Type 90 Tank with Mine Roller

Step 1: Support rollers. Laid out the different parts on the instructions to prevent confusion, especially when there are only subtle differences. Orient parts in accordance with the instructions. Drill out the holes in the hull as instructed. There are clear indentations on the inside of the hull. 

The result. No issues. Note that the return rollers are staggered. 

Step 2: Suspension arms. There are two different swingarms. The distinction is the location of the retaining pin positioning the arms. 

By removing the retaining pins, the arms may easily be repositioned. 

Step 3: Wheel assembly. Keep the roadwheels organised according to the part numbers. Insert the Polly caps (short) in both the roadwheels and drive sprockets. There are no Polly caps in the idlers. 

Step 4: Attaching wheels. No issues. The idlers are slightly smaller than the roadwheels and the hole attaching to the lower hull is larger. 

Step 5: Rear panel. Dry fit and compare with the instructions. 

Part B37 x 2 especially the angle. Double check part B27 before you commit to glue. Part B26 x 2 are sloped and can only fit one way where it attaches to part B25. It presents an opportunity to replace the cable with Copper Picture Wire. 

Step 6: Attaching the rear panel. The rear panel and towing cable are an easy fit. I did not glue into position to facilitate painting. 

Step 7: Armoured glass: 1) Brush painted Tamiya Clear Green X-25 on the left, Tamiya Clear Blue X-23 in the center and Blue on green on the right; 2) Airbrushed Tamiya Clear Green X-25 and Tamiya Clear Blue X-23 at a 50/50 ratio thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner at a 50% paint/50% thinners ratio on the left and brush painted the same mixture on the right; 3) Airbrushed Tamiya Clear Green X-25 and Tamiya Clear Blue X-23 at a 50/50 ratio thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner at a 50% paint/50% thinners ratio; 4) Airbrushed Tamiya Clear Green X-25 and Tamiya Clear Blue X-23 at a 50/50 ratio not thinned. Number 4 was my choice. 

Assembling the driver’s hatch and headlights. Clear parts, (4mm x 3mm) x 3 are cut to insert into the driver’s hatch. The headlights should be glued with the convex side facing outside, and were painted with Tamiya Flat White XF-2 as called for. 

 

Step 8: Upper hull. Assemble the top part of the hull. Ensure to drill out the right four holes. The number of indentations may be confusing. The parts are laid out to reduce confusion. 

The surfaces to glue the skirts, parts B16 and B32 to the upper hull is not very wide. The rest of the parts went together without a problem. 

Make sure that you insert part B5 from the bottom of the upper hull. 

Step 9: Upper hull installation. Do not glue together. The skirts sits low over the drive sprockets, road wheels and idlers and you will not be able to remove/return the drive sprockets, roadwheels and idler for painting/weathering. Adding the tracks after painting/weathering will also proof problematic. 

The locations in the instructions for the lifting hooks parts B33 and B34 are vague. The parts should be glued on the outside edge at the top of the lower hull. 

 

Step 10: Upper coupler on the upper hull. Laying out the parts to reduce confusion. 

Fully assembled. Glue should not be applied to certain portions. Ensure free movement of the specific parts as specified in the instructions. 

Step 11: Install the upper coupler. 

Glued inline. 

Free movement of all the parts as instructed is confirmed. 

Step 12: Mine rollers assembly. Laying out the parts to reduce confusion. 

Fully assembled. Glue should not be applied to certain portions. Ensure free movement of the specific parts. 

Step 13: Mine roller arm assembly. Laying out and cleaning up the parts. 

Note the differences between the axels. 

G17 has to fit across this piece in the notch, part F9 and F10 and rotate freely. 

G17 has to fit across this piece in the notch, part F9 and F10 and rotate freely. 

Laying out the parts. 

Parts F6 and F7 is side specific. The wings should face the outside. 

Note that G9 and G10 is directional specific. Before committing to glue dry fit first. 

 

Confirm the free movement of these parts. 

Step 14: Chains. Laying out the parts.  

I started off by attaching the chains, according to lengths indicated on the instructions, to the mine rollers. Afterwards the thin chain linking the two mine rollers were assembled. 

Mine rollers secured to the arms. 

The chain securing the rollers to each other has been secured. 

Step 16: Probe. Laying out the parts. 

Step 15: Attaching the mine roller assembly. The mine roller assemblies are dry fitted to the upper and lower hull. 

The probes glued into place. Dry fitting is essential. 

Step 17: Main Gun. Laying out the parts. Work on the turret commences. 

Construction was straight forward. The barrel required cleaning up. 

Step 18: Turret assembly. Laying out the parts. This step also calls for nine pieces of armoured glass (4mm x 4mm). The interior and periscope opening were painted with Tamiya White X-2, the commander’s seat with Tamiya NATO Brown XF-68 and the loader’s perch with Tamiya Semi-Gloss Black X-18. 

Assembled, including installing the armoured glass/periscopes. 

Step 19: Turret parts. Lay the parts out on the instructions, double check the orientation against the actual drawings, cut the three pieces of armoured glass and test fit before committing to glue. Take care not to glue part B35 and B36 to B38. 

With B19 (yellow oval) posed in the open position, the circled (red ovals) were not removed. 

Step 20: Attaching turret parts. Lay the parts out on the instructions, double check the orientation against the actual drawings and test fit before committing to glue. Take care not to glue part D4 and D5 to D6. Parts A5 x 2 are very small. 

Ensure that the gunner’s periscope is seated properly before committing to glue. 

The hinges D4 (red) en D5 (yellow) must attach to the hatch as shown above. 

Step 21 Attaching turret parts. Part B30 is keyed to go in only one way. The same goes for the wind sensor at the back of the turret. 

The inside of part B30 was painted with Tamiya Gloss White X-2, taped off and then painted Tamiya Semi-Gloss Black X-18. 

 

Step 23: Attaching turret parts. 

Turret parts (smoke dispensers, Gerry cans and BMG). Lay out the parts to minimize/avoid mistakes. The smoke dispensers are side specific. 

Assembly straight forward. 

Remove this extension (top lefthand) as instructed. Do the same for the opposite side. 

 

Step 23 completed. 

Step 24: Turret basket and turret parts building up the righthand side. 

Step 24: Turret basket and turret parts building up the righthand side. 

The turret basket completed. It is suggested add first to part D-7 (base) parts D-20 and D-21 (the sides) and finally part D-14 (back). To allow the glue to properly set, I left the basket on the turret. 

View of the turret basket from behind. 

 

Using the kit supplied mesh on the supplied templates, the mesh for the turret basket was cut out. 

 

Install mesh before attaching the turret basket to the turret. 

This concludes step 24. 

The ends of the towing cable were snipped off and attached to the picture wire. Cannot wait to see it under paint. 

The encircled area is where the plastic cable should be glued to. This had to be addressed to accommodate/attach the metal cable. 

The hole was drilled out and a piece of copper wire was fashioned into cable hanger. 

Dry fitting the towing cable. 

The lower hull components have been primed with Tamiya NATO Black XF-69. 

The entire top hull has been primed with Tamiya NATO Black XF-69. 

The entire mine roller assembly has been primed with Tamiya NATO Black XF-69. 

The entire turret assembly has been primed with Tamiya NATO Black XF-69. 

The two-tone camouflage pattern will be made up from Tamiya Field Grey XF-65 and Tamiya Brown / JGSDF XF-72. The instructions will have mixed up a custom brown. I decided to settle for the standard Japanese brown. 

Tried the colours out on the actual model and on the lefthand side I tried out freehand drawing the camouflage pattern. 

The bottom, top hull, turret, drive sprockets and a number of roadwheels painted with Tamiya Brown / JGSDF XF-72. The remainder of the roadwheels were painted with Tamiya Field Grey XF-65. The rubber part of the roadwheels as well as the mudguards on the upper hull is left in Tamiya NATO Black XF-69. The scratch build towing cable and the roller part of the mine rollers have been painted Ammo by Mig Jimenez Metal Acrylic Color - Polished Metal A.MIG-0192. 

Started by painting all the sub-assemblies with a clear coat before applying Tamiya Field Grey XF-65. 

 

 

Detailed painting on the lower and upper hull:
Indicator lights: Humbrol Orange Gloss 18, Tamiya Red X-7.
Main lights: Tamiya White X-2.
Bumper for mine roller: Tamiya Rubber Black XF-85. 

Return rollers: Tamiya Rubber Black XF-85.
Bump stops: Ammo by Mig Jimenez Metal Acrylic Color - Polished Metal A.MIG-0192. 

Pioneer tools: Metal parts, Ammo by Mig Jimenez Metal Acrylic Color - Polished Metal A.MIG-0192, Wood, Tamiya NATO Brown XF-68. 

Pioneer tools: Metal parts, Ammo by Mig Jimenez Metal Acrylic Color - Polished Metal A.MIG-0192, Wood, Tamiya NATO Brown XF-68. 

Cleaning up with an old toothbrush and MIG Enamel Odourless Thinner A.MIG-2019 

Tracks. Due to the design of the tank, most of the track will not be seen. Tamiya Metallic Grey XF-56 (Outside the track links); Ammo Metal Acrylic Color Steel A MIG-0191 (the cleats were dry brushed); MIG Productions Vietnam Earth P031 (outside track links); MIG Productions Brick Dust P029, MIG Productions Vietnam Earth P031 (spare track links) and Ammo Pigment Fixer A.MIG-3000 (to fix the pigments). 

After touching up the tracks with pigments, both inside and outside was painted/saturated with Tamiya Flat Clear XF-86. 

 

 

 

The camo scheme on the turret applied. 

 

All sealed in with Tamiya Clear X-22 and left to dry. 

Decals applied to depict a vehicle from the Hokkaido 7th Division, 71st Tank Regiment, 5th Company. No problems experienced. All sealed in with a clear coat and left to dry. 

Figures: Base coat Tamiya Buff XF-57. 

A brown filter was applied. 

The basic camouflage pattern has been painted. Ready for detailed painting. 

Mine roller attached to the tank. 

 

 

 

 

 

Bits of stowage were chosen from the Tamiya Allied Vehicles Accessory Set No. 35229 and painted up. The undersides are hollow and was filled with pieces of styrene and putty, left to dry to allow for shrinkage. 

The turret after a black oil wash. 

An AI generated photograph of the intended oil dot filter layout. 

Dot filters applied. 

 

 

Pigments applied and left to dry. Left to dry after which a clear coat will be applied. 

The pigments on the mine rollers need some toning down. 

 

Black soot applied to the grill at the back. 

 

The towing cable needs some pigment treatment. 

The rust pigments on the mine rollers need some toning down. 

I started some chipping using a pencil. This will be continued after a clear coat. 

A closeup of the stowage added. 

This is what I have in mind. 

Building up the diorama gradually. A hairdryer was used to flatten the bristles where it was realistically flattened by the tank. 

The diorama completed. Awaiting a flat clear coat on the bushes. A nut and bolt were epoxied in to secure the model.