I am building the Dragon Panther late ausf A and I am considering using the ATAK zimmeirt kit… Does anyone have experience with this brand?? Any suggestions or comments???
I have also considered using the Cavalier brand, but it is made for the Italeria kit and doesn’t look like it will fit.
Again, any comments or suggestions are appreciated… [;)]
Harry, I can’t fully answer your question. I have heard that the Cavalier zimmerit is very nice as far as aftermarket goes. As for Atak, they’re rather new to me and I have heard little about it. I think Greatmodels might have a picture of their’s on their website. Sorry i can’t be of more help.
I am also buying this kit and have brought the cavalier generic tile patten which gives u two sheets of zim which is enough for a couple of tanks and is very good value and easy to use. Bob.
Here is what the Eduard brass zim looks like on the early A, you may want to go this way…
Steve
Steve,
Is that Eduard set specifically for the Dragon Panther??? I have 2 sets of Eduard zimmerit for other kits and it looks great, but I didn’t see a set for the Dragon late Panther A??
I think it is a no brainer when it comes to Resin Zim and PE Zim. Resin zim, in my opinion, looks so much more realistic. It is also easier to work with and apply. If you can get the appropriate Resin Zim, whether it be Cavalier or Atak, I say go with it. PE Zim should only be the alternative.
I say make it yourself!!! It is more fun and looks better…[;)]
Cheers
Mo
Rob you could clean up if everyone shipped to you all the kits they wanted zimmed. By now you’re so good at it, you could pound them out like a factory.
Harry,
This was a specific set for the DML early A, I think the only difference in the zim set for late A would be the bow machine gun, everything else would be the same. I have to differ with my man moses, I found the Brass PE very nice to work with. Especially where seams meet. With the brass, you can roll the edges ever so slightly and it blends right in making a very realistic look. It saves alot of putty and/or sealing work at the seams. I highly recommend it. I feel if you are going for factory applied zim, you should go with the PE. You know what they say about opinions…so, there you are.
Steve
Harry,
I just looked it up on the greatmodels sight, they have a specific Eduard set for the A, $12.50 plus tax and shipping-
Steve
I’ve got a set of the Atak zim for my DML Porsche Tiger II. I haven’t used it yet, but it looks really terrific. The parts are nice and crisp. Very cleanly molded. It looks to me like they might have taken a set of DML’s molds and etched zim into them. But who knows. Like I said, they look really nice. Not much help, but it’s the best I can offer, right now.
Geez Bill, I’m almost disappointed in you. Resin zim? LOL I thought after that great job on the Panther, you couldn’t wait to do it again.
Very disappointed in you Bill !!! Going back to prefab Zim after doing a fine job on your own. You haven’t heard the last of this!!! [;)]
Panther, I used a set of Mirage resin zimm for my early A. (I think Mirage is the same as Atak.) It comes out very nice, but it’s not exactly what I thought it would be.
Here’s an old pic – sorry I couldn’t find a picture in my archives of the kit painted. It looks kind of rough, because it’s bare plastic and metal –
I had read a review saying that the resin was like onion paper, but mine was of variable thickness. Some of it was amazingly thin, indeed. Like onionpaper! But around a quarter of the surface area was thicker. So I sanded it from the back, and I noticed that if I sanded it too close, individual bricks of zimm would come off of the sheet. And even though I sanded it, the thicker sheets of zimm were brittle when you try to put them around the corners, and it wasn’t unusual for the resin to splinter a bit when bent, or if it didn’t splinter is went around the corner angle buckled rather than tight, with a bulge around the angle of the steel plates. (Darn those Germans for all those sharp angles! [:p]) I tried heating it with a blowdryer so it would sit down, but that actually damaged the model, as styrene’s melting temperature seems to be lower than resin’s (from what happened, anyway), so I don’t recommend that tactic.
Then again, maybe I just got a bad batch. I’m considering getting the Porsche turm KT set from Mirage (Atak?) and seeing how that is. Or I may try Cavalier and see which is better.
Keep this in mind, but also keep in mind that I am basically happy wuth the Mirage set. They give you decals and painting guides for specific vehicles too, which is nice – and even some PE parts! I actually found their PE to be nicer than the equivalent Eduard parts, so used them instead. And the resin parts for the mantle and so on are very nice.
(Remember thhough this is all concerning MIRAGE – if Atak is a different company, then this might only be very general advice.)
One last thing, though – there doesn’t seem to be quite as much resin on the kit as there was worn by the actual vehicle – some spots are bare which, from what I can see, were actually zimm covered.
Zimoda and Eric, I am just trying some new things. The Polyester Putty hasn’t seen the last of me, I assure you!! lol
My 2 cents.
Atak is a teed bit thick, but it goes to the dragon i think, where as the cavalier goes on the italarie.
Thanks for all the help guys, it’s much appreciated…
Ah…the words of wisdom from the master. Come to think of it I have never tried putty zim havung used the knife method on my Tiger I. Might be good to try on my next German Armor.
I had the same problem with the hard resin parts,such as the front glacias plate for the Dragon Panther A Late.I sanded the edges,but not good enough.I took it for granted that it was correct. The next day it stuck out like a sore thumb. I worked with it, as a result the weld line was damaged,all small details on the upper hull were screwed. I had to buy another kit,and order another Atak set. Man this killed me big time. I think sanding the edges better and also the middle part of the plate,will solve the problem. What an expensive lesson.
You realize this is an almost 9 year old thread?