Dai time

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Built another base for one of my stones, this time it’s a smallish red Aoto (Atagoyama) stone. The Dai is basically finished except for the oiling part. I will post some more pictures after that.
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For fine tuning of the fit I used a trick that I once stumbled across. To identify contact points I put a sheet of paper with chalk on one side between the stone and the base. This is a nice and well working way to determine where material has to be removed.
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initial fit:
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better fit after removing the surplus material:
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This is really a shame about the work and the finished Dai. The grain of the last one looks great!
 
You are right, no epoxy on these. All stones fit snuggly into the cavity and don’t move in use. If one starts moving due to shrinkage in the wood a little plasticine in the right spot is all it takes to fix that.
 
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Two glued ones this time...

First is an ancient Aoto that was so skewed I had to glue it into a piece of Larch wood (this one is a little older):
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Second and more recent is a plum wood base for the small Tajima I had for sale but decided to keep:
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Both are glued up with marine grade epoxy and finished afterwards.
 
I plan to steal some of your design features. The notches for gripping the stones to remove them is a nice touch.
Sure, feel free. But that’s not my design but pretty commonly seen in Dai made in Japan as well. These notches also are very handy when making a more complex fit. You can make this area completely plane instead of having to follow the contour of the whole stone saving lots of time and nerves.
See this picture to know what I mean (this Dai wasn’t made by myself 😊)
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I've done quite a bit of fitting irregular shaped metal objects in wood, and a time saving trick like making the Dai level at the points where you grasp the stone is a good one..
 
Finished a Ho-wood Dai for this nice and hard Wakasa that was shipped to me from Italy. The bottom of this stone is pretty wonky (see 5th picture) but it came out quite nicely. It sits perfectly level and almost completely steady now.
The stone and Dai will go back to the owner now.
It was a great feeling to be trusted by a stranger by sending over a stone without knowing anything about me 😊. And it’s nice to get some practice.
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that’s the bottom...
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and the top...
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Just come across this thread again. And wow... it really is lovely work you're doing here! If I was anywhere near Wien I'd be sending you a couple of stones for commissions. (I'm kinda tempted anyway tbh).

As it is, I may just tap you up for some tips for attempting to try one myself... ;)
 
Thanks!
Shipping rocks around the globe might not be very cost efficient but I am happy to answer any questions you might have. As I saw your handles I know you know how to work with wood so making a base for a stone should be pretty straightforward for you.
 
Thanks!
Shipping rocks around the globe might not be very cost efficient but I am happy to answer any questions you might have. As I saw your handles I know you know how to work with wood so making a base for a stone should be pretty straightforward for you.

Yes - it's a shame they're not the lightest things in the world. And... cheers :) TBH apart from being ok at handles I'm certainly not god's gift to the woodworking world, but I think I should be able to make one that is at least functional, though certainly won't be as beautiful as yours! (And thank you - I shall ask any advice if I come up against any problems.)
 
Built another base for one of my stones, this time it’s a smallish red Aoto (Atagoyama) stone. The Dai is basically finished except for the oiling part. I will post some more pictures after that.
View attachment 87964View attachment 87965View attachment 87966View attachment 87967
For fine tuning of the fit I used a trick that I once stumbled across. To identify contact points I put a sheet of paper with chalk on one side between the stone and the base. This is a nice and well working way to determine where material has to be removed.
View attachment 87975View attachment 87972
initial fit:View attachment 87973
better fit after removing the surplus material:
View attachment 87974

Love it!!!!
 
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