A job for owners of Japanese saws.

[Andy Kev.]

Got a Japanese saw? Wondering what it's for? These chaps from the land of the rising sun seem to have the answer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPUPyuz ... =PLniBZDv-

It makes you want to knock out three before breakfast ... luckily my one and only Japanese saw is only about 10" long so I get excused sorting big planks out.

 

[Rorschach]

Incredible work, but I am often left wondering, how often are these things actually used? I imagine in the modern world it is simply efficient to use techniques likes this regularly. My guess is that when we see examples of this kind of joinery we are looking at specialist craftsmen who are working on temples or other historic structures?

 

[AJB Temple]

This kind of work is most definitely used in repairing and replacing temples, and in traditional Japanese homes. It is surprising how often you still see their timber framing techniques in action. There is simply a tradition of fine quality joinery and the skills inherent in that are still very much valued. I have a few books on this subject, including temple restoration projects, and in my next visit to Japan I am hoping to spend some time in a Japanese artisan workshop. Thanks for the post. Very fine work, which is all teh more difficult at large scale as the timbers are so unwieldy.

 

[AndyT]

Really very impressive work. It must be very satisfying when it all comes together so perfectly.

 

[Andy Kev.]

I ran it through the speech recognition translator and what the master is saying to the apprentice is: "Right, Iko, you numb bugge r, if I end up patching up one more plank you've smashed, you can forget the Friday afternoon tea ceremony down the Samurai And Goat for good".

 

[Trafalgar]

Toggle joint ('joggle halving'), something reasonably similar is illustrated in an old Bernard Jones edited book. The Japanese tend to elaborate joints beyond a level needed to accomplish their intended purpose but there are many, many joints in Western timberframing equally as breathtaking, if not breathtaking in their relative simplicity while accomplishing the same engineering function. See French Scribe timberframing, et al.

 

[JohnPW]

A job for owners of Japanese saws.

Does that mean that this joint was made straight from the saw?

IMHO this joint in itself is not remarkable without knowing how and the time it took to make. Did it take several weeks using machines, or a couple of hours using simple hand tools only?. And from watching a few videos, they seem to use chiseling blocks/guides quite a lot.