Melchior: Finally got a chance to look around your Facebook page. Very cool! Love your Type 5 and Ka-Mi. And I noticed you have one of the Aurora female tanker figures, neat, I've looked at them but not ordered any yet. Love those Objekt 279 'UFO' tanks and that weird T31 demo tank too (never seen it before)! And some really cool Soviet Cold War stuff, very cool stuff all around!

Cool, thanks! I didn't look around your page any further than those links you posted. I'll be sure to check when I get some more time. 

And thanks, I did see those Vallejo paints, I intend to pick them up when my Gunze IJA paints run out. 

BTW: Tracks on, hopefully will have some new photos up this weekend or sooner. 

You may find on my facebook several more pics of Imperial Japanese Tanks ;-) and additionally there's also available made by VALLEJO a set of IJA colors of WWII called "IJA Colors Early/Late 1937-1945" Acrylic Airbrush Colors of 8x 17ml bottles with Ref.No. 71.160

G, far as I know the Type 3 was simply the turret off the Type 4 with 75mm gun mounted on a Type 97 hull. The running gear should be the same.

Those look great but $40.00 bucks is a little rich for my blood. The Vision sets run for about $17.00 and since they snap together are pretty easy to work with.

http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=5393

I just used the kit ones for my last Japanese tank and thought they turned out ok, gosh I need to get some photos taken and the thing posted.

Gamera,

Is the Type 97 track common to the Type 3?  If so, these may be the best solution:

http://hobbyterra.com/product/assembled-metal-tracks-for-type-97-chi-ha-japan-tank-sector35-3538.html

Fully assembled white metal tracks!  I have purchased a couple of sets for other tanks and they look great.  I have done three Friul tracks (Cromwell, Churchill, IS-III) and quickly tired of cleaning out the track pin holes and cutting/inserting/gluing wires.

Ouch G, I used tracks with pins in them like that in Trumpeter's T-28 and they nearly drove me the rest of the way insane. I used the pins that were visible on the outside and left out the ones on the inside that were hidden. They do look good though. 

Vision Models makes a nice set of workable tracks for the Type 97/Type 3 that snap together. I found these workable tracks work better when you put them where you want them and then use liquid cement to lock them in that positon. 

Gamera,

Here is what Modelkasten's Type 3 tracks look like on the sprue.

https://flic.kr/p/F9k8iH][/url]Type 3-01 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

Assembled, they look thus:

https://flic.kr/p/F9k736][/url]Type 3-02 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

They fit well over the kit sprockets, but the links are kind of "wiggly", and the light weight may lead to segments not falling naturally between the return rollers.  I have read about people cementing the track into solid runs to preserve the correct look of the track sag.

Ouch, those sound like a real headache G, but yeah they do look much better finished.  Love to see photos of how they look built up. 

Gamera,

The Model Kasten tracks have end pins which must be inserted into the track with enough glue to secure them in place, but not so much that they fuse two track segments together.  The guide teeth are separate pieces which are much easier to glue on, but are succeptible to tweezer launch due to their small size.  I think the assembled segments feel terribly fragile, and think that I'd better use acrylic weathering washes to avoid having the track fall apart due to any reactions with paint thinner.  They do look very nice though.  I'll dig the model out and post a photo of an assembled section.

Sounds cool G! I have that kit, figured I'd use the 'rubber band' tracks in the package though getting the correct sag with them is yes- a pain. I'm curious how your Modelkasten tracks come out.

Gamera,

OK good to know.  I'll use Silly Putty to mask then.  Thanks for the info!  (It's not going to be built real soon, as I have the Modelkasten plastic indie tracks for this kit and it is quite tedious to assemble!)

Thanks guys!

G, sorry it took a bit to get back with you but things have been a bit hectic. From what I've read the camo shades were sprayed on the tanks. They did have a soft edge to them but tight enough that scaled down to 1/35th they should look hard-edged.

Gamera,

I'm late to the party, but your Type 5 is looking great!  I have the Type 3 partially built, and was wondering about Japanese camouflage application.  Did they spray the green and earth brown on the real tanks, or were they brushed?  And what was the color demarcation lines typically like?  Sharp and clean or fuzzy?  Inquiring minds want to know.

That camo shceme looks great. All the preshading and everthing. 

Oh wow, hello Chieftain! I played WoT for about a year but ended up dropping it about two years or so ago. I still run by the forum every now and again and read the Chieftain's Hatch. Really enjoyed the ones about how the M4 wasn't nearly the disaster Belton Cooper painted it out to be. 

I'll have to look at the instruction sheet when I get home but I do remember the prototype being painted all over Kare-Kusa (parched grass) which is a khaki/ light washed out olive drab colour with no camo. I'll have to check for markings.

Vallejo makes an acrylic primer that should do the trick. Gunze Sangyo makes a lacquer paint with it and the two camo colours as well. I think AK Interactive now also makes a Japanese paint set in acrylic.

Funny, even though I've dropped out of WoT I love how much cool new stuff that's been brought onto the market due to the game. I picked up Trumpeter's Chinese Type 62 light, which is basically the WoT WZ-131 last week, though now I notice WoT has the Type 62 as well.   

PS: Checked the instruction booklet and it doesn't show any markings on the prototype Type 5. The whole tank is shown as straight kare-kusa with no markings at all.

If you're curious, I've started what I presume is the same kit (different box) as my entrant in a group build over on the WoT forum. http://forum.worldoftanks.com/index.php?/topic/487333-scale-model-group-build-anyone/

I have to say, I've not been massively impressed with the kit. It fits well, but I'm getting a fair bit of hassle particularly with casting seam lines and very thick sprue connections to the pieces. Unfortunately, the color sheet in the box is for the WoT model, and I'd rather do the prototype. Can you advise of the 'real' color, presumably your instruction sheet says it?

Thanks Tojo, that means a lot! 

Excellent camo work.

Thanks guys! 

RE: I'm not sure it makes any difference how long you leave the Silly Putty on. I masked off the model for the second colour, painted it and then left the putty on for a week before I added the second layer of putty for the third and final camo colour. I've heard the stuff melting on a model and being difficult to get off but so far I've had no issues with it. Seems using putty with a bunch of paint in it leads to some of the issues. So you might want to replace it every couple of models. And I've been told putting the model in the fridge to cool the putty will make it easier to remove though so far I've had no problems with it. 

Gamera

I used just plain old Silly Putty I bought from CVS for the masking. I wish now I'd taken a photo of her all slimed up but after I finished painting her I ripped it off like a kid opening presents on Christmas morning. 

Gamera I love how you got the camo to come out looking so crisp. I went ahead and picked up some silly putty to attempt it myself, but how long did you wait untill you peeled it off? I can never seem to get it right with masking tape, I end up with either smudges or pulling up paint with the tape from it drying.

Cliff - 

Sir your build is awesome, Every step of this build is great. Your paint work is excellent, and I can not wait to see it completely finished. Keep the commentary and photos coming!

Thanks Bill! 

Some nice work on that camo pattern Gamera, looking good so far!  

Hey Lothar, you always do great work, thanks for sharing- those are beautiful.  I thought I was the only one that ever built these kits outside Japan!

Terry: Actually the puttied one is a smaller Japanese tank I've finished, I just need to get some lights and stuff done and I'll be posting her. I didn't have any photos of the big one with the putty still on it. And yeah, I probably shouldn't have put the antenna on there, but somehow I got the putty off without breaking anything. 

G, In the photo I see the youre working around that antenna. I think the very last thing I do anymore is set the antenna. I've busted soooo many i've learned that i'm too clumsy for something that small. Looks like things are going well and you always do a great job on the paint. 

Terry

, as seen here:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=138969629532714&set=a.126852840744393.24730.100002590329984&type=3&theater

and KUROGANE

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=289365071159835&set=a.126852840744393.24730.100002590329984&type=3&theater

Thanks Bruce. 

I used just plain old Silly Putty I bought from CVS for the masking. I wish now I'd taken a photo of her all slimed up but after I finished painting her I ripped it off like a kid opening presents on Christmas morning. 

I do have some photos where I used it on the smaller Type 3 Chi-Nu here: 

Sorry, Cliff! I kinda drooled a bit! The Camo pattern looks fantastic! How did you get the hard lines for the camo?

Ok, camo and decals are done. Sorry the photos aren't better quality, bad lighting and I applied a gloss coat so they're kinda shiney. After I took the photos I applied a dot filter and set it aside to let it dry. Cross your fingers it turned out ok...