Master class on the production of wooden shoe lasts from master Kurokyo (Japan)
For the production of blocks, such types of wood are used that allow the block to be both strong, easily accept nails, and also not significantly change its size when moisture gets on them. All of the above requirements are satisfied by such types of wood as beech, hornbeam, birch, linden and maple.
Master Kurokyo does not say what type of wood he used, but perhaps it is one of the above varieties.
Kurokyosan does not comment on his video tutorial, but we will try to understand the sequence step by step hand made shoe lasts.
1. Primarily for making a pair of wooden shoe 
pads you will need two pieces of wood, preferably square, approximately 15x15 in size cm. Again, you need to understand what type of last you should get - if it’s a shoe last, then the neck should be about 3 higher cm compared to a shoe last. Those. for a shoe last, the initial cross-section of the timber could be smaller, for example 12x12 cm.
2. On the side edges 
Initial rough sketches of the side profile and sole profile must be applied to the workpiece. This requires initial surface preparation using a wood planer.
For application 
For perpendicular characteristic lines, it is good to use a metal square, and you can draw with a thin marker or a helium pen (like master Kurokyo) in dark colors. 
3. And here are the side profiles 
and the soles are applied. What will happen next? And then Kurokyo-san takes the same saw that he used to saw the original beam and cuts down big piece wood, in the toe area. In this case, it would be a good idea to clamp the block in a large carpenter's or metalworker's vice to ensure safe work.
4. What tools does a master block maker use? 
These are mainly tools 
for wood carving - hatchet, chisels, planes, rasps. Please note that Master Kurokyo most The work will be done with round cutters, because in some places the block is not only convex, but also concave, as if inward. This is where round incisors come to the rescue, because... a flat cutter would simply cut off a lot of the material needed.
And so, the work with the cutters began. 
First you can 
cut with the largest flat chisel. Working with a chisel in most cases is accompanied by light blows with a hammer on the end of the chisel.
This is what the blank looks like with the selected nose part. 
5. Turn the block over and, according to the side profile 
we form the heel 
the lift that is necessary to install the heel at a pre-calculated height. It is more convenient to work in this place with a flat chisel. At the end of this stage, the corner transition can be rounded to grinding machine, which is what Master Kurokyo shows us. After sanding, it is necessary to reapply the sole profile, because... the previous profile was hewn together with the wood. 
6. Next you need to remove a lot of unnecessary things 
material on the sides, especially closer to the heel 
pads, so Kurokio-san decided to use a small Japanese tamahawk for this.
7. Similarly, the master block maker cuts the tree from the sides 
toe part of the last blank.
After this stage, the shoe takes on a shape reminiscent of a felt boot. 
8. It's time to work exactly in the area where the block has 
concavity. In these places it will not be possible to work with flat chisels, because... it is necessary to make a cut only in a narrow 
areas along the cutter path. You have to use a large round cutter. The master uses it to treat areas in the area of the instep of the shoe and in the heel area around the ankles.
This is how fancy the block looks after a round chisel has been passed over it. 
9. Very important when manual 
When processing shoe lasts, do not lose the line of symmetry. To do this, whenever there is an opportunity to cut or grind the line of the middle of the block, you can install centering pins in advance, which will later allow you to restore the lost lines.
10.
Again we turn to the grinding machine to smooth out the unnecessary corrugation.
11.
As the outline of the block approaches the specified dimensions, you need to move on to more precise tools. In this case, these are rasps with a different pattern of the working part. Again, it is clear that you will need not only flat rasps, but also rasps with a semicircular profile.
Here you can see how Kurokyo-san processes the heel part of the sole with a rasp.
12.
It's time to take care of the convexity of the sole. Look at the tool Kurokio uses for this - an ordinary sharpened shoe knife. The Japanese character means 
the top point of the convexity.
13.
But the master makes the convexity in the toe area with a small rounded plane. There are no hard and fast rules about what to do 
tool for one or another processing. Each master has the right to choose the tool that is most convenient for him. 
14. So, the soles remain to the specified profile 
a few millimeters. Now you need to be extremely careful and attentive. Let's see if Master Kurokyo can handle this important stage. 
Yes, he again resorted to cunning - he turned to grinding machine, because It provides, although not as fast material removal as a chisel, but more controlled. The master clearly understands at what moment which tool should be used. After processing on a grinding machine, the block already begins to resemble a block. 
15.
And now some operations are repeated, but with smaller cutters, which means the master 
more accurately and slowly approaches the right sizes. One can envy the patience of master Kurokyo-san when he has to do similar operations again and again but with a more “precise” instrument. 
After processing on the grinding machine, the block is ready. But what is it? On the sole there was one extra millimeter across the entire toe! An experienced hand The craftsman removes it with a round plane. Several smooth hand movements with fine sandpaper,
to eliminate microscopic irregularities. And this was the final, final, winning touch!
Hooray!!! The $1000 pad is ready! Here you have it, Mr. Customer! Nowhere else and no one will make such pads that fit your foot so perfectly! Want to order more? Wife and children? Please sign up for the list - your number is 374. Come back in 4 months.
This is how Kurokyo-san, a professional block maker from Japan, lives and works.
Let's wish him success, good luck, love, health and let him at least sometimes have a weekend, otherwise this Japanese hard work can eat up the most interesting life experiences.
Let's watch two videos that the master posted for guests of his YouTube channel.
Part 1.
Part 2.
Alexey Grinev from Krasnoyarsk asks a question:
I decided to start sewing slippers. How and from what can you make lasts for making shoes that could last for quite a long time?
Expert answer:
The optimal material for making shoe blanks is wood, which is hard, resistant to moisture, and easy to sand. Birch, beech, and maple have these properties. It is better to take 12x12 cm pieces of timber as blanks. To select the length, you can use old shoes of a suitable size and measure the required distance using them.
To work you will need the following tools:
- wood hacksaw;
- mallet;
- a set of chisels, including ones with rounded cutters;
- hatchet;
- The rasp is flat and semicircular.
You will also need a pair of old shoes, preferably sports shoes (sneakers), that fit your feet well.
Step-by-step instructions for cutting out lasts for making shoes with your own hands:
- On one side of the beam, the sole of the sneaker is outlined with a pencil, and on its sides the profile of the future shoe is drawn.
- Center lines are drawn in the middle of the lower and upper parts. Two are drilled through holes, which will help restore alignment during wood processing with cutters.
- Using a hacksaw and a hatchet, remove excess wood from the workpiece. At the same time, care is taken not to cut down too much. First, large sections are cut out, then smaller ones are chipped.
- Next, the workpiece is processed with chisels until it is given a shape that is most similar in size to the leg. During work, it is necessary to constantly check the distance of the sharpened surfaces from the center in order to prevent a flaw on the block.
- Final sanding is done using rasps and sandpaper.
If you plan to use a heel, then the heel part of the workpiece must have a corresponding recess.
The last for the second leg is made in the same order. The process may seem unnecessarily labor-intensive, but at the end the user will receive a pair of lasts that can be used for a long time and not only for making slippers. Each blank can be used for sewing shoes of only one size and one style. For other models, other pads will be needed, which can be made according to the same proposed scheme with appropriate adjustments.
Video: Machine for making shoe lasts
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I have reviewed many MKs, and none of them completely satisfied me. Too long, too dirty, too smelly, too expensive. As a result, the MK for making lasts from papier-mâché and plaster was taken as a basis. I only replaced papier-mâché with non-woven napkins and PVA glue to speed up the process.
Materials - gypsum, water, cling film, non-woven napkins, PVA glue, plasticine, cardboard, acrylic varnish, sunflower oil, putty, containers for mixing plaster, scissors, stationery knife, sushi sticks.
1. Wrap the doll’s legs tightly with cling film. It is thin, stretches and fits well, and sticks to itself.
2. Cut out footprints from cardboard, apply them to the feet and coat the foot with plasticine, forming future pads.
3. Cut non-woven napkins into strips 3 cm wide, bandage the legs and coat them thoroughly with glue. I got 3 layers (there is no photo of this stage). Leave to dry for about 6 hours (I left it overnight). No batteries, just air dry!
4. Carefully cut the dried form with a knife and remove it from the legs. Glue the cut and coat the inside of the mold with varnish in 2 layers
At this stage, I decided to play it safe and make a regular plaster mold for pouring. I used a plastic ice cream bucket - I made a cutout for the legs in the side wall and secured everything tightly with film and tape.
5. Thoroughly coat the inside of the molds and the plasticine with a bucket of sunflower oil so that the plaster can be separated more easily.
6. Apply the plaster - pour water (approximately 150-200 ml) and begin to pour in the plaster, stirring quickly. The consistency should be store-bought sour cream. Do not delay - you have about 5 minutes to do everything, then the plaster will begin to set.
7. Fill the plaster into the molds and into the bucket until it is half full. Do not place the doll like mine :) The legs must be positioned so that they lie sideways, otherwise you may end up with “locks” - places from which you cannot get the workpiece. Immediately insert the shortened sushi sticks into the molds with the blunt ends facing down.
8. After about an hour, add a new portion of plaster and fill the second half of the bucket. Don't forget to oil everything again!
9. Leave again for 6 hours so that the plaster dries thoroughly. Feel it - if the plaster is warm, processes are still going on in it. Dried plaster is cold.
10. We disassemble the blanks - remove the soaked napkins from the blocks, remove the halves of the mold from the bucket (tear off the walls of the bucket and divide the mold into halves). Let dry if they are damp to the touch.
11. The finished pads turned out to have shells from air bubbles. I puttyed the uneven areas in 2 passes, drying for about 1 hour, then sanded it and coated it with 2 layers of varnish (I had parquet acrylic-polyurethane). First I need to prime it - I just use varnish without primer, then it peeled off like a stocking :)
In total, in about a day we get excellent pads. Good luck!
P.S. I coated the blank mold for casting with varnish and put it aside in reserve. Then they will need to be coated with oil, connected, bound and plaster poured inside. Next, repeat pp. 9, 10, 11.
Necessary materials:
- Narrow adhesive tape - for making a mold for filling
- Film (for example, food film) - substrate for the mold
(For alternative option making pads instead of tape and film - silicone sealant+ vegetable oil and plastic knife/spatula)
- Gypsum - actually for the manufacture (casting) of the pad itself
- Sticks (wooden or plastic) - for ease of holding the finished block (you can use something else)
- Scissors (knife) - improvised material
- Felt pen (marker) - for marking
- Glue - for attaching the sole and holder
- Tracing paper (paper) - for patterning the sole
- Cardboard - to form the sole
- Leveling putty "Aqua" - for finishing the pads
- Sandpaper (on a block or sheet) - for finishing
- Wood putty (or acrylic paints) - to cover the finished block so that it does not get dirty.
- Varnish - for final coating.
- Auxiliary materials - rags, a container for diluting plaster, a stand (tray), etc.
Approximate time to create pads: 1-2 Weeks
Stage 1 - Making the mold for pouring:
1. Since few people wear shoes on bare feet, it makes sense to put socks on the doll’s feet. BUT! This option has one big drawback: when cutting the tape, you can also cut the socks!!! (I’ll be honest: I personally ruined a couple of socks, but I sewed them up!) So whoever can’t vouch for himself can wrap his bare leg (we’ll add more volume later when finishing!)
2. Wrap the doll’s leg in film, trying to keep the folds as small as possible.
3. Then we begin to tape the wrapped leg in the most different directions. Our task is that there should be no places left that are not sealed with tape, the order of gluing is any, you can cut the tape (however, don’t get too carried away with this!). So we bandage, bandage, bandage... The thickness of the finished pasting is at least 1.5 mm. I can say to myself: for three “duct tape” shoes, it took me one entire roll of tape.
We do this on both legs.
4. Then, using a felt-tip pen, draw a line down the center of the “duct tape boot” on the back
5. Carefully cut the “boot” along the marked line. Here the main ambush is not to cut your socks if you are wearing them...
Here are photos of the version without a sock (all the same steps)
Film:
Section marking:
The cut itself:
6. Then we carefully pull the “boot” off the foot and try to remove the excess film. Most likely, you will not be able to remove all the film, but the resulting folds on the ankle and protruding ends will be easy! Then we seal the cut with tape (try more carefully!) with tape. My advice: first a couple of small transverse pieces, and then longer pieces from the inside, outside, and around the ankle
If luck was with us, we should end up with two “boots” like this.
An alternative option for making a base for a block
Silicone mold for casting. The casting is absolutely accurate. This method is probably not bad for making lasts for dress shoes worn on a bare leg or a thin stocking.
Manufacturing process:
1. The doll’s leg (I hope you understand that there is no need to tear off the leg! I did this only because, firstly, it is easy to put back, and secondly, for clarity!) we deprive it of fat. What do I mean? Do you know what is usually in the instructions for various compositions with good adhesive properties they write “degrease the surface,” so to speak, for better adhesion. But since we need to take the uniform off our feet, (just in case!) I decided to play it safe. I just wet my finger a little vegetable oil and wiped the doll’s leg, blotting off the excess oil with a towel (the leg should only be a LITTLE BIT oily!)
2. Then apply silicone sealant.
3. Literally five minutes later, we also “oil” a disposable plastic knife and level the surface of the silicone (so that the coating is the same in thickness)
4. After 40 minutes (the silicone has set a little on the outside), gently knead the shape with your fingers
5. Now we leave all this for final drying for 3 or even 4 days!!! Since I first did one leg for an experiment, and now I’m doing the second one for photographing and telling the story, this information has already been verified!
6. When the mold has dried, just like the tape mold, cut the silicone mold from the back and carefully pull off the silicone boot.
This is what should happen
Appeal to people who are sensitive to cleanliness. If you are VERY scrupulous, put something on the table near the sink. But from my own experience I can say that there is no such special dirt.
1. We dilute the gypsum in a ratio of 1:1. The result should be high-quality kefir or cheap sour cream; in short, the solution should flow viscously. I have a 0.5 liter measuring jug, so I dilute half of the jug - that’s enough for my eyes!
2. Pour plaster into the “shoes”
3. We wait a couple of minutes, you can kind of knead the shoes a little with your fingers
4. And insert the sticks prepared in advance into the center
Sticks are needed for subsequent work with the shoes: since the shoes are small, it is more convenient to manipulate. I want to say right away that after the plaster has completely dried, the sticks may fall out, but the holes will remain! We'll put a drop of Moment glue there and glue the sticks back, so they will stand tightly!
Attention: Do not pour the remaining plaster into the sink! We wait a little and dump it in the trash can!
5. After 40 minutes - after 1 hour (you will see that the plaster has set well), carefully release the castings from the tape cover
And then... then the main thing is not to lose your composure from what you see!
It should look something like this
6. And now the most important thing is to put THIS away until the next evening (or morning, if you did the castings in the morning). In short - hide from everyone (and from yourself too!) for 24 hours (the time for the final hardening of the plaster).
With alternative manufacturing silicone mold for co boatsour actions are similar to those already described:
1. dilute the plaster
2. fill the form
3. DON'T FORGET to insert the stick!
4. Also, after an hour, remove the mold from the casting
5. and leave for final drying.
Here is the finished casting
As you can see, the casting is ABSOLUTELY identical to the leg. An undoubted advantage is the accuracy of casting, no wrinkles here!
Now begins the longest (and let’s face it, tedious!) stage of making the pads.
Stage 3 - Finishing:
1. Take a leveling putty (I use “Aqua” - it’s more convenient to use: you can wash it off with water, and it’s harmless) and begin to GRADUALLY cover up the unevenness. I advise you to start with the soles, when we figure them out, we will be able to install the pads as expected, and not add them (once you see the photo you will understand what I mean!)
Anyone who has ever dealt with paint or putty knows that it is better to do three thin layers than one thick one! Therefore, we don’t run ahead of the locomotive and make the first thin layer! By wetting the finger, we begin to fill in the unevenness resulting from the casting.
2. Then the most important thing is to find a place where none of the curious household will check whether it is dry or not. We'll leave it until tomorrow. Dry.
3. If yesterday you did as I advised, that is, putty on the sole, then today you need to sand it thoroughly, always placing it on a horizontal surface in order to make sure that the pads are level and do not fall on any side, which there are no "croakers".
4. Then trace the doll’s leg onto paper first, cut it out (giving a small (0.5 mm) allowance for a loose fit). Try it on, look... If necessary, make corrections.
The moment is quite important: now we are laying the foundations for our further success, namely, how well our boots will fit later!
5. If you are happy with everything, trace the paper pattern onto the cardboard. The cardboard should not be thick, but strong enough and not flimsy.
6. Spread the cardboard sole with glue (I already wrote, I use Moment-Crystal) and glue it to the pads.
We will do further fine-tuning, taking into account our new sole, actually corresponding to a doll's leg.
7. That’s all for today, we’ll leave the pads to dry until tomorrow!
8. The cardboard base has stuck perfectly, and you need to fill in the missing places a little (in the previous photo you saw that the cardboard edge protrudes beyond the plaster casting). The next day the putty will shrink slightly, this is what it looks like
9. If there are small cracks, we cover them and continue to finish the pads.
10. Sand a little more, grease a little more! And we are already close to completing the “fine-tuning”! (pah-pah-pah, so as not to jinx it!)
11. When we are satisfied with the result, we coat the pads with wood putty. After “wooden” putty, the blocks stop getting dirty like painted ones. This is what I got
BUT! This is not necessary at all! You can simply paint the finished pads, for example, with acrylic.
Stage 4 - Completion of work:
So, the fine-tuning is complete. We carefully examine what happened: from the side, from above, from behind. If everything is more or less symmetrical,
1. cover with the first layer of varnish
2. Wait for it to dry
3. Cover with a second layer, and if desired, a third.
4. Now the most important thing is to dry it properly! Leave for several days until the varnish is completely dry.
In the meantime, you can prepare for the next master class on creating a pattern and the shoes themselves and look at my box with everything you need to make shoes, while the varnish dries, we have time to assemble everything you need!
5. As a result, I (I hope you too!) got these pads
