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About the thickness of planks

My current ofuro is constructed with is 41.39 mm and you propose 33 mm that is 8.39 mm thinner.
From your experience is 33 mm sufficient?

The next size we use for planks after the 33mm thickness is 42mm.
In case of a L=1200mm tub, unless for design reasons (beefy look) the
client asks for thicker planks, 33mm is more than enough.
Thinner planks will result in a lighter tub (which is easier to handle
at the time of assembly and maintenance/cleaning under the tub.)
Also thinner planks are less prone to cracking due to dryness.

We use a top frame construction for tubs longer than 1400mm and 42mm
planks for tubs over 1500mm.

Anyway, for your reference I prepared a quote in case of 42mm thick planks.
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ofuro for Cape town -1- lumber choice

Today we prepared the lumber for another tub going to South Africa.

The material is asnaro (also known as hiba) wood.
We are currently working on other units so the lamination and assembly work will actually start at the beginning of september and should take about 2 weeks.

You can see some stains. This is not water but natural oil contained in the wood. This is the source of the aroma!
Also, the fact that the plank is blackish is the proof it is well seasoned and fully dry. Of course once planed it will show its white face. It is a very high quality lumber.

You can see the lumber is quarter sawn (parallel wood grain lines) and Mr. Ikeda is optimizing the cuts to mach as much as possible the bent line of the trunk
the sapwood area close to the bark is reduced as much as possible.
finally, this is material to build one ofuro 1500x750mm.

Tanoshimi ni matte kudasai! (Look forward to see it complete!)

Japanese ridge beam on Washington shore

I would like to publish here a mail I received from a lasdscape designer based in Portland.

Hello Iacopo,

I’ve enjoyed your newsletters and information about your business. I thought I’d share this with you, as I begin to design a small structure using this ridge beam I extracted from the driftwood on the SE Washington shoreline yesterday. I believe it certainly is from 2011 tsunami. I’d like to honor its history and journey by giving it a renewed use, following the lines it dictates.

As I research how

it was used, I wonder if you would have a resource for me to consult that could indicate a likely representation of its position within a structure? I may have it figured out, but a few comments from a carpenter there would be quite meaningful.

Than you for any consideration and dialog.

Best,

Jon Ensign
Portland, Oregon

I am so humbled and grateful! Thanks to this homepage I have the opportunity to get in touch with amazing people who share their passion for handcrafts and for japanese culture.
Life is wonderful! 😉

For the curious, here below is my answer:
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try yourself this ofuro in australia!

Customer`s comment:
Hi Yoshiaki-San,

I hope you are well. My house is now finished and the Japanese bath looks beautiful. Below is a link to the house. Please pass onto Torrini-San and let him know if he is in Australia he is welcome to stay at my house and experience the tranquility.

RB from Australia
http://www.greatoceanroadholidays.com.au/accommodation/2064

Iacopo`s answer:
Dear R:
The photo of the japanese tub is superb!
Did you use a professional photographer?
Also, do you think I can post it in the “testimonials” section of our homepage?

It would be great if I can post the link to the accomodation page: I am sure that ofuro lovers in Australia would have a great excuse to stay at your place.

Of course I appreciate your kind invitation.
I have never been to Australia yet, though it has been on the very top on my list of countries I would like to visit since my childhood!

Congratulations for your beautiful house and let`s keep in touch!

Best regards,

iacopo torrini

asnaro tub for Virginia

Everything started from a very kind and warm mail from a couple who “spent a little time in rural Japan and came to love the entire experience of Japanese bathing.”
We supplied some alternative quotes for asnaro and hinoki wood.

Here is a picture of the back side (scroll below to see the front side and accessories)

Here is a photo of the immaculate interior with the drain along the long side (quite rare detail but actually very smart if you consider 2 people using the tub together):

Here are the specs for the project:
material: natural Japanese Asnaro AB grade bathtub (quarter sawn)
sizes: L1300mm x W760 x H660mm (ext. dim.) – depth 565mm
details: nat. oil apron, wood dowels. Iron brand at front side top-right
option: ball-type drain plug

accessories:
– Asnaro wood tray 840x350x21 (apparently the client likes to read books while soaking! They must have found the secret of how to reach happiness while on this world!)
– Hinoki wood traditional stool (300x180x200H)
– Sawara wood large bucket（230D　120H）
– Asnaro wood floor grate 1440 x 900x H55mm (split in 2)

A technical note: we had some mail problems: for some reason, some emails I send to hotmail or gmail accounts are rejected without error messages. (I wonder if it is a keyword-based spam filter: some mails get thru, some don`t…)

Anyway we could happily catch-up thru my personal gmail account (iax1213 at gmail com).
Everybody who has having problems in reaching us: please use the mail above.

hinoki flooring for indonesia

This time we shipped a large quantity of hinoki flooring to indonesia.
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The planks have a end match joint.

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We also shipped waterproofing treatment to be applied after installation.
One large can of “kihada ichiban” contains 16Kg and can cover 100m2.
The cost is 100,000JPY + packaging + shipping.
We also can sell 1L, 4L bins.

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Specs for the project:
– Hinoki flooring-
Origin: Kumano (Mie Pref.)
Quality: one face knotless
Cut: ITAME (plank cut)
Finish: planer finish, no coating, tongue/groove edge, end match
Sizes: W120mm x t 12mm x L 2950mm:

hinoki flooring for your projects!

Maybe not all of you know that we can also supply hinoki wood for flooring or wainscoting?
For interior products (wood not used in wet areas) we use trees from man planted forests (Mainly Kumano area in Mie prefecture and Yoshino area in Nara prefecture.)
IMGP7011

They are very regular and have few knots so we can obtain high quality solid flooring for a reasonable price.
The peculiarity of the material is a mix of “shirata”(sapwood=white) and “akami”(heartwood=red) areas.
The lumber is cut parallel to one direction (plank cut) so the planks are mixed by nature.

IMGP8967

Some people like this look, peculiar of sugi pine and japanese hinoki.
Anyway, if you prefer a more uniform look, the only way to obtain material of the same color is to cut away the sap wood and use only the core of each trunk. This brings up the cost by about 50%.

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Hinoki flooring is used without shoes and is normally un-coated. It is possible to coat it with urethane but this would interfere with two of the nice features of hinoki flooring: the subtle cedar aroma and the soft/warm touch. To make the upkeep easier, we recommend the application of a full penetration water repellent (Kihada ichiban). The product is applied after installation of the flooring so we will supply separately the cans and you will apply on site with a wide brush in 2 coats.

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All the flooring is manufactured as per your order so you can choose the thickness (usually 12, 15 or 18mm), the width (90, 105, 120, 150, 180mm or custom) and length of the planks(2m,3m,4m or custom), the quality and type of processing (tongue/groove, end matching joints, mitered joints, width of bevel etc.)

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plank with tongue and groove + end matching joint

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Minimum order is 50 m2. For prices please inquire:

specs:
Origin: Kumano (Mie Pref.)
Quality: surface knotless
Cut: ITAME (plank cut)
Finish: planer finish, no coating, tongue/groove edge, end match
thickness: 12mm
w120 x L 1950mm
w120 x L 2950mm
w120 x L 3950mm

w150 x L 1950mm
w150 x L 2950mm
w150 x L 3950mm

The best cost/performance for a 12mm flooring is obtained by using the 3m planks.

For installation use both glue and nails following the procedure as per the sketch here below.
flooring01 flooring02

Hammer the nails diagonally and make them flush with the aid of a punch before laying down the next plank. Proceed until you reach the other end. It is recommended to tuck in the planks with the aid of a hammer to make sure there is no gap between the joints.

NOTE: Solid hinoki flooring is not compatible with floor heating.

2016 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards!

The restaurant and bar The Ocean (Hong Kong, Hong Kong) for which we supplied 8 bathtubs and 2 U-shaped sushi counters has been shortlisted amazingly in two different categories at this years Restaurant & Bar Design Awards.

The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards ceremony will be held in London on 29th September 2016.
Everybody, please keep your fingers crossed…
Of course, if you visit Hong Kong do not miss the Ocean!
Shop 303-304, Lobby A, The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong

3 hinoki tubs (one by one) – all sold out –

sorry, sold out!

A B2B client just ordered these 3 stunning hinoki tubs.
But just while we were doing the last finishing touches, the client contacted us saying that they are changing the layout and will need larger tubs (1800 x 1200mm)

So they asked us to put the tubs in the outlet corner on their behalf.
The price was already very competitive as this was a three units order… on top of this the client is willing to offer a huge discount! Please scroll the post to the bottom to see the details.

Here below are the specs/price conditions.

Also, check the dimensioned drawings here: hb160725-outlet-with-spout

Japanese Hinoki B grade bathtub (quartersawn, small knots)
L1500mm x W800　x H650mm (ext. dim.) 552mm(deep) –
wooden dowels, copper apron, iron brand at top-right corner
price: ¥680,000 per unit
discount: 20%
OUTLET PRICE: 544,000 JPY
(for a 1500×800 tub in straight hinoki! This is probably the best deal ever in this outlet corner…)

Other costs:
* bank transfer fee: 6,500 JPY (unless you give instructions to your bank to PAY IN FULL)
* Packaging: 1700x1000x850mm plywood box 45,000 JPY
* Shipping fee (please let me know your precise address for the quotation)

You can also customize the order (add internal seat/cover/accessories etc.)

You can order just one or 2,3 tubs if you want!

Also, the client cancelled also 1 (one) floor mounted spout type “E” (sorry, sold out!)

price: ¥150,000 per unit
discount: 20%
OUTLET PRICE: 120,000 JPY
(this is a Bartok standard item, and it is discounted! You can also pair it with your preferred custom size tub!)

If interested, contact me promptly at japan*at*bartokdesign.com or by phone to +81-90-8205-1200.

You are not familiar with “B-grade”? It stands for wood with small knots. About aroma or durability there is no difference with Hinoki AB grade. The main difference is aesthetic. See some pictures here below.

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round tub for architect in HK

This tub was ordered by an architecture office based in HK for a residential project.
The size was modified from 1400mm to 1200mm and the material from hinoki to sawara cypress to obtain the best cost-performance.

Sawara is a japanese cypress, similar to hinoki but slightly more orangeish in color (hinoki is white/pink).
It is easy to work with and soft enough so that the metal straps can make a good grip.
Also, the length of the planks match a Sawara standard so the tub is reasonable with an excellent performance.
To use a Japanese expression, for a barrel type tub, Sawara is the “Right man in the right place”

The tub has a bench for 1/3 of the perimeter.

Here are the specs:
material: natural Japanese Sawara AB grade bathtub (knotless)
sizes: Dia 1200mm x H700 (ext. dim.) x D590mm (internal depth)
details: twisted stainless steel band. Iron brand at top-center
options: Sawara wood internal seat W285mm (1/3 of perimeter)

accessories:
– Sawara wood lid with handles (2 pcs)
– Asnaro wood stool (330x220x300H)
– Sawara wood ladle with handle (180D 290H)
– Sawara wood large bucket（230D 120H）

– Hinoki wood floor mounted spout (photo here below)