Small Japanese shops (1/300)

[John Wagenseil]

I think Nekomura is missing a cat cafe for lonely office ladies and a maid cafe for shy salarymen.
The maid cafe can sell food with happi face.

[Viator]

You are damn right,John!!! It is a "must be" in my town. But I am still thinking of the architectural solution and I have an idea or two...

[ReynoldsSlumber]

I'm really enjoying this series! Delightful subjects, very finely constructed.

On the truss crane, would it be feasible to use scale lumber? For example, HO scale 1x2" bass wood strips come out to 0.3 x 0.6mm in cross-section... perhaps still too much depth.
If you were able to find a metal etching shop willing to do a one-off job, it would be expensive, but the effect would be nice, as seen in the Metal Earth crawler crane kit.

[Viator]

Originally Posted by ReynoldsSlumber

I'm really enjoying this series! Delightful subjects, very finely constructed.

On the truss crane, would it be feasible to use scale lumber? For example, HO scale 1x2" bass wood strips come out to 0.3 x 0.6mm in cross-section... perhaps still too much depth.
If you were able to find a metal etching shop willing to do a one-off job, it would be expensive, but the effect would be nice, as seen in the Metal Earth crawler crane kit.

Well, up to now I tried to avoid other materials than paper/cardboard or at least wooden strips, but finally perhaps yu are right - in this scale there is impossible to make a full-paper maquettes. Thanks a lot for the tips.

[Viator]

I clearly neglected the road maintenance when focusing on buildings erection. Now my municipal road maintenance service is busy doing the necessary repairing and upgrading of the municipal road network in Nekomura before we can start to continue. ;-)

[Don Boose]

I enjoyed seeing one of the roads (道) of Nekomura and the associated vehicles and accessories.

Recentlhy, I have been re-reading a translation of the Tale of Genji, which takes place in a world where all transportation is by foot, horseback, or ox-drawn carriage.

Don

[ReynoldsSlumber]

Delightful details—I'm enjoying your inclusion of the graffiti and even the clever conical dirt pile on the construction site, an example of using paper geometry to your advantage.

Originally Posted by Viator

Well, up to now I tried to avoid other materials than paper/cardboard or at least wooden strips, but finally perhaps yu are right - in this scale there is impossible to make a full-paper maquettes. Thanks a lot for the tips.

You're welcome. Just had a thought, to make truss links out of material that's as paper-like as possible (though I haven't tried it): You could take a length of thick thread or thin twine, suspend it vertically with a weight at the bottom so that it's straight, and then soak it in glue. Then after it has dried it would be a nice stiff cylindrical shape, like the prototype beams. Cotton thread might work fine, or actually hemp thread could be ideal, as it's strong and doesn't have little frayed filaments fluffing out.

[Viator]

Originally Posted by Don Boose

I enjoyed seeing one of the roads (道) of Nekomura and the associated vehicles and accessories.

Recentlhy, I have been re-reading a translation of the Tale of Genji, which takes place in a world where all transportation is by foot, horseback, or ox-drawn carriage.

Don

Those were great times! I am happy that in my childhood I was able to see some horse-drawn carts, carriages and even ploughs here and there in Poland. There could be seen even in the capital (Warsaw), delivering coal to the last pre-war biuldings with furnaces. Now there are none of hors-driven carts and cabs except Old Town "horse taxis" and wedding carriages. But when I visited Romania two years ago I saw many horse carts there still in use - it was like going back in time to my teenage years!

[Viator]

Originally Posted by ReynoldsSlumber

Delightful details—I'm enjoying your inclusion of the graffiti and even the clever conical dirt pile on the construction site, an example of using paper geometry to your advantage.

You're welcome. Just had a thought, to make truss links out of material that's as paper-like as possible (though I haven't tried it): You could take a length of thick thread or thin twine, suspend it vertically with a weight at the bottom so that it's straight, and then soak it in glue. Then after it has dried it would be a nice stiff cylindrical shape, like the prototype beams. Cotton thread might work fine, or actually hemp thread could be ideal, as it's strong and doesn't have little frayed filaments fluffing out.

Thank you for the tip! I thought of the cord/thread but I had no idea what kind of glue should I use so I never tried to do it yet. White glue (vinyl) will do, don't you think so? It is obviously worth trying! Even if the crane truss will prove to be too much complicated, the impregnated thread could be a good source of insulated pipes, bunches of electrical wires or canopy suspending cables for buildings.

[ReynoldsSlumber]

Guessing white glue would work fine, maybe better if thinned with water so that the glue wicks into the thread's fibers more readily.

Looking at the scale of that crane truss again, I see what you mean about it being too complicated at that size! You'd need to enlist carpenter ants to help you assemble it.