Japan’s Best Wood Turning Technique of Top-Level Carpenters Make Smooth and Unique Planing

Japan’s Best Wood Turning Technique of Top-Level Carpenters Make Smooth and Unique Planing
#woodwork #woodturning #nagiso

Natural Woodwork Showing the Best of the Grain

Nagiso Rokuro Zaiku Craftsman: Nohara Kohei - 野原廣平


► Where to Buy & More Information

Nagiso potter's wheel industrial arts cooperative association

Address: 〒399-5302
4689, Azuma, Nagiso-machi, Kiso-gun, Nagano

Tel: 0264-58-2041

FAX: 0264-58-2665

Nagiso Rokuro Zaiku are distinguished by their beautiful wood grain that is brought out by this unique method of turning. Nagiso Rokuro Zaiku mainly include kijibachi (plain wood bowls) and chabitsu (lidded containers to hold a tea set). Products are made taking into account the color, grain, and type of wood; it is the quality of wood harvested from the verdant forests of Nagiso that makes Nagiso Rokuro Zaiku so attractive to so many people.

General Production Process
1. Selecting Wood
Each piece of Nagiso Rokuro Zaiku is made by just one artisan from locally grown trees, such as castor-aralia and Japanese horse chestnut, zelkova, and katsura. Trees are carefully inspected and suitable ones felled and the bark stripped off; any marks or stains are removed with tools. The artisan checks the cutting time, the growth process, and characteristics of the wood, according to which the timber will be allocated for the making of a particular item such as a tray or bowl.
2. Preparing the Timber (from Cross-Cutting to Rough Turning)
The selected wood is cut into round slices by cross-cutting. Round slices are placed with the cut surface facing up, and sawn lengthwise, before shaping into a circular or elliptical shape in a process called marume. The outer side of the wood is removed to carefully bring out the wood grain, and finally, a potter"s wheel is used for rough turning and planing.
3. Drying
After rough turning, the wood is dried to make it harder by leaving in a location with a stove and irori (sunken hearth) for around three months; the drying time varies according to the size of the wood and the amount of moisture and it can be as long as three years. The degree of dryness is important and periodically the water percentage is measured until it reaches 10% when the wood is then exposed to the open air until the moisture content rises back to 12%.
4. Final Turning
The wood is placed on a potter"s wheel and smoothed; this is a highly skilled task and requires many years of practice to master the technique. Kijishi artisans have a variety of planes according to the article and even make their own planes for such tasks as rough shaping in rough finishing, final turning, and a shaka kanna used for finishing. After final turning, a final light sanding is given with sandpaper.
5. Tokusa Migaki, Urushi Fuki
To finish, pieces are either rubbed with tokusa (horsetail) to bring out the wood grain or given a coating of natural lacquer in a process known as urushi fuki; both methods bring out the attraction and simplicity of natural wood. This smooth surface is a much-appreciated characteristic of Rokuro Hiki (woodturning), and such chabitsu, bowls, and trays really do express the warmth of wood. ► Become a member of this channel to get access to perks:
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