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First attempt at Zimmerit. King Tiger/Porsche turret


Lee in Texas

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Made with Milliput and much of the pattern rolled on with the edge of a lid from a jar of Tamiya acrylic paint. For tight spots, I used a piece of Evergreen strip plastic that was sharpened to a point. For a first effort, I think it's OK, not great. I'm not going to beat myself up over it, though. Internet research has shown real tanks with Zimmerit that looks like it was applied with a CNC machine and others that look like thick finger paint.

 

2v2uLgvsNxeZA4.jpg

 

2v2uLgv4zxeZA4.jpg

 

After finishing the Zimmerit, the kit will be put aside. It will wait for Mom to finish her first ever model. In the same week that she turned 70, she got the little Meng caricature of a Sherman. I took her to an IPMS contest, where she picked up a Dragon/DML kit of a King Tiger. Since it will only be her second model, and much more complex, we will both build DML King Tigers at the same time. If she decides to do one with Zimmerit, I'll find the aftermarket stickers or just get her a kit with it molded that way.

 

 

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You're a braver man than I for doing your own Zim. Not sure if you have a Zim tool, but they're out there for anyone who is contemplating DIY Zimmerit.

 

My preference is resin Zim from Atak. It's hard to come by (I usually order it from a guy in Poland), but it's better than Cavalier and FAR easier than DIY.

 

In any case, a very creditable effort, and should look good painted. You're right about the varying quality of the real thing, though experts have identified particular patterns to individual factories in Germany.

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You're a braver man than I for doing your own Zim. Not sure if you have a Zim tool, but they're out there for anyone who is contemplating DIY Zimmerit.

 

My preference is resin Zim from Atak. It's hard to come by (I usually order it from a guy in Poland), but it's better than Cavalier and FAR easier than DIY.

 

In any case, a very creditable effort, and should look good painted. You're right about the varying quality of the real thing, though experts have identified particular patterns to individual factories in Germany.

 

Yes, my tool of choice for applying zimmerit is called "Buy the kit from Dragon with the zimmerit already molded into the plastic."

 

:rofl:

 

If you can't get a subject you want with molded zimmerit, apply the stuff from Atak which is the best in the industry.

 

If that doesn't work, hire Lee in Texas to do it for you b/c his zimmerit looks pretty darned good!

 

:punk:

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  • 4 weeks later...

Some more progress.

 

2v2uyoDznxeZA4.jpg

 

BTW- working on this kit has shown me it is a huge pain in the neck. Accurate and detailed, but still a pain. I went to the stash and got a Tamiya King Tiger (Ardennes box) and traded it to Mom for her DML. The Tamiya a great kit and better for someone who doesn't want the build to be an ordeal.

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Do not worry about the pattern. It is OK and far better than many attempts I saw. With regard to the thickness and regularity, keep in mind this was a fully manual process and consequently each worker dit it his way with the tools he used in his factory. Indeed, there were patterns but there is an incredible amount of variations regarding the way the pasta was applied. Finding a tank or a batch and trying to reproduce that pattern is generally the best approach.

 

Hth

 

Thierry

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You know, Porsche had absolutely nothing to do with that particular vehicle, right?

 

His design for the chassis was rejected, but they had to use the turrets Krupp built for his design so those were put on the first batch of the Henschel tanks and then they were replaced with the production turret.

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