Japanese Army Type 97 81mm Mortar

[BOUGAINVILLE]

Hi all,

This is the latest project that I've just completed.

It is a Japanese Army Type 97 81mm Mortar

Filled at the Okayama Army Arsenal in July 1942.

Is fuzed with the Type 100 Instantaneous Short Delay Fuze.

Before I started besides originally having the wrong fuze it also had been repainted black with no markings left. So basicly I had to strip it down and soak it in evapo rust and then once all traces of rust had been removed I then started from bare metal and worked my way up from there.

Cheers,
BOUGAINVILLE

 

[.*.*.]

Ten out of Ten - Excellent Job. The lettering must have been tricky ? WF

 

[BOUGAINVILLE]

Yea you're not wrong. By now I've got it down to a fine art and have developed a few tricks. Basically I make up the stencils on the computer from either a photo or other sources. I then print it out on plain printer paper. Using a Stanley knife I carefully cut it out leaving stencil joins where needed. Once cut I lightly smear the back of the stencil with PVC wood glue and then with electrical tape on the edges I position it correctly on the surface. The wood glue is to keep the edges of the stencil down so that I don't get paint drift.

I then place some newspaper over the top with a hole cut to reveal the stencil lettering. With a spray can I then spray straight onto the paper away from the stencil at the same time adjusting the pressure so as to obtain a whisk of spray. Once this is achieved I then sweep over the stencil areas with a slow even motion. After which the stencil is removed. Any PVC glue will come off with a gentle rub when the paint is dry. I then get a very fine paint brush and using a wee bit of the spray paint sprayed onto a section of the newspaper I then fill in any stencil marks etc.

After a day or so I then give it a light rub over with methylated spirits to take the new look away from it and to give it a wee bit of an old feel about it.

 

[Dronic69]

Hi Robert,

Another *excellent* restored item!!! Great Job Mate!

{Yeah, they unfortunately don't make letteraset for Kanji characters.............humm, perhaps in Japan?}

Cheers
Drew