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Chinese Junk - Imai/Aoshima 1:60

Well I just noted an annoying error in the rigging! I have a twisted line in the Main sail sheets...
Pic-0506.jpg

How to replace the line...aaarrgghhh....it is interlocked with others and it would mean removing about 4 lines and two blocks. And the main sail is quite heavy for the mast so it is a delicate job, and I would need to be very careful. I will investigsate trying to untie the end connected to the batten. Some debonder *might* help to get it done, and perhaps leave me with enough line to re-tie it. Wish me luck...

If I am going to do that then I might as well also fix the luff-hauling parrels on the main sail. They were attached before I added the sail to the mast. They should go about half way between the luff of the sail and the mast. Here is the mizzen sail as an example, and a diagram from Worcester.
Pic-0504.jpg1791936870343.png

Luff-hauling blocks marked. All in correct position.

Well I also placed them in the "correct" psition on the main sail before I added the mast. The problem is that the kit wants the mast in a crazy position - bottom batten is on a drooping angle, and its below the deck and way over the side. So I repositioned the mast, and how it is attached to the sail, to get it to sit much better. Now the luff-hauling blocks are too close to the mast and get closer as we go further down the mast...
Pic-0503.jpg

I might be able to fix this relatively easily.

If I am going to fix the twisted sheet (and I am because it is REALLY annoying!) then I might as well try to fix this also.

So...the junk is *not* finished yet...
 
Well I was lucky!

The sheet was tied to a batten with a couple of extra winds of the line around the batten - so it was easily unwound, and thus when removed there was enough to re-tie it! So the sheet was easy.

20261016_111009.jpg20261016_111539.jpg


20261016_111624.jpg
Similarly I undid the spiral line on the luff-hauling parrels and moved the blocks away from the main mast by looping the line around the batten, thus shortening the line. Also, an easy fix!
20261016_110625.jpg

And now...I declare it FINISHED ... except for adding a figure when they arrive :)
 
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John , my friend ,
I would like to say that You managed somehow to create real SWEET from that shit kit !!! :)))
I would like to "kill" that designer of this poor kit for that how much ugly monster boat he made based on origin elegant chinese junks as prototype... but, You managed to make it as nice piece of art !!!
All the best!!!
Кирилл
Ps
Thanks for your building reports I knew some and very interesting things of china sail boat rigging and some interesting facts of China history in common and chinese shibuilding tradition as well... they were ahead of other nations in that time in many fields of life as well as nowadays they are again... I ve been in south China a few times in past few years and it was hard to imagine for me the level of technology and social they are living now...
 
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Thanks Kirill!

I must defend (slightly) the kit maker...! Jake pointed out to me that these older kits (especially) were made for children, the maker probably never imagined people trying to make them as realistic as possible with after-market accessories etc. This may be less true of more modern kits, now that a thriving model making community is trying to make museum quality models from the kits. But for the older kits, they were designed for kids and hence the maker was not obsessed with careful details, I expect.

That said, there are many errors in it. Whoever made it could not have looked much at real junk rigging...or they decided it was too complicated for a kid so they stuck with western rigging? Maybe.

In an event, I owe a lot to people like Kirill and Big Jake who kept me on the straight and narrow. I was going to just build the kit according to the instructions but I got led into the correct rigging (or an approximation to it) and it made the model much better.

Thanks to you guys and everyone on the forums who adds a hint or suggestion here and there. Together we improve each other's work!
 
Ps
Thanks for your building reports I knew some and very interesting for me things of china sail boat rigging and some interesting facts of China history in common and chinese shipbuilding tradition as well... they were ahead of other nations in that time in many fields of life and technologies as well as nowadays they are again... I ve been in south China a few times in past of few years and it was hard to imagine for me the level of technology and social they are living now...
 
Hi Johnlattanzio,
I have looked in on the progress of your great build evert time I am on this site and would like to congratulate you for a job well done on what looked a difficult,not to mention unusual subject. Thank you for sharing.

Kind regards JJ..
 
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