Woodworking | Kenta Takeshige

Memorial Boxes

Material: Western Red Cedar, Princess Tree (Kiri)

Japanese Kiri is a type of wood which is very difficult to find in Belgium. Wanting to have memorial boxes in Japanese Kiri, the client brought his own Kiri boxes. I dismantled the old boxes and planed various thicknesses one by one up to the required thickness. Inside construction is cedar with fine straight grain. To overcome the shortage of Kiri, I used the wood grain vertically. Boxes have Japanese traditional cord.

Memorial Box

Material: Cherry

This project is totally different from furniture restoration, it’s rather reincarnation.

I dismantled an old bed which was no longer in use in different parts and carrying out the dimensioning process by the required measurements with great care and respect for the original and its maker. I tried not to erase memories of the past but instead to harmonize the old and new life.

The hand planed surface gives a gentle touch to the inside of the box where the relics of the deceased are stored. I took an original state of a bed panel to use as a bottom panel.

Bookshelf

Material: CLS, Schalibert

More than just construction woods, part 2.

It was hard work to shave knotty pine. Thanks to those knots, the blade became easily dull so I had to sharpen again and again in order to be able to shave further. I used gouges, small Japanese compass planes, violin planes, files,... many tools I needed in order to form this round shape.

Bench

Material: Pine, CLS

This was an experiment as there are certain difficulties to make furniture with construction woods. I tried with design and finishing techniques to make more of plain construction woods.