In the first edition of Shep Paine’s classic and influential work, How To Build Dioramas (Milwaukee: Kalmbach Books, 1980 – cover price $8.95!), the entire text devotes only a single paragraph to creating Zimmerit:
“Zimmerit was a cement-like material applied to German armor during 1943 and 1944 to prevent magnetic mines (placed my infantry) from sticking. To simulate it, apply green putty or acrylic modeling paste to the side of the hull and spread it with a piece of HO corregated roofing or section of a razor saw blade. Jog the spreader to one side every quarter inch or so to break up the pattern.”
Only the tools have changed! Plus we have resin and brass products nowadays!
Talking of Modelling books, ive just bought Tony Greenlands ‘Modelling Masterclass’ This is an excellent title and im learning new stuff everyday.
What other titles would the rest of you recommend? I take it the Shep Paines book is a goodun.
…Guy
Mig Jimenez has an entire series of books – I’ve only seen the one of painting and finishing AFVs, called F.A.Q., which I guess is the series title.
I’ve got a couple in the Applied Modeling Encyclopaedia series, by EuroModellisom/Squadron, the one on “Vignettes and Sceneries [sic]” and the other on finishing (my friend Chris has borrowed it so I don’t know the exact title), but apart from the awkward translations into English (including metric conversions and paint and other products that are not so readily available stateside), I HIGHLY recommend them.
Of course the Osprey Modelling Manuals series is also excellent, as are everything from Squadron.
…then there is the German Army Field Manual for Applying Zimmerit in the Field, published in August of '43…hard to find, very rare…LOL…
haha i can’t believe you are still on about that.
Hey Manny
Has it got a subsection called Choosing ze color of ze fire extinguisher?
…Guy
LOL…yeah, it gives four options:
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panzer grey
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dark yellow
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yellow-green
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red
Armor magazine, available through Squadron, is a great source of info on weathering techniques and finishing. It has a lot of articles by all the current “hot” chipping/filtering guys, and I’ve learned a lot from them.