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Japanese Minka

Started by wisdom, October 30, 2023, 08:01:06 PM

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wisdom

I'm looking for plans to build a small Minka style frame. Something in the 16x20 range. Any ideals on where to find a detailed plan?

GRadice

Cool! 

I don't have a source for plans. But I'm building a small Japanese style shed (posting about it here) using some minka features. 

I think you could get a good start coming up with your own plans with Heino Engle's book, "The Measure and Construction of the Japanese House." Pair that with Sato and Nakahara's book "The Complete Japanese Joinery," (actually more carpentry than joinery).

I'm happy to share my experience and give other suggestions for resources by pm if you like.

Gary
Gary

Chilterns

You could do no worse than investing in a copy of :-

BRACKETT, L. et. al., 2005. Building The Japanese House Today. Boston, MA : Harry N Abrams.

- where Len Brackett provides an informed insight into how to build in a Japanese traditional style including providing plans for a Minka (farmhouse).

Len spent years in Japan where he apprenticed with a temple builder. His daughter Aya provides excellent quality photographs that follows the making, raising and fit out of a small traditional Japanese house.

C

wisdom

Thanks for the info.  I don't have the Engle book, but I have the other two. The Book of Tea, doesn't address timber framing it does paint a good picture of the Tea house.  I draw houseplants as my profession, but I've struggled with some of the joinery. Especially tying the shed roof back to the gable end. 

julian3rd

Steve Chappell has a minka-style structure on his campus.  I think a rough outline of the plans is in his Timber Framing book.

GRadice

Quote from: wisdom on November 04, 2023, 08:40:37 PM
I don't have the Engle book, but I have the other two.

I draw houseplants as my profession, but I've struggled with some of the joinery. Especially tying the shed roof back to the gable end.
Engle's book has multiple floor plans and some details about what joinery is used in different situations but it is not a "how-to" book. It is also a description of pre-WWII designs which is a great resource if you want to go that way. If earthquakes are a consideration where you live and for the structure you want then be careful since some of the designs in Engle's book (such as the foundation designs) don't fare well and can't be built in Japan today.
Drawing houseplants for a living? I'd like to hear more about that!
Gary

wisdom

Ha!  Occasionally I do draw in some plants.  I meant house plans!  I'm going to find a copy for sure. 

wisdom

I have Chappells and it's great. The fox maple library he shows in the box is similar to what I'm looking for. My copy doesn't have and details other than pictures.  I have emailed him in the past about plans but got no response. 

julian3rd

Fox maple has a booklet that you download when you sign up for a class.  May be available on his website somewhere, you'll have to look around.  In there are the measurements and some drawings for the mink, which is called "the Library" in the booklet.  I have been in it, it is a beautifully dimensioned and executed structure.

skatefriday

Quote from: GRadice on November 03, 2023, 09:15:18 PMPair that with Sato and Nakahara's book "The Complete Japanese Joinery," (actually more carpentry than joinery).

This book seems to be out of print.  Which is quite unfortunate.

Anyone have a good source for the book that's not $200?  <- What some seller on Amazon wants for it second hand.

Alternatively, anyone have a good source japanese framing joinery, English or Japanese?

I'm particularly looking for reference for this joint...

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=114064.msg1897594#msg1897594

The one that joins the floor beams to the posts.

GRadice

Quote from: skatefriday on February 11, 2024, 05:02:37 PMI'm particularly looking for reference for this joint...
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=114064.msg1897594#msg1897594
The one that joins the floor beams to the posts.
The best source I know of is Chris Hall's monograph on Japanese splicing joints. It is volume III of his series. That's what I used for the joinery in my shed. In my opinion this is the single best source for Japanese joinery in English, and only $40. In fact, if you are interested in Japanese carpentry, get all of Hall's monographs. They are superb and you won't find the info anywhere else.

https://thecarpentryway.blog/buy-pdfs-of-chriss-the-art-of-japanese-carpentry-drawing-materials/

Another excellent source, but in Japanese, is Shinzo Togashi's book of carpentry joinery.
It takes a bit of work to get it. I think I used Amazon Japan. He doesn't have that specific three way joint but does have similar ones with slightly different joinery. Looks to be about $56. There is very little text, and the drawings are superb. What I like about Togashi's drawings is that measurements are given as proportions of the main beam size rather than in metric or imperial or shaku dimensions. That makes it easy to scale up or down to fit your project. But it is a layout book, not a "how to" book. The how-to is up to you.

https://www.amazon.com/Mokuzo%C3%8C-kenchiku-no-tsugite-shiguchi/dp/4274069710




Gary

skatefriday

Thank you so much.

I was looking at Chris Hall's PDF's but didn't know which one to buy, and didn't want to buy all of them without confirmation that they had what I was looking for.  I'm putting in the order for volume III this evening.  I never met him, nor his wife, but *DanG, he was taken too soon.

Interestingly enough I have Togashi's book in my cart on Amazon Japan.  I do have an ability to order from Amazon Japan.  It's 3500 yen on Amazon Japan, which is $23 at today's exchange rate.  :-)

I also (Amazon link removed by admin)

Which has a bunch of really cool origami projects you use to learn how to use a sashigame square.  If you can't read Japanese, Google lens is your friend here.

And

(Amazon link removed by admin)

Which is a mix of furniture and construction joints, but doesn't really have what I'm looking for.

Thank you again...




skatefriday

Quote from: GRadice on February 12, 2024, 09:55:00 PMThe best source I know of is Chris Hall's monograph on Japanese splicing joints. It is volume III of his series. That's what I used for the joinery in my shed.
I bought the Chris Hall PDF.  There's good stuff there, and overall worth the money, but I'm a little disappointed that there are not layout diagrams for most of the joints.

He shows cad models, so clearly he had the ability to generate layout diagrams.  I would have, I think, preferred fewer joints wherein all joints had the beam size relative layout markings that he shows on the first joint in the book, and that is shown in the jpeg you posted from Togashi's book.  Those drawings are more of what I would have expected in a book called "The Art of Japanese Carpentry Drawing."


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