I am planning on doing a dio of a late model tiger moving to the front in france in July/Aug 1944 and I have read that the Germans stopped putting zimmeret on tanks late in the war. Would this time period be considered "late in the war"? (Really I want an excuse to skip the zimmeret)

Thanks a lot

Cheers

Branden

Sorry - your Tiger would have had Zimmerit.

Oh..... okay.



Cheers

Branden

As Alex wrote - all late Tigers had Zimmerit.

Pawel

Blouie/Branden,

- just so you know I went out and bought a DML 3-in-1 Late Tiger last week and do not look forward to the Zimmerit process it requires as I suck at it. I really do not want to ruin this model. I have read on another forum that a company called ATAK who makes resin after-market Zimmerit has a set out for this model. I have not used ATAK, but I have used Cavalier - a simliar company. They are both the same as far as "how to use" goes - the stuff is so easy to use - if you can find a source - I would get it. I have yet to find a source that I am familiar with who carries it.

Alex,

You and I are in the same boat. I keep thinking of how much I could screw up my new 3 in 1 and it frightens. I didn't want to have to buy an aftermarket kit, but if it needs zimmeret, I dont have the confidence in my skills to do it myself yet.

Oh well, let me know if you find that ATAK kit anywhere.

Cheers

Branden

Hi, Like you, the idea of literally 'making' zimmerit I find somewhat over-powering, so I always look for the aftermarket folks here. Atak and Cavalier being the best with their very thin resin sheets.

I just got a Cavalier resin sheet for AFV Club's Tiger I late kit and was very well pleased with it. The only fault I could find was that the resin mantlet wasn't drilled out so I could use the kit-supplied aluminum barrel--Cavalier provided a resin barrel for this, but I didn't like it. Finally, I just used the kit's plastic front on the tank so I could use the aluminum barrel and will leave the resin piece for another time after I've had time to drill it out.

I have heard it said, and I think it was on here somplace, that Atak is working hard to get a set out for the Dragon kit here before too long. Have patience and I'm sure we will see it by the first of the year.

I got my Cavalier set for the AFV Club kit from Great Models for I think $19.90.

Good luck and take care, Sgirty

Adding Zimmerit, especially in 1/35 scale, is not as intimidating as you might think.

Tamiya makes a photoetched Zimmerit tool, so does AFV club and a few others.

Some guys prefer the hot iron method to melt the plastic, others use squadron green or Tamiya putty.

I have two materials I use, both are excellent, inexpensive, and best of all, if you screw it up, it comes off very easily.

The first is Liquitex Modeling paste. It's basically acrylic gel medium, the same stuff used by ship modelers to replicate water, except it's mixed with finely ground marble dust. The result is a toothpaste-like paste that spreads out easily, skins in roughly 10 minutes, and allows you to imprint it without any trouble. If you mess it up, you have roughly 60-90 minutes to remove it from the plastic before it really hardens. Once hardened, it binds well to the plastic, but can still be removed with a scraper without damaging the plastic. It can be sanded, chipped, scraped, drilled, so you can replicate battle damage and peeled zim with no trouble.

The other stuff is Aves Apoxie Sculpt. It's a 2-part expoxy that has the same attributes as the Modeling paste, except it's smooth like clay and dry. It offers a slightly longer curing time, and is (in my opinion) a little easier to work with. The R/C guys prefer Aves because once it's down, that's it. It binds very well to plastic and doesn't like to be removed once it's down.

Modeling paste will run about $11 for a small tub, that's more than enought to 20-30 tanks in 1/35 scale. Aves will cost about $14, and is a two-part mix. Again, there's enough to do a dozen or more models with one small tub.

Jeff

I've just got the new later Tiger I today as well and have found two places that sell Zimmerit kits for it. Either http://www.martola.com.pl/oferta/index.php?nazwa=tiger&firma=11&numer=35032&skala=7&cena2=&waluta=2&typ=&ile=25&lang=en or
http://jadarhobby.home.pl/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=86&products_id=10481

Happy modelling!

Thanks a lot soren. Now I just have to come up with 25 more bucks.

Cheers

Branden