Imai/Aoshima 1/60th Junk build

[Big Jake]

With the Revell Viking Model completed yesterday, I wanted to build a kit I had not done yet – a larger scale Chinese Junk. I have an old Imai Model of the Chinese Junk; the kit went under in Hurricane Katrina (like the Viking) and had to be soaked and washed to get the dried mud from all the various parts.

The kit has been re-boxed a few times and also sold by Aoshima as a Chinese War Junk. I’m removing the machine guns and aft deck guns and filling the holes; I’m building a normal version. I’ve been doing a good bit of research on this as well. I’d like to give a shout out to a few modelers in Australia - Harry Houdini (for his excellent build up for inspiration) John Lattanzio for sending me a scanned set of instructions and some very good notes for the build.

The assembly is pretty straight forward and there is little flash, but you'll still need to remove some light seems from the masts and other parts as normal. I’m going to use the stand that comes with the kit as it’s very sturdy and the name plate is part of the stand.

The deck treatment is the standard black base with tan topcoat, which will be lightly sanded to show the black deck grain. Because the model will represent a working Junk, it will have a heavy amount of ware and dirty washes.

The sail treatment will be the hardest due to the contrasting colors of the dark red sail (either Tuscan or Box Car Red) and the bamboo battens, which are very light/bleached tan color. I’m going to do my best mask and airbrush these vs. hand paining if possible. The kit provided rigging blocks but I’m not too sure they are accurate, so some more research is needed.

The junk has 3 bow anchors that seemingly are simple pitched over the bow when needed, I’ll build as instructed, but I’m not sure that correct.

The pics below are the initial stages of parts prep. Here is a link to learn the history.

Indo-Chinese Junk

The watercraft known as a junk seems to be — at least in the West — chiefly associated with China to the degree that the demonym “Chinese” is often used in reference to these boats and …

stampaday.wordpress.com

 

[johnlattanzio]

Let me know what you find about the blocks.

i was planning on using the ones from the kit but I'm going to add rigging for the sheets and the lifts and so I had to get some extra (traditional) blocks. So maybe the kit blocks will look out of place. Or, if the kit blocks are correct, then the ones that I've bought will look out of place!

So I'll be interested in what you learn!

 

[Big Jake]

The blocks might be ok, I like the rope groove, but the eyelet is as large as the block so I'm looking at the blocks from Syrene Models and model expo. I 'll use the beautiful blocks if I need to order. The standard blocks are too rough cut. I have a sizing chart that will help for the block size and rope size.

Beautiful Blocks 1 Sheave 3.0 mm Wood Block 20 pcs

Model Shipways Beautiful Blocks 1 Sheave 2.0 mm Wood Block 20 Pack CHOOSE BELOW THE SIZES YOU NEED Did you know that all the blocks included in European ship model kits as well as Model Shipways kits are made in Italy by a manufacturer who has been making the same for nearly 50 years? The...

www.modelexpo-online.com

 

[Big Jake]

Moving right along, because the deck has a nice wood grain finish, I was able to lightly scrape off a bit of the tan top coast to show the black undercoat. In the first pictures you can see it really makes the deck boards 'pop'. The caulk seams are also scraped and then a #2 pencil is drawn down each as well. Because this will be a worn and dirty junk, the deck will get an additional wash down with a water base black grime to accent the panels. The deck wells and stairs will get a darker brown color and a lit bit of weathering, but hatched will cover them mainly, so you really won't see the inside of them. The hull got its base colors but I'm undecided what bow and stern quarters colors I'm going to use, at first, I was going with a shade of faded blue or green but I'm leaning toward a red shade - which is widely considered a symbol of good luck, prosperity, and happiness in Chinese culture.

 

[Big Jake]

While the hand painting makes the model trim look sloppy, it an intended effect as the dry brushing and grimy water wash will balance it out, the Junk was a working boat, and it would never going to be ship shape. The aft section will have the round Ying and Yang painted in the traditional white/black combo as normal. The fore and aft deck hatch will be 50% covered, so I simply gave them a grimy wash down. The main hatch is fully covered, I don't know why I even bothered. I stop test 2 shades of Red to see how it would affect the colors.
The Ropes of Scale size chart is something all ship modelers should have as it will help you select the right size rigging for any models.
The photo with the different block size serves the same purpose; to help get the correct sized blocks, I will go with the Model Expo "Beautiful' walnut blocks as they are better shaped than the boxwood blocks that most modelers use. The plastic kit supplied blocks with the built-in eyelet was intended to help simplify the rigging, remember this was for mostly kids to build, NOT crazy modelers, like me.

 

[Big Jake]

IF any of the gurus can chime in with your thoughts. The anchors have winches on the deck to haul them up to a certain point, but they also have molded in an extra hole for what I'll 'assume' was a leader for a buoy? Of course, the instructions do not cover this, anybody have ideas on what the buoy might have looked like, was it similar to the standards at the time? if I do them they will be small and just placed on the foredeck

 

[Big Jake]

Working on the pieces/parts, the deck got the grimy wash down along with the bamboo hatch covers. The stern Ying/Yang got dressed up, the deck dividers dragons got trimmed out, but the dragons themselves will be dry brushed in gold. I painted the bags of rice; I guess that's what they are? and I did the preliminary paint test to the foredeck cover to see if the boxcar brown looks ok. I think the sail will be the Floquil Tuscan Red for contrast.

 

[Big Jake]

Not a lot done today, just fitting and gluing parts on the deck, weathering and washes. There are 2 shades of yellow, all bamboo parts are Floquil Polly Scale Depot Buff (water base), including the 7 larger bamboo stalks that mount on the outboard sides of the boat., this color is so close to real bamboo, you have a hard time see a difference. The deck trim (dragon, framing, ladders, etc. are Floquil Sp. Armor Yellow. The Dragon background is Boxcar red with drybrush gold for high lights.

 

[Big Jake]

OK, I couldn't sleep past 3am and I went swimming in the deep water of the net and found these references, from Ship of Scale and the net. Simply hanging the anchor off the bow like many of the pics show makes the ONLY sense. I suspect the still secured the hook from banging against the hull in heavy weather, but in normal sailing, they simply let them hang swing. I think for lack of better proof, I'll do the same BUT only use 2 anchors. I found reference to the style anchor that were used on some of the boats and the one circled is close to the simple style of the kit. I also think the hole by the hook would have been used for a BAR to keep the hook from getting stuck to the bottom, I have just enough room for drilling out a chain link for a buoy, I'm still trying to research IF they use buoy's.

With the kit supplied anchors have the 'Bar hole'.

 

[Big Jake]

Prepped the last of the parts tonight, Vallejo makes several shades of wash these two are my favorites. I decided to go with pale green quarter panels on the bow and stern, just could not talk myself into the pale blue or reds, the green will blend better with the tans and browns anyway.

In the first photo, you see is the spare bamboo the boat carried, the next photo is after a wash down which seeps into the crakes and seems and give a shadow effect.

 

[johnlattanzio]

I dunno which boxing yu have but I noticed today that the pic on the FRONT of the box shows the anchors hanging in the expected way:


Conversely, the picture on the side of the box is like Harry attached them:



I think you are doing a great job so far! I hope to start mne soon but have bee nbusy with work on the Golden Hind ...

 

[Big Jake]

That sure is a strange thing, the company model maker should have known better? I may only use 2 anchors, I wonder why they used 3?

 

[johnlattanzio]

That sure is a strange thing, the company model maker should have known better? I may only use 2 anchors, I wonder why they used 3?

No idea.
I like your approach...maybe go with 2 myself