The cajón was conceptualised and built as part of a course on Surface treatment and finishes during my Apprenticeship. The assignment was to choose a theme or topic and use the five sides of the cajón to explore this, while retaining the basic function of the instrument. The front is a 6 mm thin plywood panel that reverberates when struck, while the back has a hole for sound to escape.
I chose Japan as my theme since it has always fascinated me; the culture, the art and the woodworking. I chose various motifs and woodworking techniques to complete the theme.

-Mount Fuji or Fuji-san : Marquetry with Stencil Spray painting for the lettering; Walnut, Maple and Oak veneer
-Bamboo : Intarsia; Maple in Cherry veneer
-Kumiko (Simplified) : Walnut Frame with Cherry inset in MDF spray painted Grey
-Koi Fish : Two fish stencil spray painted on a blue stained base of Maple
-Star pattern using Burl veneer

Each veneer was prepared individually, pressed onto the panel with a hydraulic press and then cut and glued together into a box. The front is screwed onto a wooden frame that sits within the box. The edges were chamfered and painted and a final coat of PU finish was applied.