Desperate David and the Japan Type 1 SPG - FINISHED!!!!!

[DavidWomby]

So, in an attempt to break out of modelling doldrums, I am building the only tank in my stash. I have no idea why I ever bought it. It has no box but came in a bag labelled $3. So I picked it up at a show or something 10 or more years ago.

It is Tamiya mould 35095: Japan Type1 75mm Self Propelled Gun. I have the instructions and decals and all the parts except one small idler wheel which I think I can make a replacement for. I may not use the two crew figures. Here's the parts pics:

Instructions.

Sprues







The vinyl tracks (like large versions of the Airfix ones) are in horrible shape. Literally - they are horribly misshapen from years of being stuffed just stuffed in the bag. I have improved them a bit and they'll be useable (just) but I may see if I can find replacements.





David

[TobyC]

Never heard of it. Must be the biggest armoured vehicle they produced. Good luck with the tracks.

[Softscience]

Fruilmodels (sp?) make a set of metal tracks for the Chi-Ha/Ho-Ni series of tanks. They probably cost more than what you would pay for a new kit though.

I think you have the right idea with the track down to straighten it. You may also want to blast it with a hair dryer, and or dip in hot (not boiling) water.

[Softscience]

oh and, this is one of the best kits Tamiya made in the late 70s. Its a fun build as well. Enjoy yourself.

[DavidWomby]

Fruilmodels (sp?) make a set of metal tracks for the Chi-Ha/Ho-Ni series of tanks. They probably cost more than what you would pay for a new kit though.

I think you have the right idea with the track down to straighten it. You may also want to blast it with a hair dryer, and or dip in hot (not boiling) water.

Thanks. I did discover some less expensive aftermarket tracks here:

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/VM9003

but nobody seems to have them in stock. Since I paid $3 for the kit, I'll try to get by with the awful vinyl tracks.

David

[jssel]

Thought I would chirp in here. I have built Tamiya 35 scale armor in which the vinyl tracks were very much wrinkled and have found that the tension between the drive sprockets and the return wheels were enough to straighten out everything. Never was very good at cleaning up the mold release lines on the edges of the tracks however. Save your scratch and just build it. It will turn out great.

[ShaunW]

This is a great old classic Japanese kit David and it should hopefully be a fun build for you. I've also experienced what appeared to be badly screwed up tracks in an old Tamiya kit (Tiger) but they straightened out after a bit of stretching over the wheels. Those olde worlde rubber tracks are a pain to clean up though and I usually hide any defects as best as I can with a bit of weathering.

[Titan]

Well that's good to know Shaun as I have this kit as well and the last time I looked at it I was thinking about getting replacement tracks.
Looks a nice kit in the box so it's going to be good seeing it built by David in this GB.

Regards
Mark

[DavidWomby]

This is a really nice kit. very detailed and crisply moulded and, so far, good parts fit. The suspension is done and some of the hull is started.





I also managed to mould a passable replacement for the idler wheel I was missing.



Next steps will be some more hull work and probably painting the wheels and the suspension area.

David

[jssel]

Nice work David. Good progress all around.

[DavidWomby]

The main reason I build my aeroplane models 'in flight' is because I think they look better that way. A close second is because I hate painting wheels and tyres.

There will be no pic in this update because all I have done all day, and they're not all done yet, is paint wheels and tyres - 34 of them!

David

[ShaunW]

Good start David and a nice bit of home moulding to make the replacement wheel. Mmmmm, painting wheels and tyres is the one thing I really dislike about building certain tanks. Vehicles with all-steel road wheels are not too bad, but when tyres are involved it can rapidly become....very tyresome (sorry, I'll get my coat ).

[DavidWomby]

It's going slowly but here's some progress pics. I am brush painting the roadwheels and tyres by hand. There's just enough raised wheel rim to let me get the brush (pretty much) where I want it. It's a slow business though. Unfortunately, I had assembled a few wheels before I realised they are easier to paint this way on the sprue.



The nice things about tanks is I can do the wheels for a bit then when I get fed up, work on the hull.



I plan to start building the main feature, the 75mm gun, today too.

The paint scheme is a three colour camo (Earth, Dark Green and Red Brown) with a khaki interior. I have 2 of the correct paints and will use the closest I have for the other two. The camo pattern is referred to as 'floating cloud'. Seems an odd name for those colours to me. The picture Tamiya gives of an assembled model look as though the camo is brushed on. Is that right or would airbrushing be more accurate?

David

[jssel]

Hopefully someone will know better on the technique for camo painting here. But I have heard stories, in particular with German Armor, that built in compressors allowed the crews to spray colors in the field. Colors coming in a paste form and could be mixed with water, gasoline, whatever. The different medium must have made for some pretty weird colors. Or applied with mops, brushes etc.

Bueller......Bueller.........anyone?

[DavidWomby]

Hmmmm. A couple of challenges today. I don't find the instructions very clear about the sequence of fitting some parts of the hull. I missed one bulkhead out but managed to get it later in somehow.

I suspect sprues A and B are obviously from the original Chi Ha tank kit and sprue C came later with the unique SPG parts including the gun. So far, sprue C is a bit disappointing. The fit of the gun barrel halves and muzzle is poor and I've had to putty those seams.

David

David