Kumiko and Shoji Jigs
If you are cutting your Kumiko strips yourself, or you have someone cut them for you, what I normally find is that you will find some differences, in some pieces, in regards to the dimensions. After having done many pieces and patterns consequently I have found that even with the best of machines that cut Kumiko, you may still find that some pieces are slightly different in dimension.
In addition you will have to cut notches in the Kumiko, so that when they are fitted together and overlap they fit perfectly. As a result, having access to a good table saw is essential if you are going to cut them with machines. There are plenty of YouTube videos that give you great instructions on making jigs.
Below find a list of jigs I use for making Kumiko at home.
Update
After constructing a Kumiko piece by hand I noticed that many of the pieces were not exactly square. It turns out that the jigs I was using were not square. I found this out after making the piece. Be sure that any jigs you use are square, if not you will notice the difference.
Dimensional Jigs:
Even with a really good table saw to cut your Kumiko not all pieces may be the same dimension. Moreover the height and thickness. I made two jigs to solve this. For example one is a thickness jig and one is a width jig In addition I can place the pieces in the jig, give them a couple of passes with the block plane and get them all to the same dimensions. Moreover this may seem like an additional step. Most importantly having all of your pieces the same dimensions is critical to a good finished piece.
Length And Notch Cutting Jig:
If you do not have access to a table saw to cut the notches you can make your own jig. Additionally this is where your Dozuki saw, square and depth gauge will come in real handy.
If you do have access to a table saw you will want to make a sled. This will be used to make all of your notch and length cuts. In addition this will save you tons of time.
Length And Notch Cutting Jig:
If you do not have access to a table saw to cut the notches you can make your own jig. Additionally this is where your Dozuki saw, square and depth gauge will come in real handy.
If you do have access to a table saw you will want to make a sled. This will be used to make all of your notch and length cuts. In addition this will save you tons of time.
Angle Cutting Jigs:
These jigs are needed to plane the angles needed for the pieces to fit together. Find many videos on making these jigs on YouTube. You will need a 22.5˚, 30˚, 45˚, 60˚, 67.5˚ jigs. You can use a larger wood chisel with these jigs, and alternatively you can use a block plane to cut the angles.
Articles and Resources
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