Yakatabune by Catopower - FINISHED - Woody Joe - 1/24 scale - Small

[catopower]

The Yakatabune has a walkway platform on either side of the deck house, allowing the boatmen to travel more easily between the bow and stern ends of the boat. 

 

In building this, I'm noticing the use of parts which aren't laser cut and aren't simply cut strips of wood. There is a strip, Part 19, that has an L-shaped cross section. So, this is a milled piece of wood. In fact, as I look through this kit, there are several parts that are milled so that they are notched or slotted. This is kind of a carry-over from the older Woody Joe kits, before they had laser cut parts. But, it's kind of nice.

 

On a Western kit, I think one would be expected to make an L-shaped cross section by gluing together to strips to for the L. Slotted pieces I expect would have to be built up similarly. But, not only are there these parts, but also a fair number of pre-cut parts as well.

 

I also notice some parts are simply pre-cut, again not by laser. It doesn't affect the build in any way, but it's just interesting to see, since we don't often see this in American or European kits.

 

Some milled parts.

 

Pre-cut parts

 

And more pre-cut parts

 

 

Actually, looking back, I realize the parts for the stand were milled and machine cut too. But, the parts are perfectly cut parts, clearly it's not like the old days of die-cutting. I'm guessing they are actually CNC milled. Woody Joe does make some other wood products including castle and temple and small structure kits, plus Japanese flower holder kits and I don't know how much other stuff. 

 

Clare

 

 

 

[BRiddoch]

Clare,

Thanks for inspiring me to get back to work on Higaki Kaisen.

 

Bob R.

[catopower]

Glad to be of some help, Bob. Heck, your build helped inspire me many times, so I'm glad to return the favor!

 

Well, the last couple of days, my brain has just been all fuzzy. I'm not in a ship modeling rut, just a general rut. Looking forward to our local gathering of forum ship modelers in Vallejo tomorrow. Maybe that will wake up my brain a little.

 

Am managing this post, though, so I guess I'm not totally fried...

 

 

Okay, so about that walkway platform. The kit instructions translate this to either railing or parapet. I'll just call it railing. Here's the translation I worked out from the instructions for this step:

Step 15 Installation of Railing, Part 1

•Refer to the plans in the installation of the walkway.

 

Cut (planks ends) flush with the edge of the beams

Trim off the protruding ends of the beams

 

 

This step requires a little soaking and bending of wood strips. Again, definitely wet the wood thoroughly before trying to bend it. Bends very nicely when wet, no heat required.

 

Walkway planks added.

 

Closeup of the walkway planks. You can see the beam sticking out a little at lower left that will need to get trimmed flush with the planking. Also, I think you can make out that the outer planks here are the L-shaped ones. This creates a little lip against which the posts of the side railing fits against.

 

Carrying on to complete the rail installation...

 

 

Step 16 Installation of Railing, Part 2

• Please assemble the handrails according the full size diagrams.

 

Mount the railing to fit up against the lip

 

 

With pre-cut parts for the rail stanchions, this step is pretty simple. It just requires a little pre-bending of the rails themselves, and the stanchions should be kept vertical, so they aren't all perpendicular to the rails themselves.

 

Rails assembled according to the full-size plan sheets

 

The stanchions aren't pegged in, just glued. I'm using Titebond, so I want to clamp them firmly in place until glue sets

 

Both rails now in place

 

Closeup of the rail detail.

 

 

It's at this point that I really started to look at this model as a really nice example of a very Japanese boat. The concept of the pleasure boats with several people out on the water for an evening and watching fireworks over the river on a warm summer night is a very charming image.

 

In a previous post, I mentioned Japanese lanterns. Then, the person who suggested them had a though about how maybe these standing floor lanterns might not have been used by a boat that might rock and they might tip over, which I really did wonder about. Then, I spoke with my Japanese music teacher (I have been a student of the Japanese 3-stringed lute called a "Shamisen" for about 10 years now), who used to live in Asakusa, which is a part of Tokyo with a traditional Edo period theme (well, that and lots of old style shopping).

 

As far as Japanese people go, my teacher is pretty connected with traditional culture and she's been interested in my traditional Japanese boats, but especially the Yakatabune. I think it's a real cultural symbol of "the good life" and very important to many people when they think about it.

 

Anyway, I mentioned the lantern to her and about the possibility that they might have had to use hanging lanterns because it was in a boat. She pretty confidently dismissed that idea. I guess the idea is that floor lanterns were classy and the hanging ones, not so much, except outdoors. Probably the boatmen worked pretty hard to not rock the boat.

 

Thinking about it, it's not like there were any power vessels at the time to create big wakes, so not much reason for a decent sized boat to rock. So, I'm sticking with the floor lanterns idea, which I'm really glad about.

 

Clare

 

[GLakie]

She's coming together nicely Clare, and with so many pre-milled and not laser-cut parts, is something that makes for an attractive prospect for future buyers like me.

[Canute]

Clare, it looks a well thought out kit.  A nice, graceful craft. The CNC milling and wood selection really helps to make it a beauty. Thanks for sharing it.

[Salty Sea Dog]

I really like the idea of the floor lamps and am looking forward to see how that will be done. This is a great kit. Even the stand has a simple elegance. If I remember the Japanese word correctly, there's a Shibumi quality to this.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Salty Sea Dog

[catopower]

Hey George, Ken, Buck, thanks for the nice comments!

 

Buck, I had to look that word up, I don't actually know very much Japanese. But, I think you're right, about the stand and all. I'll be playing around a bit with the lanterns. I think it's harder to figure out what would have been in use than it will be to actually make them. I'm looking forward to that part.

 

Been away on business most of this week and have events last weekend and not much time to do fun stuff, so no updates until later this weekend. But, stay tuned!

 

Clare

[marcjp]

Hi Clare

 

You are doing a very nice work on your Yakatabune.

 

Regarding your lighting problem, it seems that they did not use floor lamps, they would not be stable enough, but they used lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

 

You can have a look at the following Edo period Ukiyo-e and see the lanterns inside the ship.

 

 

 

 

However if you still prefer to make floor lanterns to avoid the wires going to the ceiling (which I understand), a traditional Edo design could be nice:

 

 

This one could be more stable on a ship and looks very Edo style.

 

 

Anyway it is just a suggestion

 

Have a great build, I cannot wait to see the next steps.

 

Cheers

 

Marc

[Jason]

Neat project!  The lighting is a really nice touch.

Edited July 18, 2015 by Jason

[catopower]

Hi Marc,

 

Seems that you're the second person in Japan to send me that same black & white graphic. Thanks for the images of the paintings showing the hanging lanterns. That did come up and it really does make a lot of sense. Wiring to the ceiling isn't impossible, it just has to be carefully hidden. Or rather, it OUGHT TO BE carefully hidden. The kit doesn't tell you to do that.

 

I know there were floor lanterns on ships. Someone sent me a photo from a museum. Looks like a Higaki Kaisen in the background.

 

 

But, this one seems kind of big for the Yakatabune.

 

I'm still going to be giving this some thought. Personally, I think the boxy-shaped floor lantern will be easier to make and light than the round hanging lantern.

 

By the way, I got a neat surprise in the mail today from Japan. Woody Joe recently released a third wasen mini-kit, a mini-Yakatabune. This was sent to me by my friend at Zootoyz, which sells these kits internationally (and I highly recommend his simple online shop). This is a simple mini-kit that lists for 5500¥. Build time is supposed to be about 8 hours. For 18000¥, the larger Woody Joe kit is a better buy. But, the mini-kit seems nice if you want something small or something quick to build.

 

 

I'll probably make a more elaborate post in the thread I started elsewhere on Woody Joe kits on MSW.

 

Right now, I'm mostly distracted by a brand new book release by boat builder Douglas Brooks. His book will be available through normal online channels, but you can buy a signed copy now direct from him through his website Douglasbrooksboatbuilding.com.

 

 

Brooks is an American boatbuilder who, in an attempt to preserve the disappearing art, studied Japanese traditional boatbuilding through five apprenticeships with master Japanese craftsmen, where he was their final and in most cases, their only apprentice.

 

He is scheduled to talk about the subject at the NRG conference in Mystic, CT, this Fall. If you prefer to wait, I'm sure you can get your signed copy from him there.

 

Clare

 

Edited July 18, 2015 by catopower

[catopower]

Thanks for the comments Jason. I'll be posting the next update some time today.

 

Clare

[catopower]

Kind of moving right along here, there are four steps remaining to complete the basic hull. These are mostly pretty quick and involve finishing the stern, building the rudder, adding oar mounts, and finally, adding the gallows-like rudder support and hanging the rudder from it.

 

These were very quick steps and, unfortunately, I managed to get through them without taking any photos until after much of it was done. Here is the next step:

 

 

17 Stern Assembly

 

 

• Fit parts 9A and 9B so that they fit flush with the upper and lower planking

 

While not mentioned specifically in the instructions, you should install strips 18 and 40 so that the inside edges are flush with the hull planks, like the rail in Step 14.

Round the corners

 

Not much to add here. It's a quick step.

 

 

18 Rudder Assembly

 

 

There are only notes listed on the plans. The rudder post is made from a length of part 24. 15mm of the top end is square stock, while the remainders is first rounded. The rudder post is then tapered flat so that at the bottom end, the thickness exactly matches that of the rudder.

 

Not shown here is a black-and-white diagram showing the cross section of the rudder post at various points.

 

The tiller is a rectangular cross-section where it attaches to the rudder. About half way down it's length, the cross section becomes more circular.

 

Note that I felt that the rudder seemed rather large for a small river craft. Steering is mostly accomplished by the boatman at the stern who is propelling the boat using a sculling oar. Other boatmen might also be pushing off a shallow lakebed or riverbed with a long bamboo pole. So, the rudder seems a bit extraneous. I went ahead and remove the trailing panel of the rudder, which is about 1/3 of it.

 

The following photos were taken near the end of step 20. You can see the rudder support and other details in place.

 

 

 

The rigging line shown in the photos is part of the rudder lifting gear. It's tied into place but just hasn't been trimmed yet.

 

 

Clare

 

 

 

[GLakie]

She looks great Clare, and thanks again for posting the individual steps. 

[catopower]

Thanks George. Had to slow down a bit due to meetings and other commitments. Also have other projects people are waiting on. But, we're now on page 10 of a 16-page instruction book, so I've got to keep on moving. Also, I've got some ideas for the next Japanese boats display and planning to make some connections regarding that. I will need this model for that display too, so there's plenty of incentive to keep working on the Yakatabune.

 

 

 

Step 19 is another pretty short one, now dealing with some of the stern assembly:

 

19 Assembly and Installation of the Rudder and Oar Receiver

 

• Insert the rudder from the top of the rudder pedestal

 

Inset: Assembling the Oar Receiver

  Make 2 pieces

  Cut piece of dowel, part #23, 4mm long

  Trim to a cone shape

 

You can see the details of these parts in the photos of my last post.

 

Clare

[catopower]

I was going to save Step 20 for next time, but I started to work on the translation to get it out of the way. Now, I might as well post it!

 

20 Assembly and Installation of the Rudder Support

 

• Assemble the rudder support and attach to the rudder support pedestal.

 

Center the crossbeam on the support posts.

 

• Attach thin rigging line to rudder and wrap line around the rudder support crossbeam. Tie off using a clove hitch.

 

• Install part 9C as per the cutaway view and full size plans.

 

 

 

Note that a length of small rigging line needs to be secured to part 9C in such away that it forms a loop a maximum of 38mm long.

 

 

 

This actually brings me up-to-date with where I'm at on the model today. Next steps involve the construction of the deck house and its details. 

 

 

Clare

Edited July 27, 2015 by catopower

[RichardG]

Clare,

 

I'm about to start my mini Yakatabune kit. Do you put any finish on the wood?  It's for my daughter and she loves the smell of the wood but if I don't put any finish on it, I think it's going be difficult to clean any dust off.

 

Thanks,

Richard. 

[catopower]

Hi Richard,

 

The Mini-Yakatabune looks like a really nice kit.

 

Personally, I haven't put a finish on these. I don't worry about dust because I put them into cases, and Hinoki is also naturally mildew resistant. 

 

If you check with Bob Riddoch, I think he's using some wipe-on poly on his Higakki Kaisen, giving the wood a nice darker color and sealing it too. Anyway, you really only get the smell of the wood when it's wet or freshly cut, so the completed model won't have that nice smell. If your daughter really loves the scent, you might just get her a small bottle of Hinoki Oil or some Hinoki Soap. Now that I say that, I may just have to get some myself!

 

Clare

[catopower]

Before going one with my build, first things first. Took the model to a ship model meeting last month and by the end of the meeting, found the tiller broken off, lying on the deck. It was a simple, clean glue break, but I left it for a few weeks and didn't do much on the model. Then this past Saturday, I needed to take something over to work on our model workshop on Hyde Street Pier, so I took the Yakatabune. I was really glad I did because nobody else showed up and I got a bit of work done.

 

Anyway, the tiller was a simple glue attachment, so this time, I drilled it out and peg it this time, using a piece of 1/32" stiff brass wire.

 

At the workshop, I continued with the next step, Step 21, which deals with the sliding screen panels. 

 

The instructional text:

 

21 Assembly of Sliding Doors

 

• Sliding Doors A, make 12 pieces.

• Use Shoji paper A, printed side up.

 

The last line was hard to translate correctly, but the gist is that part 11 should stick out 1mm on each end when it is glued to part 12. It makes more sense when looking at the instructions. This line refers to the image at the very left side.

 

 

There is a second half to these instructions that is almost identical to the first, except that it refers to another set of sliding doors...

 

• Sliding Doors B, make 8 pieces.

• Use Shoji paper B, printed side up.

 

 

i didn't add the paper yet screens yet. That's coming up next.

 

 

 

 

Clare

 

 

 

Edit: The 1mm ends of part 11 form tabs that fit into slots, allowing the screen to slide. Part 11 is on the FRONT side of the doors. If the shoji screen paper is going to fit securely, the door pieces need to all be flush on the front side. Problem is that the other pieces are a different thickness than the 11/12 assembly. So, you just have to be aware. I didn't catch this initially and had to adjust, re-gluing some pieces part way through.

Edited August 31, 2015 by catopower

[Cap'n Rat Fink]

Looks great Clare! Went to their site. How do you even order something when you can't read their language?

 

Mario

[catopower]

Thanks Mario,

 

Woody Joe doesn't do direct sales anyway. I recommend ordering from my friend Kazunori Morikawa at Zootoyz.jp. His site is in english and service is very good and prices are reasonable. Here's a direct link to the Woody Joe ship model kits: http://www.zootoyz.jp/contents/en-us/d67_Woody_JOE_Wooden_Sailing_Ship_Model.html. The Yakatabune kit is about halfway down the first page.

 

Clare

[catopower]

Got on a bit of a roll and finished steps 21 through 23. I'll come back and fill in some of the details later, but here are some progress pics for now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clare

[UpstateNY]

Hi Clare,

 

Been enjoying following along.  

 

Pictures of your assembled cabin and hull are wonderful. I love the color of the wood against the shades.  

 

These kits look to be a real pleasure to build and looking forward to the next series of updates.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

Edited August 31, 2015 by UpstateNY

[BRiddoch]

Looking good Clare. I am also on somewhat of a roll and expect to have Higaki Kaisen completed by the end is Sept.

 

Bob R.

Edited August 31, 2015 by BRiddoch

[GLakie]

Very nice work Clare!  Love those macro shots!!  

[Cap'n Rat Fink]

Thanks Mario,

 

Woody Joe doesn't do direct sales anyway. I recommend ordering from my friend Kazunori Morikawa at Zootoyz.jp. His site is in english and service is very good and prices are reasonable. Here's a direct link to the Woody Joe ship model kits: http://www.zootoyz.jp/contents/en-us/d67_Woody_JOE_Wooden_Sailing_Ship_Model.html. The Yakatabune kit is about halfway down the first page.

 

Clare

 

Hey Thanks Clare! You are a gentleman and a Scholar!

 

 

Mario

[druxey]

I'm thoroughly enjoying your posts and progress, Clare. It's nice to see something different being constructed.

[catopower]

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. This is a fun build and I'm learning quite a bit from it. 

 

When I look at those close-up photo form inside the deck house, I imagine being inside and drinking tea or sake, maybe listening to music played by a geisha, feeling the gentle rocking as the boatman sculls us along the river on a warm Summer's evening. Of course, everyone's invited along – good company is mandatory!

 

 

Tatami Room

 

The floor of the cabin is covered with Tatami mats, roughly 2" thick straw-filled mats, so I did some reading up on the Internet.

 

Tatami were originally a luxury item used by nobility, but they became popular among common households by the 18th century. Tatami mats are made in standard sizes. A full sized Tatami is twice as long as it is wide, and there are half-sized, square Tatami. While standard sized, apparently, sizes varied a little depending on region. Assuming this boat is from the Tokyo (Edo) area, Tatami are 0.88m x 1.76m.

 

 

Found this image on the Internet of a full-size mat. This is from oriental-decor.com

 

 

The layout of the Tatami determined the dimensions of rooms. The yakatabune's cabin is a 4-Tatami room, since 4 mats, laid side by side, exactly cover the floor. From this, I determined that the actual scale of the model has to be 1/25-scale, rather than 1/24-scale. 

 

At the top of the image attached below, I show the layout of the Tatami as described in the kit. I'm considering using a different layout for better visual interest (see the bottom layout in the attached image below). Also, there will be a small table that will straddle the seam in the middle of the alternate layout I'm considering, and I think the layout means that fewer guests will be seated on top of a seam.

 

 

After I came up with my alternative layout, I found another image on the Internet that showed some room layouts. Notice that there is only one layout that is the same dimensions as the yakatabune's cabin, and it is the same as my alternate layout.

 

Found this image on the Internet of some room layouts. This is from store.zentai.com.au

 

 

An interesting note from the source for the above image indicates that Tatami are never placed in such a way that the corners form a "+", as it is considered to bring bad fortune. I think the Chinese would call it bad "Feng Shui". I guess this means that the kit's proposed layout is okay. To me, seating guests on the seams of Tatami also seems like it's not great Feng Shui.

 

Yeah, I'm kind of jumping ahead here, but it's all part of research!

 

Clare

 

 

 

 

[BRiddoch]

I like your alternate version.

 

Bob R.

[Landlocked123]

Hey Thanks Clare! You are a gentleman and a Scholar!

 

 

Mario

Mario,

 

You forgot the rest of the the quote......."You are gentleman and a scholar and a judge of good liquor and there are dammed few of us left".

 

Best,

John

[Landlocked123]

Hey Thanks Clare! You are a gentleman and a Scholar!

 

 

Mario

Mario,

 

You forgot the rest of the the quote......."You are gentleman and a scholar and a judge of good liquor and there are dammed few of us left".

Edited September 2, 2015 by Landlocked123