Unyielding ways of Shoun

We go search to a mountain in quest of better wood. It is for choosing only the thing which checked wooden character directly by our eyes.In the environment into which the tree of the same kind also grew up, the character of wood completely differs.Choosing the material according to the purpose is the very difficult work which needs years of experience and the accumulated know-how. (Since we acquire the bid of the Tokyo Regional Forestry Offices, we have participated in the bid of a direct national forest.)

　Taking care of selection of wood is choosing the tree which suffered troubles if possible in the shade of the north slope of a mountain, and became little by little large. The more grain is fine, many fine rings overlap with a muscular swelling such as "Rikijin" or "long arms and long legs", and the more it is finished in a forcible thing. However, in such wood, it can rarely see recently. However, it hunts for [ lumber fine as much as possible ], and goes to various places.Wood is valid. It is chopped, it dries, even if it becomes a product, it continues breathing, and contraction is repeated.

　Although the wood which grew up in the warm environment is grown early, the width of grain is also wide, and even when sufficient dryness is carried out and it is processed into a component, in order to contract greatly, a crevice comes out between surrounding components. Conversely, the width of grain of the wood which suffered troubles in the shade and grew up is also narrow, a contraction difference is also small and the influence on a product also ends small through one year.

　The most important thing is dryness in management of wood. Some people sometimes say "this material is O.K." since its wood is very dry. However, in the grade "currently dried very much", it is useless. Although we do not know whether it is really OK unless we start to carve it, unless the material has to be parched, almost all wood, it comes out and a crack enters. Dozens of years ago, we were insufficient for the study of the whorkshop flow such as how to do work, and how to treat wood. As a refult of it, we had broken some important materials. Although there is also character of wood, dryness is important anyhow. As what has inadequate dryness is carving, a crack and a twist produce on it.

　After placing wood for a while with a log, it is moved to scene changing and a material place at the component are cut with the purpose. Then, in order to evaporate the excess water of areas around of wood, it applys for about two to three years, and are made to dry in sunlight. ( We dry them with solar light. It is not compulsive dryness of a machine. )
　Then, since curvature arises, material is cut once again. At this time, what had 21cm of thickness first will decrease to about 15cm of it. What had 15cm will be set to about 9cm. Regrettably the thing containing the crack is recut thinly. Here "recutting" is a very important process for making it the wood which works correctly. It is useless first about [ which cuts in the wood of required thickness, looks at a rough margin, and is dried ]. Although volume decreases considerably, it is the important process which must not be skipped.
　The material which "recutting" finished is moved to a material warehouse for the first time here, and is kept carefully. The weak portion which sucks up the water of the outside of a log rotted and fell, and in order to be in the state where it can manufacture as a material, it has managed over many hours such as about ten years on an average. There are very few companies which are truly dry over ten years in sunlight. Since its process is very hard !! I say correctly, the wood which we cut to 21cm first will be dried over seven years or more. The wood cut to 15cm is dried over five years or more. The wood cut to 30.3cm cannot be dried at all in ten years. More, it takes time. Anyhow, dryness of wood is very important, and relief is not made even if it spends many hours above enough.