Shoji and kumiko patterns - 03 Making a shoji Part 1

This is Part 1 of the Making a shoji video. While this is quite a simple shoji, the processes involved in making a traditional shoji such as this are quite involved. Accurate marking is one of the key factors in making a quality shoji, and in Part 1 I cover the steps in marking the stiles, vertical tsukeko and vertical kumiko in preparation for cutting the mortises to house the kumiko tenons. This shoji is made in the traditional style, and is a scaled down version of the kind of shoji you would find in any Japanese home. This is certainly not a shoji that you can bash together in a hurry with minimal effort. A good understanding of the concepts and processes I cover in this video and other part in this Making a shoji will lay the foundations for making much more complex shoji and tackling the kumiko patterns I introduce in later videos. My book — Shoji and Kumiko Design, Book 1 - The Basics (ISBN 978-0-9872583-0-4) — covers all these processes and many other aspects of shoji and Japanese woodworking in considerable detail. The minimum timber needed for the shoji in this video is: Two stiles 30.5 x 30.5 x 850 mm Two rails 45 x 29 x 350 mm Three tsukeko 16 x 6.5 x 700 mm Three vertical kumiko 15 x 4 x 700 mm Five horizontal kumiko 14 x 4 x 330 mm.