Simple software creates complex wooden joints

From my daily science newsletter....

Simple software creates complex wooden joints

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Wood is considered an attractive construction material for both esthetic and environmental purposes. Construction of useful wood objects requires complicated structures and ways to connect components. Researchers have created a novel 3-D design application to simplify the design process and also provide milling machine instructions to produce the designed components. The designs do not require nails or glue, meaning items made with this system can be easily assembled, disassembled, reused, repaired or recycled

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It is called Tsugite

Article is from the Uni of Tokyo.

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Originally Posted by woodPixel

It is called Tsugite

Article is from the Uni of Tokyo.

Attachment 483236 Attachment 483237 Attachment 483238

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Bloody Japanese and their "love" of interlocking joints.

So the Tokyo University is now looking to displace (deskill) temple carpenters with their (Tokyo Uni's) CNC cut joints. Disgraceful.





Not to say that the idea has no merit -- it surely does.
But it reminds me of the CSIRO researchers who could only get funding for robotics research if the research was directed towards developing a robot to shear sheep. Replacing human (are New Zealanders really human ?) shearers with robotic programmers. How many computer programmers do you know who would be happy sitting in a noisy, smelly, dusty, near empty shearing shed all day pushing virtual buttons on a touch screen?




Reading the above again, I didn't mean to come across as all negative and cynical.
I just wonder sometimes at our motivation as a species. Part of the joy of woodworking is the small imperfections inherent in the material we work. And the problem solving needed to overcome, hide, disguise, or display those imperfections.

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Originally Posted by ian

Bloody Japanese and their "love" of interlocking joints.

So the Tokyo University is now looking to displace (deskill) temple carpenters with their (Tokyo Uni's) CNC cut joints. Disgraceful......

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My reaction was a little different, Ian.

Like:

• Where do you get a CNC machine able to handle "temple size" timbers?
• How does a CNC handle all those round posts?
• What size end mill do you need? 100mm ???

However, it might be a different issue with sashimono furniture joinery - cabinets without nails, screws or glue. But even here I am not so sure. Sashimono is so closely intertwined with the aesthetic. Last time I was in Japan, I had an artisan explain that he had to put a 2mm arch in the stile of a cabinet, so that that stile would appear to be straight. Suppose that could be done.

Sashimono flat packs at Ikea?

Graeme,

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Originally Posted by GraemeCook

My reaction was a little different, Ian.

Like:

• Where do you get a CNC machine able to handle "temple size" timbers? -- just build one with a big enough gantry. Not all that hard, very very few temple timbers are bigger than 1200 across, but a machine with a 1800 wide gantry is doable. The gantry just needs to have the required clearance and rigidity, and the spindle enough vertical travel.
• How does a CNC handle all those round posts? -- easy, just build a bigger one of these 4th axis thingies ...
  https://www.axiomprecision.com/media...ark360-4_1.jpg
  ARK360 - Axiom 4th-Axis Rotary Kit
• What size end mill do you need? 100mm ??? -- it's not the size per see, is the kW needed to drive the end mill

However, it might be a different issue with sashimono furniture joinery - cabinets without nails, screws or glue. But even here I am not so sure. Sashimono is so closely intertwined with the aesthetic. Last time I was in Japan, I had an artisan explain that he had to put a 2mm arch in the stile of a cabinet, so that that stile would appear to be straight. Suppose that could be done.

Sashimono flat packs at Ikea?

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if Ikea felt there was sufficient consumer demand, they would build flat pack Sashimono furniture.

Thank god that so far they have not attempted to ...





but read the second part of my post.
CSIRO struggles to get funding for basic research, but has no trouble getting wool sector funding to "invent" a robot to shear sheep, with the "added benefit" that all those pesky NZers with their wide combs will no longer have a job shearing sheep. Unfortunately, jobs for 20 skilled shearers are not equivalent to one programmer's job. The jobs occupy then opposite ends of the skill spectrum. Re-skilling for the new economy is a myth.


What I really worry about is what sort of jobs will our kids have ??
Yes, some will be game developers, some will be computer programmers, but how many university graduates are struggling to get by on New Start or are flipping burgers in McDonalds, or stacking shelves in Woollies, but burger flippers and shelf stacking jobs are being increasingly displaced by automation.

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Originally Posted by ian

...if Ikea felt there was sufficient consumer demand, they would build flat pack Sashimono furniture.

Thank god that so far they have not attempted to ...

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I posted this a little while ago.... https://www.woodworkforums.com/f187/ikeas-leg-joining-system-wedge-dowel-237133

with this link: https://ikea.today/story-of-the-wedge-dowel/



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https://youtu.be/KpM1_axVuaA

Definitely want to get the safety zone right...

Now, I could ...use.... one of those CNC chainsaws :) :)