ちょっと遅れてしまいましたが、８月６〜７日に行われた「暮らしに役立つ木の塗装講座」の報告です。
例年、漆塗りの生涯学習講座を開講していましたが、今年はオイル塗装との二本立て。どちらも植物性の天然塗料です。身の回りの木の製品に、気軽に塗装を楽しんでいただくのが目的です。
Wood finishing course for the public took place on 6-7th August. This year the participants learned oil finishing as well as Japanese lacquer finishing, both of which are natural, vegetable(plant) based material. The course is designed for the public to enjoy finishing on daily-use wooden items.
会場には、さまざまな小道具を用意しました！
さまざまな漆塗りのサンプル（手板）や、木のお椀の工程見本。右奥に見えるのは漆液を採ったあとの漆の木です。
We prepared lots of samples and materials for the course.
Various finishing samples of Japanese lacquer, and step-by-step sample of lacquered wooden bowl. The trunk on the right is Japanese lacquer tree felled after the sap extracted.
オイル塗装の説明では、１３種類の植物の写真を見て、どんな油が採れるか、乾くか乾かないかを当ててもらうクイズを実施。乾く油はオイル塗装に使えます。さて、ヒマワリ油は乾くでしょうか？
Thirteen photos of vegetables, which all produce oil, were laid in front of the participants. They guessed which is drying oil and which isn't. Does sunflower oil dry?
日本伝統のオイル塗装品、というと和傘です。骨の部分には漆を、紙の部分には荏胡麻（えごま）油、桐油、亜麻仁（あまに）油を混ぜたものを塗ります。
この和傘、岐阜が全国一の産地なのです。ご存知でしたか？
この講座のために和傘と油紙の職人さんに聞き取りをしてきたのですが、面白かったのでそれはまた別の機会に。
One of the traditional oil-finished products in Japan is umbrellas. Mixture of perilla oil, tung oil and linseed oil is applied on the paper, whereas Japanese lacquer on the ribs.
Gifu is the biggest producing centre of Japanese umbrellas. I visited an umbrella maker and an oil-paper maker in Gifu for the interview for this course. I will write about some interesting stories about umbrella and oil-paper making later on.
さて実習は、まず漆から。
講師は岐阜市の漆芸家、登根円さん。
参加者に塗ってもらうお皿は、ものづくり研究会の学生が旋盤で挽きました。
Miss Madoka Tone, Japanese lacquerer in Gifu taught how to apply Urushi, Japanese lacquer.
Two wooden plates, turned by the students of Forest Academy, were given to each participant.
まずは目止め。顔料を混ぜた砥の粉を、指で木目に擦り込みます。
色をつけるとともに、ムラなく漆を吸い込ませるためです。
The first step is the sealing. They rubbed the mixture of polishing powder, pigment, and water, into the grain by finger. It is to seal the grain, to colour the wood, and to let the lacquer soak into the wood evenly.
真っ黒大賞！
Mr. black!
木のお皿づくりを担当した１年生、小田嶋優さんも塗装に参加。
木地の出来は・・・満足？
Yu Odashima, who turned those plates, joined the finishing, too.
She was struggling to turn them the same shape. Satisfied now?
さていよいよ漆塗り。かぶれ対策に、手袋、長袖、襟巻き、そしてほおかむり！
これだけやれば万全ですね！
The first coat of lacquer is applied once the sealer dries. Japanese lacquer is known to cause rash on the skin. See how they well protect themselves!
さて仕上がりは・・・次回をお楽しみに。
To be continued!
