Going................Down.............????

Stuart Ablett

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15,917
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Tokyo Japan
I'm often asked how I get my "Stuff" down into my own personal hole in the ground......... the Dungeon.....

Well, I went to Joyful Honda (My FAVORITE DIY shop) and picked up a few sheets of plywood, and MDF, for building cabinets.

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Now, let me explain this picture, the van is a mini van, little 3 cylinder 660cc engine, and by Japanese standards it is OLD, 1991 vintage, and it has about 120,000 km on it or about 72,000 miles (almost all of them Tokyo City miles) but this little truck still can do the work, bought it used over 4 years ago for about $1500 or so, good little truck. Plywood is usually 91 cm x 182 cm or about 3' x 6'.

I got home and started my drop to the Dungeon.....

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I have a 2x6 that just fits into the hatch, there is a kind of lip there, so the 2x6 cannot move when in place.

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I then stack the plywood on the 2x6, and put a long strap around the stack, centered, and hook it up to the electric hoist...........

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Lift up a couple of inches with the hoist, move the 2x6, and get ready for the controlled decent.........

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..... we have touchdown! :thumb:

This is one thing I used to do by hand, no more this is MUCH easier :)

I'm going to build the new sheetgoods rack just to the side of the hatch, this way, sheetgoods go down and then I only have to move them about 1' to their parking spot!

Well, now you know! :D

Cheers!
 
Is that how your going to get 15 guys down there for a lathe demo on the 27th?:rofl: Seriously though working in a tight space like you do takes a lot of thinking. Kudos to you. :thumb:
BTW I also have one of those 660 cc cars and I put some roof racks on it and it becomes my wood hauler. Light on gas too. :thumb:
 
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Addicted, yeah, I guess so, beats the heck out of sitting in the pub all day! :D

Hey Alex, where did you get your contractors saw?

I'm looking to replace my tablesaw at some point..... :wave:
 
Stu I bought mine through Yahoo Auction. At the time (in my limited knowledge) there were few options for 10" contractors saws. Now I would probably go a different route. I would also most likely get a hybrid saw. FWW magazine just rated the Woodtech Hybrid best overall TS. This saw is available through Woodworkers Supply who I have bought heavy machinery from a couple times. The thing I have learned is no matter how hard you try you can't get imported machinery cheap here so you may as well pay the overseas shipping.
 
Stu I hope to see a pic of the 15 guys down in your dungeon. how will you all move around down there? Inhale and everyone take a step to the left? :rofl:

I really like that mini Van. Hmmmm wonder how the shipping would be to get one of those here? :huh: No I don't want to know:eek:
 
Stu,

The micro vans are very cool. I had a Subaru Domingo when I lived in Sagamiono. Loved it!

Why the odd sizes for the plywood? Are construction sheets more 100 x 200cm? What is the spacing "on center/between studs", if you will?

How much for the ply and mdf? Thickness and grade?

Looks like that big humidor cabinet for the L-Shop is on the back burner...again! :doh:

:rofl::rofl:
 
Greg, the Japanese construction system is based on the tatami size, on "tsubo" is two tatami mats or 182cm x 182 cm (about) I think it is acutally 1818mm x 1818mm :rolleyes:

The carpenters use a unit of measure called a Shaku, this is almost exactly one foot, 11.93" but they don't divide the Shaku into 12, but into 10 units, called "sun". These sun are rather fat inches :D being 1.193" long.

Almost no one outside the construction trade has any knowledge about this, but the plywood etc still comes in the old sizes:dunno:

I do sometimes see ply wood in 180cm x 90 cm, but that is mainly the painted stuff used for making cement forms and such:dunno:

Cheers!
 
Greg, the Japanese construction system is based on the tatami size, on "tsubo" is two tatami mats or 182cm x 182 cm (about) I think it is acutally 1818mm x 1818mm :rolleyes:

I know room sizes are stated in Tsubo, but when I lived in Osaka/Kobe, you could find about 3 sizes of Tatami mats. "original", standard and apartment size...(large to "regular" to smaller).

The carpenters use a unit of measure called a Shaku, this is almost exactly one foot, 11.93" but they don't divide the Shaku into 12, but into 10 units, called "sun". These sun are rather fat inches :D being 1.193" long.

I also know about Shaku (Shakuhachi...:rofl:) but didn't realize it was still used in construction. Thought they had gone full "metric". "Sun" is a new term for me.....

Almost no one outside the construction trade has any knowledge about this, but the plywood etc still comes in the old sizes:dunno:

I do sometimes see ply wood in 180cm x 90 cm, but that is mainly the painted stuff used for making cement forms and such:dunno:

Cheers!

Thanks, Stu!:thumb:

BTW, how many Tsubo is the Dungeon?
 
Well, it is mostly used in wooden house construction, you don't see it used in things like our concrete mansion.

I have a tape measure around here somewhere with all the old system units on it, I swear they look like feet and inches, but the darn inches are two too few and FAT :D

Cheers!
 
When we were in Japan last year, we visited a few show homes to get more info for when/if we make our move there. A few reps. stated that they use the larger Tsubu size. Stu: is this what you are referring to with respect to the dimensions you mentioned?
 
If you have any Japanese chisels get some calipers and measure them. You will find they are in increments of 3mm. But not exactly they are actually in increments of bu. One bu (boo) is very, very close to 3mm. So your 3mm chisel is ichi bu, 6mm is ni bu, 9mm is san bu, etc. 10 bu (30mm) equals one sun (pronounced ee soon). When I checked out my chisels I naturally assumed ichi bu was a metric measurement because it is so close to 3mm.

Forgot to mention also the reason I would go with a hybrid saw is the motor is in the cabinet and not hanging off the back. In my shop every little bit of space helps.

Andrew, a little mneumonic word play there. Ask James if he knows: eat a duck I must?
 
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