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Friday, December 16, 2016 - 10:32 AM UTC
It is said that there are many ways to skin a cat. The same may be said for replicating Zimmerit on a big cat such as the King Tiger. Meng Model approaches the challenge by releasing a product that may be applied just as you would do with a waterslide decal.

SPS-039 German Heavy Tank Sd.Kfz.182 King Tiger Zimmerit Decal by Meng Model does not need special tools, as it is applied like normal decals. Just slide it onto the model, press down with a cotton swab removing air and water, and the results are that of a realistic Zimmerit surface achieved in less time and effort.
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Comments

At least they giving you a lot of choices, it's up to you now to use this option or you can make 2 KT with or without zimmerit, or to buy separate tracks or add interior which is nice in my opinion
DEC 17, 2016 - 11:04 AM
If you actually look at the product pic you'll see it is not "perfect", with irregularities, and chipped areas. And, as I noted, if it is similar to Archer's resin decal casting marks, weld seams, and rivet rows (which it seems to be), then it will be at a realistic thickness. Just using such a large decal might prove tricky to handle. Edit: what I thought were chipped areas are actually spaces where tool, tow cable brackets, etc. are located. Although making chips is certainly NOT difficult. Might fit exclusively and ONLY on Meng kit.
DEC 17, 2016 - 08:33 PM
How "3D" are the surface textures on these decal? You have to still have good surface texture after you paint over these.
DEC 17, 2016 - 08:36 PM
Hasn't anyone ever seen Archer's resin-printed surface details?? LINK Just an example to illustrate. They are very good.
DEC 17, 2016 - 08:43 PM
Probably is fitted for the Meng kits though with some modification it might well work as an alternative for other kits. The Archer Zimmerit is quite nice, so if its like that then its probably worth a second look. The PE stuff, on the other hand, is a no-go.
DEC 18, 2016 - 08:27 AM
Didn't another company a few years ago produce 3D Zimmerit decals? Not Archer someone else.
DEC 18, 2016 - 11:22 AM
Yeah DEF. Gotta admit it looks pretty good and textured in the build pics. Would have been nice (and easy) for them to show a shot with base paint on but it definitely looks ok, and should be easy enough to "distress" if you're careful.
DEC 18, 2016 - 11:29 AM
Chipping decals is one of the first things I learned how to do with an x-acto blade. Looks like this will stick better than the Tamiya stickers. I fell in love with them after trying them.
DEC 18, 2016 - 11:56 AM
Alas, wherever the surface texture and ease of application, it appears to suffer from the same problem as many of the pre-made products do, in that the way it goes around details is just not prototypical. The Zimmerit was applied after the vehicle was completed, so all the fittings were present. A crew of workers then applied the stuff around those details and so the pattern tends to flow around details with bare patches rather than go right up to the edges with no interruption of the pattern as here. The most effective solution remains to use putty and it really isn't as difficult as some would have you believe. Just remember that it is thin (c.5mm on the ridges), study photos of original examples (not museum bodges such as Saumur's) and practice on scrap first. I made my own plasterer's float tool for texturing using strips of metal and carved resin sprue, the width being calculated by how many columns fitted into a known dimension (e.g. the hinged trackguard front on the well known Pz.Jag.Abt 228 Jpz. IV in Normandie).
DEC 18, 2016 - 12:52 PM
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