In recent years, Japanese Woodworking is gaining a lot of popularity. When it comes to woodwork, Japanese woodworking is one of the most admired craft because of its simplicity and precision.
These contemporary crafts have received a lot of appraisal from the international architectural design community like Sou Fujimoto, Toyo Ito & Associates, SAANA, and others. They are known as Japanese constellation, and their work can be seen in a lot of art galleries around the world. Now, you can also see the same kind of craft in concrete and steel nowadays.
Their designs are remarkable and give an entirely new dimension to the architecture. Every craft in itself looks unique, but the technique remained the same till now. All the Japanese carpenters have the same core practice, and they use very traditional tools and joints in their working methodology. There are different practices in the Japanese woodworking. Miyadaiku Practice is known for the construction of shrine and temples in japan, while the sukiya-daiku practice is prevalent for residential construction.
Nowadays, People in the USA are also trying to learn Japanese woodworking, especially in the area of Seattle and Portland. In this article, we’ll try to cover aspects like tools set, techniques, classes, how to make the bench and some of the most popular books that you can buy in 2019.
Japanese woodworking tools starter Set
In this section, we’ll talk about some of the tools that you can use as a beginner. They are the basic Japanese woodworking tool. They are available at a very affordable rate. Let’s talk about each one by one. Keep in mind that buying them is easy, but mastering them is difficult.
Suizan Japanese Pull Saw
This is a 9-1/2″ Ryoba hand pull saw that you could buy. The saw that we use in western countries is mostly push where we cut the material by pushing while in this case, you have to pull to cut the material, that’s why it is called as a push saw. It is very lightweight and requires less power to use it, which allows you to have a better and smoother edge with more precision. It has 0.0047 inch Blade, which is made up of high-quality Japanese steel. This is the Suizan brand which is making the tools since the last couple of decades. It is available at a really cheaper price. So, if you are thinking of buying your first Japanese tool, this is the one that you have to go for.
SUIZAN Japanese Hand Saw
This is another excellent product that you should have in your arsenal if you want to do Japanese woodworking. This 6 inch Dozuki saw is also a pull saw where you cut the material by pulling not by pushing. This is also available at a very affordable rate. It is also very lightweight, and you don’t have to apply too much force while using it as it comes with high-quality Japanese steel. It can easily cut through any kind of timber.
Shinto Saw Rasp
This is a 9inches Shinto Saw rasp, a vital Japanese woodworking tool that you must consider buying. Here, you’ll see 10 hardened teeth blades fixed together by rivets. It is not like the above two tools, here you cut the wood by push stroke. The teeth of the tool are designed perfectly so that you don’t have to worry about the clogging. If you are used to of traditional rasps, this might feel a little bit odd to you. This tool is pretty useful for making handles, and you can also use it for less dense stones as well. This saw rasp was basically designed for wood shaving, but you can use for other purposes as well.
Newkiton Dovetail Marker
This is a very important measuring tool for your Japanese woodworking. It allows you to do the marking very easily. You can accurately mark out the dovetails. There are four kinds of precision marking there for softwood and hardwood. It is made up of aluminium, which makes it lightweight and easy to use. You also get 30days money-back guarantee as well.
Japanese KANNA
This is a woodblock plane 40mm carpenter tool. It comes with double edge senkichi. The total length is 150mm, the blade width is 40mm, and the total dimension is 54*150*38inches. It weighs around 140grams which makes it pretty lightweight, easy to use. It is suitable for grinding the wood surface. It is suitable when you are dealing with small size planes. High-Quality carbon steel is used, which makes it very sturdy. There are a couple of security features that you have to keep in mind while using. Make sure that there is no crack and foreign object while you are using it.
How to make Japanese woodworking bench
In this section, we’ll talk about the basics of a Japanese woodworking bench. I’ll highly recommend to watch the below-embedded video until the end for more information. The wood selection is very important when you are going to make a bench. You can use the Douglas fir or Yellow Pine, which you can easily purchase at local hardware shop at really affordable rates.
Then making the bench is a long process. You should understand the skills and master them with time. Watch the below video till the end, and it will give you a better idea about the craftsmanship of Japanese woodworking.
Japanese woodworking Kumiko
This is one of the Japanese practice worth having a look at. It has been since 600AD. This craft was mostly used in decorative woodwork that includes sliding doors, ramma, and room dividers. Most of the Kumiko designs are made up of tall and thin cypress trees with which they make the frame. In this craft, choosing the wood is very important. Here, accuracy and precision are very important, and you have to make every move carefully. In this case, there would be hundreds of thinly sliced wooden pieces that you have to attach to make a proper structure.
Here, you don’t have to use any power tool. Most of the work is done here with knives and saws. Later on, these pieces are joined articulately to get the perfect shape. What i really love about this art, that each one looks aesthetically amazing here and they also have some meaning as well.
Japanese woodworking Sashimono
This is the second Japanese woodworking craft that you have to take a look at. It is also a thousand years old art which came around in the 10th and 12th century. It actually became popular among the monks, nobles and the imperial court. Its core is the Japanese joinery. It is very popular when it comes to DIY woodworking stuff. If you want to master the art of Japanese joinery, this is a craft that you should practice. It also has two classifications as well, which includes “EDO-SASHIMONO” and “KYO-SASHIMONO.” There are a lot of unique techniques that are used in this woodwork. Watch the below video till the end for better clarity.