The DEF water slide Zimmerit has arrived.
Looks like a well detailed instruction sheet
And the actual Zimm parts look and feel nice. It should also be fairly easy to replicate small damaged areas as well.
Will make a start on the turret probably a bit later after I cut a few bits out to test the sizes etc
Ok, I am now an official convert to DEF Zimmerit… And I’m not getting paid for this but it’s bloody brilliant and so easy to use.
I started on the gun mantlet… Went on like a dream. For the mantlet there were 8 individual pieces, but the whole thing took about 10 minutes to do.
Apply a thin brush of PVA, slide the decal on and gently position until you’re happy. Any little air bubbles can be just pricked with a needle or end of a blade and I then used a dry cotton bud to gently roll over all the surface areas to seat it properly along curves or ridges etc
Next I did the turret as I was on a roll.
Its so easy to use and this will be very good for replicating damaged areas. I will fully let the turret sections dry then simply trim away the areas where the spare track link mounts need to go which you can see under the Zim decal.
There is also one area I need to re-score with a blade so it’s sits properly around a curve.
Also made a start on the internal fans and fuel tanks.
I followed the advice in David Brydens Tiger info link and went with the colours he states and not the ones on the instructions. So it was Vallejo oily steel, and flat aluminium for the fans and their frame which I will do tomorr along with the center’s which will be a bronzy copper. Hull inside was Halfords rattle can primers red.
You’re doing a great job on this kit it’s coming along so nicely.
That zimmerit decal looks the dog’s danglies!
Spare half hour so got the Zimm applied to the rear plate and finished off the fan painting and put those in the rear section.
This Zimm goes on so easy, it’s almost criminal…but I’m not complaining…
Now the rear on stuff is on, I can get back to the build phase. I also won’t be cutting away any other side surface detail as it’s so easy just to score it around with the tip of a sharp blade and press flat.
As I said previously, I tried to stay as close to the fan colours David B mentioned in his Tiger link, so the fuel tanks and bulk of it was done in Vallejo oily steel, fans and their frame was Tamiya aluminium and the fan cover was just a Tamiya neutral grey. The fan hubs ended up as copper as that’s all I had.
I decanted some of the Halfords red primer to do the inner sides that would of been next to the engine bay.
Few more bits done I’m at a happy place with the Zimmerit…
Mostly work on the rear panel. Exhaust stacks are on, and the center bolt at the rear few other bits fitted.
Have also fitted the sides, just added the clamps to make sure they stay in place as they dry.
Yes Johnny, the decal zimmerit is the way to go. I used Meng’s on my Panther, fantastic stuff, and a real time saver.
How much for those sheets of zimmerit if you don’t mind me asking? It looks fantastic! And much easier than the putty method, I have a tiger and elefant that need zimmerit and this will be a huge time saver.
I was skeptical of decal zimmerit but what you show will make me a covert
I just got mine from evil bay, UK obviously for me but it was just over £12 free p and p… it was money well spent just for time saved alone.
I would imagine that you guys across the pond will be able to get it a bit cheaper than that, and from probably more retailers/sources.
More Tiger time. …
Now, I love detail just like the next man, but even I would draw the line at this…
On the engine deck, there is a stay either side towards the front. Now these are small, and for the life of me, I cannot understand why they decided to make the actual center part movable…
You can see the size with the pencil lead and tweezers end in shot.
Anyway, they move lol … However the deck doesn’t as I glued it shut lol.
Also got the hull top deck on, the front upper plate, and the fan decks on…
I found on this one there was no need to brace the hull as per the tips link from David Brydens info pages.
Also got the barrel into the turret and I even cut out the 2 end bits on the upper rain guard… Which wasn’t very very fiddly lol…
And started on the turret roof… Will get to the hull Zimmerit tomorrow
Coming along swimmingly! Making me want to build my tiger! Maybe when I am done the next two aircraft for the two campaigns I committed to
Ok, to start with… This 25 post throwback when I go in a thread is getting a little bit tedious now 
Moving on though… I got some decent work done on the big cat.
I decided to slice off the side skirt mounts from the hull sides.
I thought it best to get as flat a surface as possible before I applied the Zimmerit.
I kept the mounts I sliced off as I thought I could just glue them in place in the actual location slots in the skirts.
The sliced mounts.
And the slots in the skirts where they will go.
Both sides are now done. Once the skirts are on, the slots will be closed up like they would of been for real.
Next I decided to try and get the padlocks and the PE on the turret bin lids.
Now it’s not pretty and that was the first attempt… The rest took a bit of time as they were pretty fiddly. I seriously cannot understand how people are able to get these mega small catches like on the padlocks to work…it must be some sort of wizardry or they have a pixie on the work bench…
I had to use 2 spare PE padlocks from the Scimitar PE fret as the carpet monster got 1 of the tiny plastic padlocks. I used the other PE padlock on the loaders hatch … May not of been used for real, but hey ho.
And now all the Zimmerit is on.
The front sections.
Left side hull.
And right side.
Really cant fault the DEF Zimm … went on so easy and in my view it looks spot on.
Will get on with all the other little bits now that I need to fit prior to the primer going on. Will be priming some bits on the sprue so I can detail paint those later.
I guess I am not the only one experiencing that!
Ken
Looking great Johnny!! I also thought I was the only one getting the throw back thing yapping when looking at threads I was reading!!
Cheers
Mike
Incredible job so far John. Anyone who can even get those padlocks in place has my blessing. That DEF zimmerit looks amazing! Good choice and excellent execution. Nice tight build so far.
If you’re getting sent back to the beginning of threads, check to make sure you’re signed in. That’s what does it.
Thanks for the kind words Matt. It is a nice kit,and I do recommend the DEF Zimm … its is very good. Will look into that thread throwback issue… fingers crossed.
Anyone know who else sells def zimmerit in the US? Sprue bros is out of tiger zimmerit
Andy’s Hobby Headquarters sells DEF zimmerit.
Just noticed that, also our of the tiger I zimmerit 
might have to hold off on ordering it for now. Sprue bros does have the elefant zimm I might order
Just a few bits done. Work is doing me in at the mo and getting home shattered… anyhows…
Just added some minor bits that can go on and be primed.
!! Lol.
The rest of the tools/ tow ropes etc will be primed and hand painted on the sprues.
Need to attach the preformed wire to the headlight mount. Also added the dismounted headlight version of the mount as DB highlights in his ref link.
Have started on the cupola and will finish that and the turret spare link holders tomorrow and fit the side skirts.
Zimmerit looks outstanding.
