Concrete Blocks (and other small industries)

[Cat]

What dimensions are standard hollow concrete blocks in Japan?

Standard sizes vary by country, and I've had trouble finding Japanese standards.  Might be able to get some 1:150 3D printed ones via Shapeways for detailing a small cement factory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_masonry_unit#Sizes_and_structure

 

Edited May 15, 2020 by Cat

[ranger10178]

8 minutes ago, Cat said:

What dimensions are standard hollow concrete blocks in Japan?

Standard sizes vary by country, and I've had trouble finding Japanese standards.  Might be able to get some 1:150 3D printed ones via Shapeways for detailing a small cement factory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_masonry_unit#Sizes_and_structure

 

Sounds interesting! It'd be good to see the links to these blocks if they're the correct size.

[Cat]

Will definitely post links if they come through.

One Shapeways designer, custommodelcreations, already has pallets and singles in 1:87.  I asked, but they no longer make new N scale versions of their stuff after a Shapeways price change.

Did find another N scale designer who is willing to give them a try and has asked for dimensions,  So that's auspicious!

[Cat]

This is a perfect little trackside industry, right beside the tracks near Katsuta Station:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.3887129,140.5225263,3a,37.5y,20.66h,88.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVyfVQwTK2DfydfqOQNH8jA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Can make a quick proxy with parts from Tomytec's city factory models, and a small cement silo from Faller.

[ranger10178]

1 minute ago, Cat said:

This is a perfect little trackside industry, right beside the tracks near Katsuta Station:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.3887129,140.5225263,3a,37.5y,20.66h,88.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVyfVQwTK2DfydfqOQNH8jA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Can make a quick proxy with parts from Tomytec's city factory models, and a small cement silo from Faller.

Looks a pretty interesting place to model! Plastistruct beams/tubes could also be used?

[Cat]

Could be done with Plastruct and a lot of time, or pay Faller for having done all the hard work:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.3890245,140.5230007,3a,60y,252.31h,99.85t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFKPcOQdQSmHeFDORknmg1g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

For the basic industrial sized blocks, we'll just cut those to length from square plastic shapes.  If we can get the more general cinder block style, those will add a nice detailing touch.

[cteno4]

You need to borrow my micro chop saw! That’s exactly the sizes I got it for. Just a tad too large for the chopper (extruded tube shapes don’t tend to cut square vertically) and bit too small for the mini chop saw! 
 

or sit in front of the tc with the miter box and razor saw.

 

speaking of razor saws I recently got one of these. I’ve tested it and it’s much better at small styrene bits than standard razor saws as finer teeth. 
 

https://www.hlj.com/jlc-complete-set-anniversary-set-jlcp004
 

and micromark has a miter box for these blades (jlc does as well but over 2x price!

 

https://www.micromark.com/Micro-Miter-Box

 

the platz hypercut saws are also really nice but expensive. But excellent for really fine stuff. You can saw paper and chipboard cleanly with them!

 

https://www.hlj.com/hyper-cut-saw-0-15-elite-s2-plzal-k22

 

happy cement block making!

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

Google translate is your friend.    Concrete block = コンクリートブロック

 

First Google entry is Sasaki Block Co Ltd.   http://www.sasakiblock.com/index.html

 

Hollow concrete block for construction

http://www.sasakiblock.com/blockkihon.html

 

Horizontal type

http://www.sasakiblock.com/blockyoko.html

 

Main rules for block walls

http://www.sasakiblock.com/kitei.html

 

 

 

 

[ranger10178]

9 minutes ago, bill937ca said:

Google translate is your friend.    Concrete block = コンクリートブロック

 

First Google entry is Sasaki Block Co Ltd.   http://www.sasakiblock.com/index.html

 

Hollow concrete block for construction

http://www.sasakiblock.com/blockkihon.html

 

Horizontal type

http://www.sasakiblock.com/blockyoko.html

 

Main rules for block walls

http://www.sasakiblock.com/kitei.html

 

 

 

 

The mini ones they do look pretty cute! Shame they're still far too big haha!

[Cat]

Thanks folks!

That micro miter box is ace!

Hmm, those mini concrete blocks would serve nicely, and exceedingly cutely, for the garden railroaders.

At 390mm x 190mm x 190mm, the largest of the standard blocks might be a design challenge, but here's hoping for the best!  Pallet-loads may work at least. 

On the bright side, 1:150 scale is much beefier than 1:160.
: 3

[cteno4]

Maybe just some tiny darker gray marker dots on the top ones to indicate the holes?

 

i guess you could sit at tv drilling .3mm holes in a strip to then chop up for blocks!

 

jeff

[inobu]

You have to do it by sight. Meaning it has to be sized based on the things around it. Because there are variations between the other objects you have to fudge it in either direction. (smaller or larger).

 

Inobu 

[The Next Station Is...]

@CatI can have a go at some designs. I've not done anything for 1:150 scale but I've designed some basic action figure accessories and some machine parts (both for Shapeways and my own 3d printer) so these blocks look fine. Are you thinking about having them printed individually or together as a 'pile' of blocks? 

[Cat]

Thank you for the offer, let's wait and hold onto that thought though.  I've been messaging with Ngineer on Shapeways, so let's give him first crack at it.

Pallet-loads for scenicking the factory yard are primary; singles for scattering about the yard and at other locations for all their happy customers.

This is what has been done in 1:87 with 2-hole style bocks (which are fine):
https://www.shapeways.com/product/5PSHKB9NM/pallet-of-cinder-blocks-hollow-5-high-6-pack-1-87?optionId=84668126
https://www.shapeways.com/product/5GX69T9AQ/cinder-block-loose-75-pack-1-87-ho-scale?optionId=62161818

[cteno4]

Aww I wanted to see all those Hand drilled 0.3mm drilled holes in the 3mmx1.5mmx2mm Cut blocks! 😜

 

jeff

[Cat]

If it comes to it, I will break out the pin vice and the tiny bits and the Showa Gojira series!

I have done insane amounts of drilling before.  For plastic infantry figures for Ogre, I put a 2mm magnet in the base of each one.  The magnets work very nicely for moving figures from transports to figure bases, and for casualty removal.  A test sample showed that it was pretty quick and easy to drill the base and glue in a 2mm magnet.  However, I forgot to apply time maths to Kickstarter quantities of little infantry figures.   Fortunately, I play the game a lot, and the work time has amortised very well.

I got all the infantry done and re-watched all of the Millenium and Heisei Gojira series in the process!  The light green infantry here are one of 8 such forces:

[cteno4]

If you set up a drill press you could have a tiny pin bump to position the bit like 2mm over to the next hole and just go down a long strip of styrene the right dimension and then just chop blocks off the strip. Might actually not be that tedious now that I think about it... jeff lurks off to the basement shop...

 

jeff

[cteno4]

So I think I got it figured out, I’ll give a stab at it tomorrow on the mini drill press on the xy table.

 

jeff

[maihama eki]

This was interesting to me as well, so I created a design in TinkerCAD and will have it printed when I do my next order with Shapeways.  These are very tiny, but they pass the initial design checks on Shapeways, so they have a good chance of working.  I won't know for sure until I actually order it.

 

This is the largest size block on bill937ca's Sasaki Block web page - 19 x 39 x 19 cm in real life.  In N-Scale (1:150) this is ~1.3 x 2.6 x 1.3 mm.  There are 20 blocks attached to a sprue tree.

 

 

 

[Cat]

Sweet beans!

[cteno4]

Nice! I realized last night the hole drilling won’t work with the xy table as no way to line it up perfectly, have to just do the hole to hole pin against a stop. But would be super tedious, digital is the way to go! Still want to try here and see if drilled ones could be done! 
 

jeff

[marknewton]

On 5/13/2020 at 3:55 AM, Cat said:

This is a perfect little trackside industry, right beside the tracks near Katsuta Station:

That's very modelgenic - good find!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Cat]

Katsuta has a wealth of little modelling gems! 

Here's another one that's a perfect use for a Tomytec City Factory model: a recycling center junkyard with a little shrine tucked right beside it:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Katsuta+Station/@36.4034729,140.528501,68a,35y,22.74h,0.66t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x60222f774350d057:0xec43a17e50300f69!8m2!3d36.3946797!4d140.5245888
: 3

We'll be doing the recycling center.  Don't have room for this shrine, but will do a small urban shrine tucked under an overpass by the Mito yards.

[cteno4]

Do you have the street view link? I wandered around a while (always fun) but didn’t find the place you mentioned.

 

jeff

[Cat]

Here you go:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.4033857,140.5281997,3a,75y,71.45h,89.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5Sm4j2mJxQ8ZzBI6wmNcLw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

When I clicked on the first link above and got the aerial view, I could then toggle on street view and then pick my landing spot.