Despite the fact that the Japanese geometric latticework technique of kumiko has been used for centuries (the lattice in shoji is also referred to as kumiko), it seems to be having “a moment” in the woodworking press as of late, with the recent Fine Woodworking article by Mike Pekovich being the latest to have caught my eye. As it turns out, earlier this year I had been talking with fellow WPW member Bob DeLisio about another aspect of a project of his, and when he sent me a photo of the completed cabinet with a beautiful kumiko panel in its door, I knew we had a great program in the making!
Bob has graciously agreed to do a program for us on how he made his kumiko insert for the door of this cabinet. Other than talking briefly about how he accurately sized the stock on his electric shop equipment (jointer, planer, tablesaw), Bob’s program will concentrate on the jigs, fixtures, and tools that he used in this largely-handwork project. Bob will talk a bit about how to design kumiko, but will mostly concentrate on demonstrating how to cut/plane the lattice pieces to fit together so precisely. Please join us to learn more about this quiet and precise technique to enhance your work.
– Bill James