Hey All,

I am getting ready to apply zimmerit to a King Tiger with Apoxie Sculpt. How do I put on the pioneer tools and other details once the zimmerit is applied?

Thanks,
Aaron C.

Mask off the attachment points first, when zimm is dry, remove and attach tools.

Another approach is to get all your details prepaired, then once you apply the zim, stick them into place on the epoxy. It will hold them really well, and its a bit easier to me this way.

Clair

I'd follow the advice of the article over on Track link, which has you putting small squares of styrene over the attachment points. The real brackets stand proud of the surface, so I'd stay away from just sticking the tools into the apoxie sculpt. Thus, putting on these squares first, then the apoxie, and then the tool brackets w/tools, is probably the best way.

Rob

Easy.

Drill through the holes, apply the Zimmerit, punch out while still dry from inside through the holes et voila.

Thanks guys for your replys, I was going to put small squares over the attachment points but I thought I would get other examples first.

Thanks,
Aaron C.

Personally I use glue :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)


I'm sorry I just couldn't resist. But yea the best way is to mark the spot and leave a small area to attach too unless you went with Cavalier in which case that is all nicely molded into the Zimm sheets for you

Follow-up question for those of us not familiar with German armor technology:

What is zimmermit?
What was it made of?
What was its purpose?
Why did only the Germans use it?

Thanks,
Whiskey6 (Dave)

That I don't know, but Zimmerit was a paste applied to German armour as a counter-measure against magnetic mines.




Exactly, that is unknown. Some say it contained sawdust, but it's actual contents are unknown. The paste neutralized the magnetic characteristics of the steel, the ridges made into the paste were to increase the distance between the armour and the magnetic mine, without increasing the weight of the added Zimmerit.




To prevent attaching magnetic mines.




The Germans were convinced that magnetic mines were a huge threat to their tanks and other armour. They themselves used magnetic mines in great numbers, and expected their opponents to do the same.

Other countries didn't put so much emphasis on magnetic mines.

And after all, give a German a problem, and he's bound to come up with an effective albeit complex solution.

Here are some answers

Zimmerit: History and How-to


Zimmerit

To be precise, the Zimmerit did not 'neutralize' the magnetic characteristics of steel, the steel not being magnetic in the first place. The Zimmerit was a barrier coat. A magnetic mine has only a certain magnetic strenght, and the thickness of the Zimmerit layer stopped mines from magnetically sticking to the metal by increasing the distance between the hull and the magnet. A stronger magnet would stick, regardless of the Zimmerit. The ridges were applied to create a rough surface that would not allow 'sticky' bombs (such as the British Gammon Bomb) to stick. Thus the Zimmerit was only to be applied on Vertical surfaces, as application on horizontal surfaces (such as hull and turret roofs) was pointless.
It is curious to note that there are plenty of photos of smaller Panzers (Panzer IV, StuG's) with Zimmerit all over (mudguards, hull roof, skirts.) but there seems to be very little (if any) evidence of this happening with the Panther and Tiger.

Cheers
Henk

Many thanks for the education. I didn't have a clue!

The Marines used wooden "armour" and sandbags on their tanks in the Pacific for the same reason. The Japanese infantry would attack the tanks from the side with magnetic mines. The end result was not only the addition of wooden planks to the sides of the tanks, but also a major change in Marine tank-infantry tactics that continues to this day.

Semper Fi,
Whiskey6 (Dave)