I loved it, in part because it terrifies me (nicely, sorta). The instructions were so thorough on key points of fabrication, one might be excused for not noticing the practiced skill. I won't say he made it look easy, but fabrication difficulties are weighed against my curiosity and the detailed quality of the instruction. They tempt me. It's probably more a matter of when.
I just found your channel, really wonderful videos. I hope you plan to make more in the future. One thing I would like to see, is a video tour of your workshop.
Thank you. These videos are very time-consuming so there's nothing more planned in the medium term. There are a few shorter videos and more pattern info on my Instagram channel at desking01.
Nice video. I saw this pattern on a Japanese website, and they said asa-no-ha was the diamond version of this pattern, and the square one was called kakuasa. I'm no expert, so I wouldn't claim you were wrong, but I just thought I'd point it out.
Thank you. This was raised in one of the early comments a year ago. The answer's there - kakuasa (kaku asa-no-ha) is square asa-no-ha (kaku means square).
I'd never heard of this art. I am totally enthralled. It looks like you have to build angle jigs and a planing jig, as well as a cutting jig. Does your first book tell how to create these? Also, what type of wood do you use? Or can you use various types of hardwood. Thanks so much for this wonderful, instructional video. CaleyAnn
Firstly, I want to thank you for making these videos and writing your instructional books and for coming here and answering questions. If there is another method for asking questions please let me know. I bought your first two books and I just finished my prototype of the Hitoe-bishi pattern in book 2. I needed to make sure everything worked correctly before using my Alaskan yellow cedar! It turned exactly like the photo on page 156 (photograph 279). I will be making 4 more of them for a lamp project. Do you, or is there a way to seal, coat or finish the wood? It's obviously very small, intricate work that doesn't lend itself to using a brush to apply any type of sealer. What are your thoughts on sealing the wood.
Thank you. I'm glad you've found the books of some value. Well done with the hitoe-bishi, because it's certainly not the easiest pattern to make. I never apply finish to kumiko. I apply finish to the frame (lamp on Page 215) but never the kumiko or the tsukeko. You'll find that over the years the unfinished Alaskan yellow cedar will darken slightly and take on its own unique appeal. Alaskan yellow cedar (bei-hiba) is used quite regularly for shoji in Japan and this slight darkening adds to the character of the shoji. If you need to ask any further questions, it's probably best to contact me through my website.
I thought when you put those 3 final pieces in it should be 2. A longer one with a hinge cut down the middle and the locking wedge piece. Or are you showing what is possibly an easier way for those watching?
There are four different ways of making the square asa-no-ha. A single piece cut in the middle to act as a hinge and a shorter locking piece (this is called "ori-mage") is one way. The way shown here is probably the simplest method, and, I believe, results in the best joint.
kskdesign Didn't know there were four. Watching that kinda took me back to my childhood when I used to watch a local craftsman do his work when I was staying with a relative in Japan.
The side support is set at about 5.5mm above the base, and the piece on the other side holding the kumiko firmly against the side support is about 5.5mm thick, so I just cut down to those pieces. Doesn't have to be exactly 5.5mm, but has to be at least half way down. Des
Very Nice! One question. When you are trimming the small pieces, the sole of the plane rides on the jig. The plane blade is obviously exposed to perform the trim but doesn't this also cut into the jig as the blade moves past the end of the kumiko? How do you keep from damaging the jig?
It cuts slightly into the inner edges of the jig, but this doesn't affect the actual sit or ride of the plane as it trims. It still trims at the same angle.
I've been racking my brain trying to figure this out, too. I guess it's all about the planer stroke and only eating a little of the INSIDE of the face of the jig. But, yeah, it's been bugging me trying to figure that out!
The jig is basically a very, very minimalist expression of a shooting board. Des makes it look easy to use, but so far I've managed to only carve more jig than kumiko. 😁 The key seems to have a very VERY sharp plane, a very light touch, and lots of muscle memory. I don't think his plane actually touches down on the jig until the final few strokes, and the angle he holds it at relative to the jig seems to keep the lower corner of the planer blade closest to the back fence of the jig. I bet that motion is kanna-esque, but it's definitely an unusual (but obviously very effective) way to use a western plane. I just recently invested in Veritas' most expensive block plane, and I think it might be light and true enough to finally work for me. My previous attempt was with a new Stanley Bailey, and it definitely helped compared to the cheaper options but was still very frustrating because of the weight and balance, and also because I still have a very heavy touch. Meanwhile, I've learned how to flatten and sharpen bench chisels, and have been using them with other types of jigs with more success. I really aspire to mimic Des's technique someday, but anything that keeps me in the shop helps with my lifelong depression and anxiety. I think the best part about kumiko is the process more than the product, but the product is also nice.
I'm not sure if you still check these comments, but on the off chance that you do... How did you make the 22.5 degree jig? (or any jig between 0 and 45). I could see how you use the table saw to make 45 to 90 degree paring jigs but I'm confused on the more shallow jigs. Thank you.
If you make up a tapering jig and secure the assembled kumiko jig to that, carefully run the jig through the table saw (won't be able to cut all the way through), then finish the cut with a handsaw. The angled face can then be cleaned up and minor adjustments made with a hand plane. An alternative is to cut the two sides to the kumiko jig on the tapering jig separately, then assemble the kumiko jig and adjust the angled face with a hand plane. The important point is to make sure all cuts to the jig are done safely. These cuts can also be made on a bandsaw.
What is the purpose of applying the left/bottom marks? The kumiko were cut with equal periods and they were checked after sawing to assure they are symmetrical. It seems therefore that a kumiko piece could be used in any position.
When working by hand, small marking or cutting errors invariably creep in, regardless of how small the piece is, and this reduces the effect of those errors. In shoji panels with more than 30 vertical and more than 20 horizontal kumiko (as in my second book) numbering is critical. It's a good habit to get into.
Thanks for the reply. Not sure how that approach to error reduction management works if the errors are random, but I can appreciate that errors on larger panels would be an issue. Thus far I have only worked on the small asa-no-ha.
@@cdbflynow, the errors are more often systematic than random. The bevel on your marking knife is one example that, as Des points out, can consistently push your cuts to one side if you always measure and mark from the same side of the jig.
+jimius Thanks jimius. The full name for this style of pattern is kaku asa-no-ha. The "kaku" means the pattern is made within a square jigumi, or base, so it's a square asa-no-ha. The same pattern made within a hexagonal jigumi consisting of six triangles is called simply "asa-no-ha".
Hi I'm not Des King, but to answer your question: 10mm is close to 3/8 inch. To be precise 10mm = 0.393 inch and 3/8 inch in decimal format is 0.375. There is no exact conversion between metric and imperial measurements, except that 1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly, or 1 inch = 25.4 mm exactly. Any other imperial measurements (1/16, 1/8, 1/2, 3/4 inch, etc) will never be precise when converted to metric & vice versa. Hope this helps.
I mentioned this in a reply about 3 weeks ago, but the blade only cuts slightly into the inner edge of the jig. The sole of the plane still sits properly on the guides. Any minor cutting into the jig by the blade doesn't affect the way the plane sole sits on the jig. My current jigs are around 7 years old, and they work just as accurately as when I made them. A bit difficult to explain, but it will become clear once you make up and use the jigs. Hope this helps.
@@kskdesign1 Thank you for adding this comment and for the videos. I just made my first jig and found that the plane dug into the jig with the first stroke. If I understand what you are saying, this is normal for the first cuts on a new jig and I should just take care to only allow the plane to move enough to finish the cut. It sounds like the jig will wear away a little right at the mouth of the jig, but then stop.
very nice and interesting video ! thank you for sharing. can you tell me the name of tree you used as working material? is it a box-tree ? p.s. I hope my comment is understandable. english is not my mother language.
Just saying, wouldn't a scroll saw do the same thing much easier? Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing as you do wonderful and beautiful projects but I'm thinking the scroll saw would produce the same outcome easier and faster.....
Don't worry, I'm not taking it as criticism. A fair question. It's a different type of woodworking, and a different look to the end product. This is just a single, simple pattern, and made to a fairly large size, so cutting it by scroll saw would be possible, but I would question whether it would be faster or easier. I cut all my joinery by hand, and the largest work I've done had between 10,000 and 12,000 individual pieces, some as small as 1mm thick and 3mm long. I've seen work in Japan with joinery cut by machine that had over 200,000 pieces, most of them less than 1mm thick. That sort of work would be next to impossible with a scroll saw.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 84 วันนี้!! คู่เอก "ก้องศึก vs เมืองไทย"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3kuzsAIDf1c/mqdefault.jpg)
I loved it, in part because it terrifies me (nicely, sorta). The instructions were so thorough on key points of fabrication, one might be excused for not noticing the practiced skill. I won't say he made it look easy, but fabrication difficulties are weighed against my curiosity and the detailed quality of the instruction. They tempt me. It's probably more a matter of when.
Thanks everyone for the kind comments.
They are simply beautiful! Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to share this knowledge!
I just found your channel, really wonderful videos. I hope you plan to make more in the future. One thing I would like to see, is a video tour of your workshop.
Thank you braveheartx72. I'm glad you've found them of some value.
thank you, Sir, your video gives me a lot of help of how to make Shoji and Kumiko
Wow! Absolutely amazing art! I can't wait for more tutorials!
Thank you Des for a demonstration.
I found it very nice also that the guy works in metric.
Metric is by far the easiest unit to work in.
@@kskdesign1 I swap between metric and imperial depending on my mood. It's good to understand different systems.
I enjoyed the video, I am hooked
Very beautiful explained thank you very much
Amazing! I think I found a new hobby :-)
Thank you Ewa.
Beautiful work. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
+Mort Dybert Thanks Mort
This is such an amazing tutorial. Thank you so much!
Thank you. I'm glad you found it interesting.
hi, I'm looking forward to your next video, I hope you are well!
Thank you. These videos are very time-consuming so there's nothing more planned in the medium term. There are a few shorter videos and more pattern info on my Instagram channel at desking01.
Wonderful! hipnotic video!
Thank you.
my left ear enjoyed this
My right ear had fun, my left ear is pouting
Nice video. I saw this pattern on a Japanese website, and they said asa-no-ha was the diamond version of this pattern, and the square one was called kakuasa. I'm no expert, so I wouldn't claim you were wrong, but I just thought I'd point it out.
Thank you. This was raised in one of the early comments a year ago. The answer's there - kakuasa (kaku asa-no-ha) is square asa-no-ha (kaku means square).
I'd never heard of this art. I am totally enthralled. It looks like you have to build angle jigs and a planing jig, as well as a cutting jig. Does your first book tell how to create these? Also, what type of wood do you use? Or can you use various types of hardwood. Thanks so much for this wonderful, instructional video. CaleyAnn
Very nice. THANKS
Teşekkürler, mükemmel anlatım, süper yetenek. Kullanılan ağaç nedir ?
Firstly, I want to thank you for making these videos and writing your instructional books and for coming here and answering questions. If there is another method for asking questions please let me know. I bought your first two books and I just finished my prototype of the Hitoe-bishi pattern in book 2. I needed to make sure everything worked correctly before using my Alaskan yellow cedar! It turned exactly like the photo on page 156 (photograph 279). I will be making 4 more of them for a lamp project. Do you, or is there a way to seal, coat or finish the wood? It's obviously very small, intricate work that doesn't lend itself to using a brush to apply any type of sealer. What are your thoughts on sealing the wood.
Thank you. I'm glad you've found the books of some value. Well done with the hitoe-bishi, because it's certainly not the easiest pattern to make. I never apply finish to kumiko. I apply finish to the frame (lamp on Page 215) but never the kumiko or the tsukeko. You'll find that over the years the unfinished Alaskan yellow cedar will darken slightly and take on its own unique appeal. Alaskan yellow cedar (bei-hiba) is used quite regularly for shoji in Japan and this slight darkening adds to the character of the shoji. If you need to ask any further questions, it's probably best to contact me through my website.
King先生、シェアどうもありがとうございます‼️よろしくお願いします。
I like the little brass clamps
And 10:02 that saw just gave my chinese cleaver a raging boner
I thought when you put those 3 final pieces in it should be 2. A longer one with a hinge cut down the middle and the locking wedge piece. Or are you showing what is possibly an easier way for those watching?
There are four different ways of making the square asa-no-ha. A single piece cut in the middle to act as a hinge and a shorter locking piece (this is called "ori-mage") is one way. The way shown here is probably the simplest method, and, I believe, results in the best joint.
kskdesign Didn't know there were four. Watching that kinda took me back to my childhood when I used to watch a local craftsman do his work when I was staying with a relative in Japan.
Really interesting tutorial. How do you judge the 5.5mm cut depth?
The side support is set at about 5.5mm above the base, and the piece on the other side holding the kumiko firmly against the side support is about 5.5mm thick, so I just cut down to those pieces. Doesn't have to be exactly 5.5mm, but has to be at least half way down.
Des
@@kskdesign1 OK thanks for the reply. I didn't notice that the sides were sized to the depth. Its good the see this work without power tools.
Very Nice! One question. When you are trimming the small pieces, the sole of the plane rides on the jig. The plane blade is obviously exposed to perform the trim but doesn't this also cut into the jig as the blade moves past the end of the kumiko? How do you keep from damaging the jig?
It cuts slightly into the inner edges of the jig, but this doesn't affect the actual sit or ride of the plane as it trims. It still trims at the same angle.
I've been racking my brain trying to figure this out, too. I guess it's all about the planer stroke and only eating a little of the INSIDE of the face of the jig. But, yeah, it's been bugging me trying to figure that out!
The jig is basically a very, very minimalist expression of a shooting board. Des makes it look easy to use, but so far I've managed to only carve more jig than kumiko. 😁
The key seems to have a very VERY sharp plane, a very light touch, and lots of muscle memory. I don't think his plane actually touches down on the jig until the final few strokes, and the angle he holds it at relative to the jig seems to keep the lower corner of the planer blade closest to the back fence of the jig. I bet that motion is kanna-esque, but it's definitely an unusual (but obviously very effective) way to use a western plane.
I just recently invested in Veritas' most expensive block plane, and I think it might be light and true enough to finally work for me. My previous attempt was with a new Stanley Bailey, and it definitely helped compared to the cheaper options but was still very frustrating because of the weight and balance, and also because I still have a very heavy touch.
Meanwhile, I've learned how to flatten and sharpen bench chisels, and have been using them with other types of jigs with more success.
I really aspire to mimic Des's technique someday, but anything that keeps me in the shop helps with my lifelong depression and anxiety. I think the best part about kumiko is the process more than the product, but the product is also nice.
half of my hearing disappeared listening to this :3
I'm not sure if you still check these comments, but on the off chance that you do... How did you make the 22.5 degree jig? (or any jig between 0 and 45). I could see how you use the table saw to make 45 to 90 degree paring jigs but I'm confused on the more shallow jigs. Thank you.
If you make up a tapering jig and secure the assembled kumiko jig to that, carefully run the jig through the table saw (won't be able to cut all the way through), then finish the cut with a handsaw. The angled face can then be cleaned up and minor adjustments made with a hand plane. An alternative is to cut the two sides to the kumiko jig on the tapering jig separately, then assemble the kumiko jig and adjust the angled face with a hand plane. The important point is to make sure all cuts to the jig are done safely. These cuts can also be made on a bandsaw.
Ah, thank you very much!
What is the purpose of applying the left/bottom marks? The kumiko were cut with equal periods and they were checked after sawing to assure they are symmetrical. It seems therefore that a kumiko piece could be used in any position.
When working by hand, small marking or cutting errors invariably creep in, regardless of how small the piece is, and this reduces the effect of those errors. In shoji panels with more than 30 vertical and more than 20 horizontal kumiko (as in my second book) numbering is critical. It's a good habit to get into.
Thanks for the reply. Not sure how that approach to error reduction management works if the errors are random, but I can appreciate that errors on larger panels would be an issue. Thus far I have only worked on the small asa-no-ha.
@@cdbflynow, the errors are more often systematic than random. The bevel on your marking knife is one example that, as Des points out, can consistently push your cuts to one side if you always measure and mark from the same side of the jig.
Loving the videos, very interreting work!
One question though, isn't this pattern called Kakuasa? I though Asanoha was based in a triangular lattice.
+jimius Thanks jimius. The full name for this style of pattern is kaku asa-no-ha. The "kaku" means the pattern is made within a square jigumi, or base, so it's a square asa-no-ha. The same pattern made within a hexagonal jigumi consisting of six triangles is called simply "asa-no-ha".
Is 10mm equal to 3/8inch? Awesome video. Love your skills and your end product
Hi I'm not Des King, but to answer your question: 10mm is close to 3/8 inch. To be precise 10mm = 0.393 inch and 3/8 inch in decimal format is 0.375. There is no exact conversion between metric and imperial measurements, except that 1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly, or 1 inch = 25.4 mm exactly. Any other imperial measurements (1/16, 1/8, 1/2, 3/4 inch, etc) will never be precise when converted to metric & vice versa. Hope this helps.
3/8 is closer to 9mm than 10.
9mm is 0.354" compared to 0.393 for 10mm. Roughly 1/2mm between them
HI Desmond Can I ask, what stops your jig being worn away by the plane gradually shaving off the correct angle? Many thanks
I mentioned this in a reply about 3 weeks ago, but the blade only cuts slightly into the inner edge of the jig. The sole of the plane still sits properly on the guides. Any minor cutting into the jig by the blade doesn't affect the way the plane sole sits on the jig. My current jigs are around 7 years old, and they work just as accurately as when I made them. A bit difficult to explain, but it will become clear once you make up and use the jigs. Hope this helps.
@@kskdesign1 Thank you for adding this comment and for the videos. I just made my first jig and found that the plane dug into the jig with the first stroke. If I understand what you are saying, this is normal for the first cuts on a new jig and I should just take care to only allow the plane to move enough to finish the cut. It sounds like the jig will wear away a little right at the mouth of the jig, but then stop.
Did you make the shaving jig or are they available to buy? Great video!
Thank you. I made all the jigs.
very nice and interesting video ! thank you for sharing. can you tell me the name of tree you used as working material? is it a box-tree ? p.s. I hope my comment is understandable. english is not my mother language.
Thank you, I'm glad you find it interesting. The timber is Huon Pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii).
1 shot of your favourite drink every time he says komikor
Thank you! Дякую!
can you make a tutorial how to make goma pattern
Very nice, do you sell these?
Thank you. I used to sell them, but not any more.
Very nice but a lot of work, Its a beautiful design for a partition.
Thank you. The asa-no-ha is a very effective and beautiful pattern for partitions.
What kind/type of wood do you use for making kumiko?
perfeckt
Would have been better if there had been sound.
no voice ...
Just saying, wouldn't a scroll saw do the same thing much easier? Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing as you do wonderful and beautiful projects but I'm thinking the scroll saw would produce the same outcome easier and faster.....
Don't worry, I'm not taking it as criticism. A fair question. It's a different type of woodworking, and a different look to the end product. This is just a single, simple pattern, and made to a fairly large size, so cutting it by scroll saw would be possible, but I would question whether it would be faster or easier. I cut all my joinery by hand, and the largest work I've done had between 10,000 and 12,000 individual pieces, some as small as 1mm thick and 3mm long. I've seen work in Japan with joinery cut by machine that had over 200,000 pieces, most of them less than 1mm thick. That sort of work would be next to impossible with a scroll saw.
Now I see your point. Thanks for the reply