This project was to be a few "firsts" for me; my first foray  into armor modeling in more than 25 years, and my first time building a model in a scale as small as 1/76.

The kit is a very nicely cast and detailed resin kit. Some minor clean-up was required, and some chisel and file work, filling, and fidgeting were required to get a good tight fit between the upper and lower hull halves; but other than that the kit is quite easy to assemble. The kit comes with enough interior detail so that the engine compartment side hatch and the two front hatches can be modeled open, with the interior detail of the engine and transmission visible.

Some additional work and detailing was done to enhance the overall appearance: the front fenders on both sides were cut back, a second stowage box was added to the rear fender, the rear left fender was modeled as "damaged", 5 under-fender supports were made from .005 styrene for each side, the kit supplied 1 piece hatch was cut into 2 parts so that it could be modeled as open, grab handles, brackets, and some interior hatch clasps were made from brass rod, and strip material,  PE hinges and clasps were used to detail the stowage boxes, tools were made from brass rod & sheet stock, and the barrel and tow shackles were drilled out.

As with all resin model kits, all the parts were carefully washed with warm soapy water and a soft brush prior to assembly and painting. (I  washed them on the sprue before assembly, and then one more time after they had been sanded, fitted glued, etc., prior to priming).

All parts were painted using a Paasche 'VL' double-action, internal mix airbrush, with a #1 tip. Brush painting was only employed for filters, weathering and some minor areas of touch-up. The exception was the Primer coat of Mr. Hobby "Mr. Surfacer 2000, which was applied from a spray can.

Based on reading how other armor modelers seem to work, I broke the painting & weathering  process down into the following steps:

Interior Painting & Weathering

Primer Coat

Color Coat

Panel Shading

Washes & Filters

Insignias & Markings

Fading, Chipping & Rust

Clear Coat

Dust & Dirt

Oil Stains

Tracks

Final Pick-up & Touch-up

Some of the approach and steps used here  may be a bit of overkill on a model of this size, but I really wanted to try painting it the same way a 1/35 scale model would be done.

Finishing and painting any model is really a matter of choice, information from reference materials, your artistic impression, and modeling "style/look". Herein I am merely explaining my own "personal" approach, and may not be to your taste, or 100% prototypically accurate. 

Prior to painting the interior, sheet styrene was used to create a Bulkhead between the crew and engine compartments, so the tank would not be "see through". Strip styrene was also added to the sides to provide a backing for a better fit and gluing surface.

Lacking accurate references for the interior of the tank, and noticing a variation in "color value" on many of the old B&W images, I chose to paint the interior in an off-white color. Tamiya XF-2 "Flat White" was mixed with approx 5% XF- "Dark Yellow". The interior of the hull wand the transmission were painted with this, and when dry given light washes of Rembrandt oil paints "Raw Umber" and "Black" in a mix of 5% paint t0 95% thinner. This was then followed by adding "chipping" using a mix of Vallejo , applied with a 0/18 brush.

The engine block was painted with Vallejo acrylics and given a wash of artists oils. While the paint on the exhaust pipes was still lightly "tacky", they were given a dusting of Bragdon's rust colored weathering powders. 

Prior to painting the exterior color the kit was built to a point of various sub-assemblies, that consisted of the turret, the assembled upper and lower hull (with the already painted interior masked off), assembled front drive sprockets, and assembled idler wheels. The road wheels (not shown) and the arms for these were left unassembled, as it allowed for better and easier painting. Other parts such as the hatches, exhaust, rollers, and tools were also painted separately.

After the entire model received a primer coat of "Mr. Surfacer 1200", it was "pre-shaded" using Tamiya XF-69 "NATO Black". I inadvertently shot the pre-shade color a bit too thick and with the airbrush too far from the surface, and it gave me a bit of a "spatter"; fortunately the paint was not thick enough to "telescope" through to the following color layers.

After Letting the "pre-shading" dry for a day, I was ready to shoot the first color layer. This was done using a mixture of  80% Tamiya XF-59 "JA Green", and 20% XF-2 "Flat White", to were added a couple of drops of Tamiya X-22 "Clear", and Tamiya thinner to achieve the final proportion of 60% paint to 40% thinner. The reason for lightening the the green color was two-fold; one so that I could achieve a better "scale-effect" of the paint, and the other to represent a slightly time faded tank. The first color coat is actually a combination of two thin built-up coats of the mixed color.

After letting the first color coat dry for a day; it was time to apply the "panel shading" coat. The purpose of this coat was to further lighten the panel area centers, to create more depth, shape, and further accentuate the faded paint look. to achieve this an additional 10% XF-2 "Flat White" was added to the previous mix. Additional thinner was also added so that the shading could be built up in thinner/finer layers. Due to the subtleness of the effect, and my mediocre photographic skills, it does not readily come across in the photos, however looking at the real model, the effect is discernible and very subtle, yet enhances the overall appearance. 

Road Wheels

The rubber portion of the road wheels was painted using Tamiya XF- "NATO Black", with a some white added for the sides, and black added for the rolling surface. I did not mask the wheel interior area  while shooting these colors, as that and "overspray" basically would work as "pre-shading".  The wheel centers were painted using a circle template as a mask, and were done in the same color coat and panel shading as the hull.

Filters & Washes

After about 8 hours of drying time I started on the filters for the tank. Japanese green tones seemed to have a slight bluish "tint" to them, and this was not yet in evidence on my model. Using a mixture of approx 5% Rembrandt artists oil color "Blue", mixed with 95% Humbrol thinner, and a 1/4" wide soft flat brush, the individual panel surfaces were given a very light "bluish" filter. It is important to cover the entire area of a panel, and not have any puddling around details, in corners, and at the panel edges (as these will show as such when dry). If puddling  happens, use a brush to carefully "wick up" the excess fluid. Some panels and areas that were "in shadow", were given multiple washes, for variation of coloring  and visual depth. 

The filters were then followed by spot/detail washes consisting of a mix of Rembrandt oils colors "Raw Umber" and "Black". These are mixed to various percentages and and shades, but should always be kept to a very diluted mix. it is better to apply multiple washes to an area than do it too dark the first time. The washes were applied into panel joints, around hatches, bolts and other detail areas using a 0/18 brush. Even using great care and not heavily loaded brushes, I found that at this scale there is a significant amount of "bleed" or "seepage" beyond the immediate location of the wash; it takes a bit of practice to find a happy medium of enough "wicking" and minimal "bleed". Here like with the filters, a brush was used to wick up areas where there was too much wash applied.

At this stage in the process is when I would have cut masks or stencils to spray on any insignia and markings that would appear on this tank.

From what I could find, markings on IJA  tanks were not common, and even then were generally limited to Unit Insignia and/or personal insignia/markings. "National Insignia" (such as the flag or rising sun emblem) were seldom painted on IJA tanks.

I had chosen to represent a tank in service in China in 1937. There are no known (or that I could find) divisional markings for the tanks of  "1st Independent Mixed Brigade"  which used these tanks in the Peking region during this time; so in keeping with the possibility that there were no markings on the real tank, none were painted on the model.

After assembling the turret, barrel & mantlet, I next tried to create some paint fading and color variation effects, using a mix of Mig  "Allied Green" & "Panzer Gray" fading pigments. These were applied with a applied with round and flat brushes. I found it quite difficult at this scale to get a controlled feel, and not just have the pigment go everywhere. 

Once satisfied with the fading the next step was to add the chipping, scratches  and wear. This was done using a mixture of Vallejo acrylics "Red Brown", and "Grey Black". Small drops of each color  were placed in a paint tray, and then randomly "dab-mixed" with the brush before each application, so as to achieve a variation in color on the chips. Application of the chips was done with a 0/18 brush.

 Using the 0/18 brush, a mixture of the Bragdon's rust colored weathering powders diluted in Gumbacher "Odorless Thinner", was "flowed" into flange area at the hatch openings. This was done to represent an area were the paint had worn from friction between the hatch and hull, and through moisture accumulating and being trapped in this area, over time is causing it to oxidize.

Lastly the previously painted & weathered exhaust system and cover screen were installed.

After the photos were taken, I decided to come back and add some rust streaks in a few places, by using a needle to place a tiny dab of Rembrandt artist oils "Burnt Umber" in the locations where I wanted the streak to start, then using a small flat brush that was "damp" with Gumbacher "Odorless Thinner", drew the oil paint downward to form the streaking/run..

Staining was done in two ways. One was by mixing thin washes of artists oils & Humbrol Thinner, the other was by done using very diluted Tamiya XF- "Smoke". Both techniques were applied in layered pin washes using an 0/18 brush.

The artists oils were used where/when I wanted the staining to really "wick" into the dust, details, or out from the spill location, and where I wanted to have the ability to better control the various built-up layers. The Tamiya acrylic was used where I wanted the stain to appear more "wet", as it tends to dry in a slightly gloss sheen. Some areas both techniques were combined to achieve the desired result.

The tracks that come with the kit are made of vinyl, and require some flash cleanup before painting. The interior and exterior surfaces were also slightly "roughed" using a fine "sanding stick", so that the paint might adhere better.

The  tracks were given a base coat of Tamiya XF- "Red Brown", over which was applied a thinned wash of XF- "Nato Black". With a flat brush Bragdon's weathering powders were liberally brushed into the tracks so as to leave a thick layer. The tracks were then held vertically, and brush flooded with 90% alcohol, to wash the powders into the corners and make them adhere. Once dry an HB graphite pencil was used to color the exposed metal surfaces that com in contact with the road on the exterior, and the road wheels, drive sprockets and idler wheels on the interior.

I feel that though maybe a bit overdone on some aspects of the weathering, the process has yielded a passable/satisfactory model, and taught me a great deal; though I can see I have a long learning curve ahead of me. It will take a lot more work and practice for me to start producing the quality of models I would like to....but I am glad I have taken this first step down that path. I can also definitely say that I will not again be building in this scale. For my skill level, patience, and eyesight, the detailing limitations, and  general surface sizes/area to work on, is too limiting.

Notes & Credits

The reason behind this project was a desire to expand my modeling skills, learn new techniques, and challenge myself. I thank the staff & moderators at Modellboard.de for having the contest which gave me the impetus to build this tank, and the members of the forum for their acceptance, camaraderie, and support throughout the process. I also want to thank the members of Terrapin group for their support of, and interest in, what I was doing while I was straying so far from narrow gauge modeling.

Before beginning this model I spent countless hours reading through back issues of AFV Modeler, and the Mig Productions F.A.Q. book, culling inspiration, ideas, techniques and approaches from the modelers featured in these. Some techniques were attempted as they were described by the various model builders, while others were adapted to my own taste and approach; but without these resources the project would not have been possible.

The major source of historical information on this tank and the Imperial Japanese Army came from the TAKI Imperial Japanese Army Page , and the Wikipedia Type 95 Ha-Go page. IJA paint color Information came from the reference page at Miniatures.de

In what appears to be an age of disappearing hobby and model shops with an actual "store", I would also like to thank Mission Models for stocking  the kit and all the materials I needed, as well as putting up with, and helping with, my questions.

 Armor modeling is a whole different world today, from when I left it over 25 years ago. 

Materials List:

Tamiya:

 Putty ( Basic Type)

XF-1 Flat Black

XF-2 Flat White

XF-21 Flat Base

XF-58 Olive Green

XF-59 Desert Yellow

XF-65 NATO Back

X-22 Clear

X-20A Thinner

Mr. Hobby:

"Mr. Surfacer 2000"  Spray Can

"Mr. Surfacer 500"  Jar

Vallejo/Model Color

#822 German Camo Black Brown

#862 Black Grey

Humbrol:

Enamel Thinner

Grumbacher:

Turpentine

Pre-Tested Odorless Thinner

Windsor-Newton:

#2 Burnt Sienna

#24 Ivory Black

#33 Prussian Blue

MIG Productions:

#P035 Panzer Grey (Fading)

#P036 Allied Green (Fading)

#P028 Europe Dust

Bragdon's Enterprises:

"Rust" Weathering Powders Set

 Water

90% Denatured Alcohol

Marc Reusser

Dec. 2006