Hello guys, hey has anyone out there ever used those brass zimmeret sheets put out by Verlinden and Eduard? I’ve got a couple of 'em and am eyeing them warily…[#dots] Whats the consensus on them? How would you recommend applying them? Gap-filling superglue? Do the look convincing? Any advice at all would be appreciated. I’ve done plenty of putty-zimmed models; I guess I fell to temptation on these! [?]
Yes, I used the Eduard Panther one and wasn’t too impressed with it. The zim lacks depth and is too uniform. The price is okay though. I recommend Cavalier or Atak resin zimmerit. I used Cavalier for my Elefant and the detail is outstanding. Comes in thin sheets to fit your vehicle, depending on which tank you’re modeling. Also includes other resin pieces such as gun mantlets in some cases, as well as fenders. Depends again on what your building. Cavalier runs about $20.
I’ve used Eduard Zim on a Tamiya Panther G. It’s in mid-construction and not painted, so it’s a little hard to judge exactly how good it is, but I think it’ll look pretty convincing when finished. As Tigerman says, it is quite uniform, so it clearly represents a neater than average Zim application, but there are photos that show German tanks with neatly applied Zim, so I don’t think it is unrealistic. It does lack some depth, an it might be a little underscale in that regard, although most putty applications end up being overscale, so pick your poison.
I glued the stuff down with superglue, applied around the edges. I also had drilled holes in the tank which I used to glue the Zim sheets from the back, so that there would be tacks in the center as well as around the perimeter. I think that maybe the trickiest part is blending the edges which I have done with putty. The one shortcoming that I have seen with many PE Zim applications is where the edges are obvious making it look like sheets of zim glued to the tank.
IMHO, it fails to deliver in 1/35. The seams at the sheet edges require work to blend in – you might as well Atak or Cavalier. The uniformity and inability to work well over curved pieces increase its poor look. That being said, I have a set for a 1/48 Panther G and I think it’ll look well.
I agree with the others on the benefits of Atak or Cavalier sets, I’ve used both and they are equally good, usually comes down to which one I can get my hands on more reliably from the various manufacturers [;)]. However, since you’ve already got the PE set on hand and want to give them a shot, you might consider using some 5-minute epoxy to give you some working time to get them into the best possible position to minimize the gaps/joins that you’ll have to fill and sand.
Thanks to all for the advice! Currently working on the DML 1/72 E-100, will give the zimmm sheets a go on a StuG iv maybe soon…
Yes I have to agree with tigerman I’ve used the brass sheets and do not care for them use cavlier or atak much better and you’ll be happy with the out come.
I’ve used PE zimm a couple of times, and…so,so…
Here is the Verlinden set on the DML King Tiger:
This the Eduard set on the DML Panther early A:
I’ve since switched to the soldering gun:
regards,
Steve
WOW! Cool pics and nice work there, Crockett. Hmmmm, I guess they’re worth a try!
Here’s an okay pic of my Cavalier Elefant zimmerit to give you some idea.
Hey Tigerman, Gorgeous Elefant there!!![swg][tup] I’ve actually used Cavalier zimm before and really like it! I think I succumbed to the brass sheets cuz of the cheaper price. I guess I’ll give them a go and see if they’re worth keeping…Thanks for the great pix and all the advice y’all! Anyone else, feel free to weigh in, I check this post often enough…