Questions about scratch built houses and Kobaru products

[ScooterTheGreat]

Hello everybody,

 

There are four questions I'd like to ask, one about scratch built houses in Japan, one about Kobaru products and one about both. The final one is just a general question.

 

Question 1) I am planning on building, among other things, narrow style houses, similar to the Tomytec Building Collection Narrow House B (I forget which number). However, whenever I google Japanese Narrow House, it always comes up with architectural one-offs, not the prefab, mass designed, regular sort I'm looking for. Anybody have any pictures?

 

Question 2) I am planning on utilising Kobaru road marking dry transfers such as this one http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10353698. However, having fallen in love with the trains without having yet gone to Japan, I'm not very experienced with road markings. Could someone provide a detailed guide to road markings in Japan that would mesh well with the Kobaru transfers?

 

Question 3) Through lack of better materials, the houses I will make will be made out of Kobaru materials (eg Puranoita Roof Tile http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10300509). Does anybody have any experience with these materials, including windows, doors etc., and if so, can I see pictures?

 

Question 4) Sort of ties into question 3. What paints do you use for your houses, including things for window frames, wood, roof tiles, etc.?

[katoftw]

I cannot find any english info about the Kobaru houses in numerious searches.  The kobaru website doesn't even have examples:- http://kobaru.com/products/mp.html

 

Greenmax do housing kits that come with all you need to build a complete house.

 

 

As for road markings.  Google street view is you best bet.  Very basic support for their road products on their website:- http://www.kobaru.com/support/ms-03.html

Edited December 26, 2015 by katoftw

[ScooterTheGreat]

Thanks katoftw. I will probably use those houses but the plan is I want to build my own. As for the road markings, that's what I figured I'd have to do. However, thanks for the website link. I couldn't find it so cheers.

[cteno4]

Scooter,

 

There is also greenmax roofing tiles as well

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/search?typ1_c=102&cat=&state=&sold=0&sortid=0&searchkey=Greenmax+roof+tile

 

I've run across the prefab style houses before, they are usually real estate web sites. I think I have a couple of papercraft models from sites like this. Done to be a sales tool, build a model of your house! I'll look.

 

Google satellite view is a great way to get ideas on street markings as well.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[railsquid]

Hello everybody,

 

There are four questions I'd like to ask, one about scratch built houses in Japan, one about Kobaru products and one about both. The final one is just a general question.

 

Question 1) I am planning on building, among other things, narrow style houses, similar to the Tomytec Building Collection Narrow House B (I forget which number). However, whenever I google Japanese Narrow House, it always comes up with architectural one-offs, not the prefab, mass designed, regular sort I'm looking for. Anybody have any pictures?

 

Try this search term in Google image search: ３階 建売り 住宅

 

FWIW most houses in Japan aren't prefab (outside of the Tomytec kits ;) ).

[ScooterTheGreat]

Thanks Jeff, that'll be great to introduce some variety into the house. I forgot entirely about real estate websites, too, so thanks for that.

 

Cheers railsquid. It surprises me that Japan doesn't have a lot of prefabricated housing. In NZ there's been a housing boom and heaps of standardized housing has popped up.

[Das Steinkopf]

As mentioned by a number of people already Google Earth and Streetview is an excellent way of gaining the sort of information that you are after, we used it quiet a fair bit before we went over so we would get a good idea as to where we had to go to get to our hotels and other places. If you do ever get to go to Japan make sure you have enough time to be able to walk around and see the sights, we generally walked between 15 to 20 kilometres a day when we were there, it was fascinating walking around the suburbs and backstreets seeing the vast contrast and rather eclectic mix of architecture, you could have ancient and modern buildings standing next to each other.

Edited December 26, 2015 by Das Steinkopf

[velotrain]

I will probably use those houses but the plan is I want to build my own.

 

What's the reason you want to build your own?  You mention "among other things", and if any of those are not available as a kit, they might be a better place to apply your time and energy.  If you want to put your own stamp on the houses, consider kitbashing instead.  By the time you've sourced all the materials you'll need, you'll likely have spent 2-3 as much as the Tomytec / Greenmax houses cost.

 

As for #4, not having an airbrush, I tend to use cheap automotive spray paints, or modeling spray cans when I need other (flat) colors.  Hit the exterior walls before you start adding glazing or details.  Window/door frames that are separate parts can be sprayed, or brush painted if part of a wall casting.  I don't know what Austral-Asian sources there might be, but if you really want to scratchbuild then Tichy in the US is a good source for windows, doors, etc. - many structure kit producers use them (vs. Grandt Line).  The window and door assortment might be a good starting point to help you decide what parts are most useful to you.

 

 https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Shop/tabid/91/c/n_scale/Default.aspx

 

Toni can help with details.

[ToniBabelony]

Toni can help with details.

At the moment I'm abroad, but I've been contemplating creating a set of building details, like windowsills, doors, etc. for scratchbuilding. That next to my already existing range of little domestic details.

 

A little hint for cheap plates for walls and roofs can be had here: http://www.k4.dion.ne.jp/~toa-sato/kawarayane.html Nanyo Bussan sells these Taiwan made products for very good prices and are much cheaper than Evergreen or European equivalents. They also resemble Japanse prototype. For ordering, use email, but I hope to assist in improving this website in the future.

[velotrain]

At the moment I'm abroad

 

I thought Shapeways was always open ;-)

 

> That next to my already existing range of little domestic details.

 

That's what I meant.

 

>  I've been contemplating creating a set of building details, like windowsills, doors, etc. for scratchbuilding

 

How much of a market is there?

I suspect not much - although availability of components could change that.

Most modelers scratchbuild out of need, and my sense is that there are enough decent quality, cheap models out there.

 

Admittedly, very few of the type of houses seen at railsquid's link.

 

What might be interesting is a series of modular elements that are designed in such a way that many different variations could be built with them.

These might be more suitable for laser cutting than 3D printing though.

[velotrain]

Tomytec Building 017 - Narrow house B3

 

 

 

Tomytec Building 016 - Narrow house A

 

 

Tomytec Building 080 - House with steel frame

 

 

 

 

 

[ToniBabelony]

I don't really care about the market, as I usually create for my own need and according to my own interests. Of course with exceptions, but details like this aren't easy to come by in Japan.

 

The intention is not to make it modular, since a system like that increases costs in general, as well as limits the usage of the product. It's more intended as standard parts of a building that can be freely designed, just like in real life.

[katoftw]

While I agree with what is being discussed.  The lack of "available" variety is what might push people towards building their own housing.  If it was a USA layout, you would just put building on it 30cm apart with green space inbetween and have enough available buildings to do so.  But if you wanna model a Japanese area, then you need 4 buildings in the 30cm area.  This is personally the lack of varible models available allows, otherwise you have the same building twice or thrice on the same street.

 

Currently it is easier to get different versions of the gas stations than it is to get different versions of house.

Edited December 26, 2015 by katoftw

[cteno4]

yes there is a pretty narrow range on small modern houses. basically the modern tomytec and greenmax and thats about it. something that sankei can step in and do easily as well! its something that can be scratch built pretty easily and quickly as there are not many detail parts outside of windows. Even those tend to be very simple on this kind of small modern house.

 

charles its the fact that shapeways can serve the micro market as the startup costs are just time to do the cad drawings and a prototype run or two to test them, and dont include moulds, manufacturing, shipping, warehousing, fulfillment, book keeping, websites, etc. if you are already doing stuff like this for your own needs then these costs are zero and any sales you get are pure profit! 

 

You might look at printing your window detail like the frame and any mullions on your printer (as long as its not white!) on clear acetate. then just put up behind the cut out window opening. You can also lay out the main window frame and maybe a sash cross piece using pin tape you can get on ebay (fingernail decoration tape actually, you can find solid colors like white, gray etc just have to search past all the metallic colors)

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_dmd=2&_nkw=nail+tape&rt=nc&LH_BIN=1

 

Another option is to just print the windows and not have them clear at all. most windows past about 100' or so in daylight sort of go gray due to reflected light and unless a lot of interior light you dont see in much or see that its clear. we usually look at our structures on a layout at 200'+!

 

ive put together a bunch of free papercraft pdfs i have collected over the years of small japanese modern houses. most are simple but ideas there and some would work with embellishments. pm me if anyone is interested in them.

 

for paints i tend to use the spray cans of matte gray primer for a primer layer where needed. give decent texture (ie knocks off the smooth plastic) and a good surface for simple water acrylics to grab to well. I use a lot of the basic acrylic craft paints as they are cheap and easy to grab a color or mix a color fast. most have a rather matte finish. easy to clean up or even scrub off with isopropyl if you decide to change or goof.

 

i use airbrushes some, but cleaning and such makes them a hassle unless im doing something really detailed. I do cheat with this uber cheap siphon airbrush as its so fast to clean (no internal mix) and you can spray diluted (use latex spray thinner) craft paint with it well for structures and scenery. its stupid simple but works so well! clip on bottles make it fast to have a few different colors going to blend or weather back and forth or move onto the next thing w/o cleaning, refilling and going back to spraying. i have cheap plastic bottles the same size i got thru a plastic store that i can store any special mixed colors in but just popping a lid on them.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/quick-change-airbrush-kit-93506.html

 

cheers

 

jeff

Edited December 26, 2015 by cteno4

[katoftw]

I have the Greenmax Shop kit (pretty sure it is the same as the house kit but with facades for the fronts) in the mail, sent on the 4th of Dec, so cannot be too far away.  I'll let you know how it goes regards ease of use and ability to modify.

 

Edited December 26, 2015 by katoftw

[cteno4]

the #$@%& challenge with the greenmax structures is painting the damn window sills and frames as they are all moulded into the building! takes a steady hand or masking. ive tried paint and felt pens and not had great luck that way as well. cool thing is with some good painting variation and a little kitbashing and detail additions you can make a wider selection of things from them. good value for the stuff you get in the 6 business and 6 house kits.

 

wonder when 3D inkjet printing will come into the consumer market. scan your wall then paint it up on the computer and then print over it!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[katoftw]

Found this while looking for something else:- http://www.house-design-coffee.com/japan-houses.html

[railsquid]

Cheers railsquid. It surprises me that Japan doesn't have a lot of prefabricated housing. In NZ there's been a housing boom and heaps of standardized housing has popped up.

 

I'm not exactly an architectural expert so my pronouncements stem mainly from spending some time looking for a house here, and observing construction sites out of general interests, anyway in urban areas small often irregular plot sizes and building regulations mean each house needs to be designed for its location; tradition and earthquake resilience seem to pretty much mandate wooden (or occasionally steel girder) frames. I get the impression there's been a move towards "modularization" among bigger building companies, with timber and cladding being pre-sized off-site, but I've yet to see a truck pull up to a site with prefab parts which basically just need bolting togethter.

[railsquid]

 I've yet to see a truck pull up to a site with prefab parts which basically just need bolting togethter.

 

Having said that, I think there is a small market for imported prefabricated housing from Europe/North America, but it's very much a niche and I can't recall offhand seeing any.

[katoftw]

http://www.sekisuihouse.co.jp/english/index.html

 

Seno development east of Hiroshima does a good job of modular.  Every third house looks the same.  The block are all the same size and leveled.

Edited December 27, 2015 by katoftw

[cteno4]

I think squid is right there is not much in the way of modular, but the developer homes are starting to use a lot of prefab wall sections and such made off site. i was reading a bunch of artifactual stuff around this a couple of years back when i was researching the Nakagin capsule tower (the concept did not get much traction in japan at the time) and got side tracked as i have always loved prefab/modular housing.

 

part is symantics as prefab usually means elements are built off site even if for a one off site where you can easily assemble walls, floors, trusses, and stuff faster, easier stronger, less waste and out of the weather and pieces are assembled on site and other elements are added. modular usually means a whole part of a house with walls, floors, roof, plumbing, wiring comes in as one unit totally prebuilt and a few are just plopped on a foundation, bolted together and connections made and done. the terms get mixed a lot though.

 

Modular i think is rarer in japan still because of all the reasons squid cited.

[ScooterTheGreat]

Thanks everybody for the responses, that's answered most of my questions.