How is this Japanese joint constructed?

Here you go, in this case it is for one of the computer cases he built. But I imagine the joints are the same. Pretty impressive hand work.

http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2007/04/23/yuugou_by_greensabbath/1

-- Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stupid.

Brian, I don’t know about you, but, after looking at the information Jorge posted, I can tell you I’m not about to rush out to the shop and attempt those joints!

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Here is the link to Nick’s computer case that shows how he created the joint. http://lumberjocks.com/projects/36339 I thought that one of the tenons might not be a through tenon. I have had this on my favorites list for a long time myself. Beautiful work.

Ask a question and get the right answer five minutes later. Damn, I love this place! Thanks, fellas.

-- Brian in Arlington, TX - Laziness is the foundation of efficiency.

And yes, while it looks really tricky, it’s nice to have a challenge.

-- Brian in Arlington, TX - Laziness is the foundation of efficiency.

I am not sure it is anything but a decorative joint with false
parts. Japanese joinery is derived from timber framing
and in timber framing such a 3 way joint would be weak.
Aesthetically it is cool though.

There is a sort of real joinery variant where one tenon
is full width and goes through the mortised timber,
with a wedge or not on the other side. The other
tenon is half-width and goes through the mortised
timber, and the other tenon, and is wedged.

Loren, if you follow the links posted, you’ll see it is pretty much the latter you describe.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Japanese joinery is amazing.

HTH

i’ll just watch.

-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)

It looks like the corner, where everything comes together is about 2×2. I don’t know how they did it but I’d just give each piece coming into the corner a 1/4 of the area and slip them all together with some glue and a tight band. Now how the heck you do that with all 8 corners at once is a mystery to me.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.

It’s frequently called a puzzle joint. I watched an episode of American Woodshop or some such thing with Scott Phillips where he did a similar joint on the base of a walnut coffee table. Didn’t look impossibly hard, but not something I care to make personally.

-- Brian T. - Exact science is not an exact science

I think I finally found a solution. This page includes instructions and illustration on assembly.

I just think it’s a neat puzzle joint. And like Loren pointed out, it wouldn’t be all that useful for timber framing, but it’s a fun mental exercise nonetheless. And used in something like a lamp that won’t have to support a heavy load, it’s a nifty touch.

-- Brian in Arlington, TX - Laziness is the foundation of efficiency.

Since the final step of assembly involves twisting the C piece, it seems like you would need to give a lot of thought to the assembly order and determine which are the A, B and C pieces in each of the 12 joints. I think it may really be a puzzle.

-- Men admire the man who can organize their wishes and thoughts in stone and wood and steel and brass. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rich, I was thinking that too. Makes me wonder if, instead of using the rounded connector, maybe stub tenons that meet in the middle of the intersection?

It wouldn’t be a true puzzle joint if that were the case, but if one wanted the overall structure to actually remain in place, and I assume glued, that seems to be the only way to do it.

-- Brian in Arlington, TX - Laziness is the foundation of efficiency.