[HN Gopher] Mesmerizing Interlocking Geometric Patterns Produced...
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Mesmerizing Interlocking Geometric Patterns Produced with Japanese
Woodworking
Author : pseudolus
Score : 100 points
Date : 2025-04-27 10:01 UTC (12 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.smithsonianmag.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.smithsonianmag.com)
| paulgerhardt wrote:
| This is one of those things I would recommend trying yourself for
| the full experience. I visited an exhibition on woodworking at
| the Japan House on high street and they were selling kits similar
| to this [1][2]. It was a very fun, soothing, asmr-style
| experience assembling them. Sadly I was unable to find more kits
| when I was in Japan last, but it has inspired me to get into the
| hobby of crafting them from scratch.
|
| [1] https://pojstudio.com/products/kumiko-coaster-kit
|
| [2] https://a.co/d/5zRbxp6
| JKCalhoun wrote:
| Thanks. I have watched a few YouTube videos of people doing
| this beginning with just the wood (I happen to have a lot of
| wood working tools already). I would like to make a
| lamp/lantern some day.
| Calwestjobs wrote:
| Most annoying thing about this art is that i can see how these
| small parts can be manufactured by machines in huge quantities
| quite easily. And so when we have capability to make such stuff,
| why don't we? Is it crisis in schooling, in our world view? Also
| with other kind of arts, why dont we have it more in our lives?
| 0_____0 wrote:
| Who is "we"? The purpose isn't scaling up.
|
| I sometimes think that the "hypergrowth" segment of the
| population will efficiency-hack everything until either they
| all, or perhaps the rest of us, have left our meatspace bodies
| behind and simply exist as a series of Docker containers
| ceejayoz wrote:
| If you want a machine-made masterpiece, buy an iPhone. The
| intricacy of a modern CPU far exceeds this woodwork.
|
| Mass producing these would be like hiring a print shop to send
| a "I love you" note to a million random humans. It misses the
| point.
| gus_massa wrote:
| Because usig them is expensive. Using a nail gun or supeglue is
| cheaper.
| jasonthorsness wrote:
| I think the bent and "through" pieces would be quite difficult
| to make and assemble in bulk. You could produce something sort-
| of similar with laser cut or maybe stamped pieces but the grain
| would be all wrong and you would need to deal with charring in
| the case of the laser. So maybe this would not be so easy to
| mass-manufacture and still have it look impressive.
| rocqua wrote:
| The bending might be difficult. But the through pieces are
| easily done by hand on a table saw with a simple jig. Making
| that fully CnC seems easy.
| egypturnash wrote:
| There are a lot of artists out there who are doing work with a
| similar vibe by stacking up multiple layers of laser-cut matte
| board. Usually these have gallery-ready prices.
|
| You can buy kits of thin sheets of metal that are intricately
| die-cut, and assemble into little sculptures of trains and
| buildings and bugs and whatnot.
|
| But who can afford to buy anything any more?
| bradly wrote:
| > why don't we have it more in our lives?
|
| That is up to you. I have it in my life. Lots of others do to.
| Most of us here are fairly privileged and get to choose how we
| spend multiple hours each day.
|
| And young kids will emulate their parents. Want your kids to
| read? Read. Want you kids to go outside? Go outside. Want your
| kids to make art? Make art.
| scorchingjello wrote:
| Kinda bummed there wasn't any Japanese woodworking in the
| picture. Just this American artist's studies of it. I was hoping
| for some comparison shots to the historic Japanese forms
| mentioned.
| mikhailfranco wrote:
| Reminds me of Islamic _Mashrabiya_ screens.
|
| https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Mashrabiya&ia=images&iax=images
|
| Historically, the screens were quite simple, with more complex
| patterns reserved for ceramic tilings (symmetry groups,
| colorings, knots and intertwinings). Now there are good modern
| screens with more innovative patterns, made with computer-
| controlled laser cutters.
|
| In a quick search for Kumiko examples, I very much like the
| irregular patterns that add or remove various symmetrical
| elements across the piece, often in an irregular macro-pattern.
| Similar pattern evolutions are possible with Islamic designs, but
| are not yet common - perhaps an opportunity.
| poeticfolly wrote:
| I have wanted such screens for ages, do you know where I can
| buy such screens for my house?
| amelius wrote:
| Looks nice, but will catch a lot of dust. How do you keep it
| clean?
| DamnInteresting wrote:
| I've been reading Smithsonian Magazine for a long time, and I
| would like to take this opportunity to complain about one element
| of their recent website redesign. I find it deeply annoying that
| there is no publication date anywhere on the page. It's
| especially annoying in their News section. Am I looking at new
| news, or old news? I do know that it's in the source code, but I
| shouldn't have to view source for such a basic and important
| detail.
| adrianN wrote:
| How difficult is it to make these with the tools available in the
| Asuka period compared to modern tools?
| joshvm wrote:
| I would imagine the most difficult part would be preparing thin
| enough stock accurately, but that's possible via planing. The
| cutting and angle-forming can be done with custom planes or
| jigs/guide blocks. I don't think you even need a particularly
| thin saw blade.
| Hnrobert42 wrote:
| Thank you for this post. It inspired me to go down and see the
| craft fair today. It was great!
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(page generated 2025-04-27 23:00 UTC)