Shinmei-Zukuri Shrine by catopower - FINISHED - Woody Joe

[catopower]

I haven't been posting much here on MSW lately, but I have been doing a lot of shipmodeling work, spread out across a few active projects.

 

Recently, I kind of hit a slick spot in the road and been spinning my wheels a bit. I got bogged down in some details and got distracted by other things – don't you hate when life gets in the way?  

 

Now, a while back, I got some non-ship model type kits made by Woody Joe – Yes, I've been kind of Woody Joe crazy the past couple years. The Japanese wooden model manufacturer just makes some really cool stuff. Also, someone sent me a 5-story pagoda kit along with some smaller project kits I got, with the idea that I'd write up something about them. Well, I've had them for a while now, and since I've been in a slump anyway, it seemed like it was the right time to take on at least one of them.

 

I picked out the kit called Shinmei-Zukuri Jinjya or Shrine. This is a neat little kit that Woody Joe claims to be a 10-hour project. Of course, with blogging, photographing and all, it would take a lot longer than that. But, the idea is that it's not a forever project. 

I bought the kit from, who else, Zootoyz. It cost roughly $85 plus shipping. Of course, the exchange rate has improved immensely for us after I went to Japan last September when it was terrible. 

 

This is a neat 10" x 10" kit that I will probably gift when completed. It's all laser cut and even includes the landscaping. The instructions look very straight forward.

 

 

The model is that of a very old style Japanese Shinto shrine. The architectural style dates about to the early 6th century Japan. The existing examples of this style of shrine are rebuilt to exact specifications every 20 years, so the style of construction has been maintained for the past 1500 years. This architecture can be seen at the Ise Grand Shrine in Japan's Mie Prefecture. There's a short Wikipedia entry on it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinmei-zukuri

 

If you're interested in the kit, I'm making this a topic of a build log on my blog site here: https://shipmodeler.wordpress.com/category/non-ship-models/shinmei-zukuri-shrine/

 

This should go pretty quickly. Then, maybe I can make some better progress on my ship modeling projects!

 

Clare

 

 

 

 

 

[Eddie]

Hey howya goin Clare mate, it looks like fun I'll be following along with this one take lots of pics as you build.   

[gjdale]

Always interested to follow your Woody Joe builds Clare. This looks like another nice model.

[catopower]

Thanks Grant, Eddie,

 

This is a very short turn-around build. Blogging already takes about 5 times longer than the actual build itself, so I'm just posting the updates on my own site, rather than posting again here. But, I'll upload some update photos.

 

I just completed step 4 out of the total of 12 steps, and now need to write it up. Lots of photos taken though.

 

Here are a few, so you can see how it's coming along. 

 

 

For some detailed descriptions of the steps, please visit https://shipmodeler.wordpress.com/category/non-ship-models/shinmei-zukuri-shrine/

 

Thanks,

Clare

[cog]

NIce build, Clare. I've got a book on Japanese temple construction. Somewhere along the line they state that some joins have a 1 - 2 mm space which will set flush in a century ... those temples are still made with an increadible precision, unable to do with modern machinery, or the knowledge from ages hence

[catopower]

Hi Carl,

 

I'd love to know the name of your book on Japanese temple construction. I think I could learn a lot from something like that.

 

In the meantime, I just posted Part V of my build, which puts me just about half way through completion of the project: https://shipmodeler.wordpress.com/2017/05/04/building-woody-joes-shinmei-zukuri-shrine-part-v/#more-3716

 

Here are some photos...

 

 

 

Thanks,

Clare

 

[cog]

Clare,

 

It is "The Genius Of Japanese Carpentry" by S. Azby Brown, Kodansha International, ISBN 0-87011-897-8 It's about the (re)construction of a hall within the Yakushiji monastry, lots of drawings and pictures, and of course tidbits of knowledge ...

 

Like the construction of the roof timbers, a bit of brass too!

[catopower]

Thanks Carl,

 

I appreciate the info. I ordered a used copy from a Barnes & Noble seller, and got the shipping confirmation today. Looking forward to reading it in a few days!

 

Clare

[catopower]

Just posted Part VII, which will be the next to last post on this build. Things sped up as soon as I finished the roof. 

 

You can catch up with the build here: https://shipmodeler.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/building-woody-joes-shinmei-zukuri-shrine-part-vii/

 

And, in the meantime, here are some recent pics.

 

 

Clare

[catopower]

Well it's done! I finished Woody Joe's Shinmei-zukuri shrine model. It took a while since I was documenting the steps – just posted the 8th and final part of the build.

 

Here are some final pics. If your interested in building this or any other Woody Joe kit, as always, I highly recommend buying from the Japanese online hobby dealer Zootoyz at http://zootoyz.jp.

 

You can read the final post on this build here: https://shipmodeler.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/building-woody-joes-shinmei-zukuri-shrine-part-viii-completion/

 

[catopower]

Carl,

 

thanks for recommending that book. I bought a used copy online. It was waiting for me recently when I'd gotten home. I opened up the package and stood in the doorway for 10 minutes just fascinated by the material in the book. I told boatbuilder Douglas Brooks about it. As you may know, he's been something of a mentor to me on the subject of Japanese traditional boats. Of course, he comments that he knows Azby and he's a great guy.

 

Anyway, I think I'll learn some thing from this book!

 

Clare

[cog]

Clare

Glad it is to your liking. I had a hard time putting it aside to go to work, or bed. I've got Douglas Brooks' book which I enjoyed reading a lot, it doesn't surprise me he knows Azby. There is something appealing about the old ways they still practise their trades in Nippon.

[catopower]

Speaking of Douglas Brooks and the practice of traditional Japanese trades, he's back in Japan now building a cormorant fishing boat (and Ukaibune) under the direction of what I believe is the last of the builders of these boats. He's blogging about it now, which you can follow at http://blog.douglasbrooksboatbuilding.com.

 

This project is being documented (measurements taken for CAD) by Marc Bauer of Tri-Coastal Marine and there's hint that there might be a publication in the works.

 

In the meantime, I'm trying to convince Douglas Brooks to allow the publication of specifications for a couple boats for ship modeling purposes. There are very few plans available for us to build from. Most are published in Admiral Paris's Souvenirs de Marine, and I'm kind of wondering about some of the details on those. Also, those plans are drawn based on western practices, and hard to use as you have to work to extract the information needed to build a model the correct way, based on Japanese practices. At least, that's what I find.

 

Clare

 

 

[cog]

Interesting topic, with all the digital misery we get thrown at us. Using a bird for fishing instead of a sonar. I can imagine the brine soaking of the nails to be creating a better hold for the nails. Rust makes a rough surface, so it should make a nail that much harder to remove. Tough cookie Mr Nasu!

 

Got another interesting book for you, rather corpulent though.

The Japanese House

Heinrich Engel

Pub. Charles E. Tuttle (Japan)

ISBN 0-8048-0304-8

 

This was my first introduction to Japanese building. It has some very interesting joinery in it, which shows the genius of Japanese carpentry - I used some to make a closet/cupboard. I have seen a lot of woodworking, but us westerners can't compare to the orientals

[catopower]

Thanks Carl. I looked for that book and it looks interesting. But, used copies start at $150. So, I think I'll have to wait for the movie... 

 

I know what to keep an eye out for though. In the meantime, I'll focus on "The Genius of Japanese Carpentry" book. One of the side projects waiting for me is Woody Joe's 1/75-scale Horyu-ji 5-story pagoda kit, and I think I will see a lot of the details from that book in this model.

 

It's a nice looking kit, but it will have to wait until I get some ship modeling done. 

 

Clare

 

[cog]

Hello Clare,

Let me know when you start on the temple. Wouldn't want to miss it!!!

 

Cheers

[catopower]

Hey, check this out!

 

I made my first Youtube video, a slideshow really, of the Shinmei-zukuri build. 

 

 

I think it turned out pretty nicely, so I think I'm going to have to do the same for my other builds. But, the most well documented are the fairly recent Woody Joe kits I built. Would be nice to have a square-rigger or at least a schooner in there somewhere.

 

Clare

 

 

 

[andante]

Hello Clare, found your temple site by chance and instantly ordered a pack from Zootoyz. Precise laser cutting and very addictive. You did it beautifully.

 

Architecture model building can be very relaxing. Years ago I built a Lego architecture set, the iconic Villa Savoye by Corbusier and enjoyed it immensely A lot of round and transparent elements.

 

Domo arigato, Olavi

Edited September 23, 2018 by andante

[catopower]

On 8/29/2018 at 9:12 AM, andante said:

Hello Clare, found your temple site by chance and instantly ordered a pack from Zootoyz. Precise laser cutting and very addictive. You did it beautifully.

 

Architecture model building can be very relaxing. Years ago I assembled a Lego architecture set, the iconic Villa Savoye by Corbusier and enjoyed every moment of it. Lots of round and transparent elements.

 

Domo arigato, Olavi

Hello Olavi,

 

Sorry I didn't see your post before. I hope you got your shrine model and have fun and success building it! They have castles, temples, and shrines, but I like this one in particular, because it is such an old style architecture. I also like that it has a little landscaping, so it is about the sacred space and not just the building itself.

 

Gambatte kudasai!

Clare

[andante]

Is there anything more beautiful than Japanese wood joinery? Of course you cannot see much in 1:150 scale but there is no need for that. It is an easy build and looks quite good. The  roof structure of the shrine remains a mystery.

 

What next, maybe a traditional tea house or the Marikoshuku mini house? We´ll see.

[Walt Con]

Enjoy your builds.  Looked at zootoyz.com but didn't see what I was looking for.  So do you know of any wooden kits of the Japanese style foot bridges and of the Torii's.  In time will probably buy some shrine/teahouse from zootoyz.  Right now working on the smuggler by bluejacket.

 

Thanks Walt Con

Walter