{"id":2572,"date":"2022-01-31T22:47:55","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T19:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodiswood.com\/?p=2572"},"modified":"2022-09-07T12:00:22","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T09:00:22","slug":"step-by-step-guide-to-crafting-your-own-kumiko","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodiswood.com\/step-by-step-guide-to-crafting-your-own-kumiko\/","title":{"rendered":"Step-By-Step Guide To Crafting Your Own Kumiko"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Kumiko being the Japanese woodworking art of expression, can be very appealing for people. Creating it though is another story altogether, as it looks to be very simple but is rather complicated. But with the right tools and setup, you can create somewhat simpler designs with ease. In this article, we will give you the step-by-step guide to crafting your own Kumiko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make a Kumiko, you first need to cut slots into an equal piece of wood, the size is up to you. This will serve as the base of the design in which you will slide into smaller pieces. For the smaller pieces to fit together you need to design a jig that helps trim their edges into different angles. Once you make the jig, you can just slide the pieces together in order.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japanese woodworking is famous for not using nails, metal fasteners, screws, or adhesives to join wood. While made out of necessity in the past, in the present it is considered a pinnacle of woodworking techniques. People take years to master all of them, Kumiko is one such technique in Japanese woodworking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there are many designs of Kumiko in Japanese woodworking, one of the most famous is Asa Noha. This is the one which we will be working on in this guide since it is very popular throughout the globe. The Asa Noha design represents the hemp leaf, which in Japanese culture represents growth. Not only that, the Japanese have incorporated the pattern into their textile as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steps to Craft a Kumiko<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we dive right into the steps that will lead you to create your very first Kumiko, you need to have the tools to make it. While you can use the tools which are already present in your workshop, some tools you might want to consider buying to help ease your task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tools to Help Make Kumiko<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While you can make Kumiko with the tools you might already have, to help make the job easier you will need the right tools. A set of Japanese chisels is not important but highly recommended if you plan on making the Kumiko by hand. This will help you make the slot in wood if you don’t own a table saw. Though you can also use western chisels for the task as well, Japanese woodworking will be much easier with Japanese tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will need a Ryoba, this one from SUIZAN<\/a> is a great addition to any woodworker’s arsenal. Another tool you will need is a mini hand planer, this one by Yogeon<\/a> can be useful to plane down the strips to perfect thickness and to plane the edges. Lastly, what we will need is a marking gauge and Kakuri<\/a> is a famous brand that makes such cutting gauges for Japanese woodworking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designing a Jig<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is the most important step that will help you angle the strips that are in the Asa Noha pattern. These strips need to be angled at their edges so that when put together they slide in the corners and fit. To design this jig you will need a block of wood, it has to be at least 2-3 inches thick and 3-4 inches tall with a length of 10-15 inches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have plenty of leeway in the dimensions, but one thing you have to be sure of is that all the sides of the block are perfectly flat. Once it is perfectly flat and all the sides are 90-degree with the adjacent sides, we can start to cut the angles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first angle that you need to cut the corners in length is 45-degrees. Once you cut it, plane it off with a mini planer to make it straight, and then check the angle to make sure it is perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will need to repeat the process with the other three corners as well. Two of the opposite corners need to be at 65.5-degrees, and one corner needs to be at 22.5-degrees. Plane them down and measure them to make sure they are at the right angle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once that is done, you need to create grooves on the top side of the block that runs into the angular cut. These grooves need to be as thick as the Kumiko strips, to cut the grooves you can either use a chisel to carve it out by hand or you can use a power tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right between the groove, you need to insert a screw thread that will be used as a stopper. You can use a slotted strip the size of the groove that allows the stopper to be mobile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The slotted strip slides back and forth according to the length of the strips you are using in the Kumiko project. The screw can be tightened where the slotted strip needs to be tightened. Do this on both sides and your jig is ready to be used for your Kumiko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a video guide of how you can make the jig for a visual understanding: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pjGVCVfTXhs&t=666s<\/a>