenwood, i believe has got the idea, but what about one step further and making mignus's 2nd drawing. Even the master would be proud.

CP

Zenwood, I think your teasing us I know my brain hurts trying to figure it out. When I look at the third pic of the masters box it appears to me that there is in fact a piece of veneer at the far end. This piece again appears to extend into the longer sides, I suggest that is why the inside top edges are rounded as much to disguise the join. It may be the the pic but the longer sides appear thinner along the length than at the joint perhaps to aid assembly.
Hence if he needs veneer there is no answer to the question you put.

Amazing sketchup BTW and well done on figuring it out, I wonder if an email requesting confirmation from the maker would be well recieved

What I still can't work out is how the round section of the joint (not sure if you call them fingers, pins or what) are shaped. I assume chisel if so the patience and skill is extaordinary.
Cheers Mike

I noticed that in a WIP shot of the maker doing his paper-thin finger joints, he does marking out on adhesive tape and then sticks it onto the wood. A similar method seems possible here. Print the pattern for the outside, end, and inside cut lines, then stick the tape in place, and use a combination of coping saws, chisels, small files etc to remove the waste. Would be very long and detailed work with hand tools. Perhaps there is a special keyhole-shaped router bit, along with special holding jigs that could be used to make the fingers with rounded ends.