deck details & whether to Zimmerit

[John Pissey]

I have several questions to ask of you experienced tank builders. My Tiger 1 tank body is basically finished and I think I have mastered making welds with milliput and several fine wood lathe tool bits for the welding profiles and I think my camouflage painting and rust work looks pretty good as well. However I am having second thoughts about putting zimmerit on the tank.

1) I would like to hear some pros and cons as to whether all late model tanks had zimmerit applied to them. I think I could do a good job of making it look realistic. It is not whether I can but whether I should as the tank looks so good without it. I would like your input and the reasons for your opinions so that I can make a reasonable decision on the matter.

2) I am also in the process of doing the upper deck and turret and this gives me options that I would like opinions on as well. I am planning to have the two sections be removable separately. Should I leave the bulkheads attached to the deck or should I fasten them to the pannier sides which would make the bulk heads permanently fastened to the body of the tank. Again I would like to know why you have chosen the way you removed your deck so that I have something to weigh my options against.

3) There are several details that I would like to change or add depending on what they are and would like opinions on them as well.
A) The Loader Periscopes I would like to have prisms (glass looking) in them and have seen some of your details of this on the forum. Is this an aftermarket product item or where they machined out?
B) I would like to build the fan clusters and motor and have them look like they are functional in the tank. I have seen them on East Coast Armory’s web site. Are there other options? If not, do I need to purchase the whole engine or would the ½ top of the engine be good enough for the purpose? Has anyone tried to build them to look functional as shown on their web site and have you any advice?
C) I would also like the rear light to be functional. I have not seen any aftermarket ones does anyone know of whether there are any. If not I am planning to mount a red prism and install a L.E.D. behind it if I have on other options.

I appreciate all the input I am offered as I know how time consuming writing out information like this is and I will probably never be in the position to reciprocate, so thank you for your time.

John

[Adrian Harris]

Hi John.

1) According to Jentz & Doyle, Zimmerit was discontinued from factory application on 9 September 1944 and from field application on 7 October 1944, due to concerns that it was flammable. So, if your model falls outside these dates, you can forget the application of Zimm with a clear conscience

2) I don't have practical experience but I would have thought that leaving the bulkheads in the tank would make for a more rigid upper hull than having them removable with the upper plates. Having said that, you then need some way to protect the turret traverse motor, as this hangs down from the deck plate and will be at risk if the weight of the upper place is resting on it.

3A) John Fitzsimons makes visrion port prisms:

http://www.armortek.co.uk/Forum3b/viewt ... 770#p40431

As do Field Of Armor Tanks:

http://www.fieldofarmortanks.com/tiger-i-and-ii/

3B) Can't really comment, as people have had success doing both full and half engine installs.

3C) I believe that Steve Winstone is the only supplier of the rear light. The red prism thing, which he also supoplies, is only a reflector and doesn't light up.

Adrian.

[mark lawson]

All late model Tiger had zimmerit, the best method is to use Milliput but this takes time, study as many pictures as you can to see exactly how the zimmerit was applied, West coast Armoury is the only company who has ever made the fan housings for Tiger his work with electric fan motors and yes if you want you can use just the top half of the engine to reduce costs there is another engine in resin it’s about 100€ when it’s available but it really is poor quality and standard barley resemble a HL230 engine it requires a lot of work to get it looking anything like the real engine and the scale is all over the place, I converted one a few years back when it was the only engine available I wouldn’t consider one now.

[Christoffer Ahlfors]

Hi John!

1) You are not the only modeler who has second thoughts about zimmerit. In fact, a lot of folks have both third and fourth thoughts and will grasp at any excuse to avoid it. If you think you can do it well, you will get a very nice and impressive model!

2) I chose to have my bulkheads glued to the hull (PL400, I think). It has worked very well and the decks come off easily with the trick in this post: http://www.armortek.co.uk/Forum3b/viewt ... f=6&t=3957

3B) You could also print your own fans like I did (bottom of page): http://www.minipansar.com/forum/viewtop ... &start=180
That makes for a reasonably exact look.

3C) This is how I modified Steve Winstone's convoy light to be functional. Unfortunately, it is too small.
http://www.minipansar.com/forum/viewtop ... &start=150

Hope this spawns some ideas!

Good luck!

/Chris

[simon_manning]

hello john, an alternative to milliput, water proof shower/tile grout mixed with a dilute pva glue, used in conjunction with mike stannards zim tools gives excellent results, quicker and easier to handle, once applied paint and chip at your liesure, the scale looks more realistic because the product is finer on application, just my experiance so far, regards simon manning.

[Ivano Costantini]

Hello,i am new to the forum.I am italian.
Viewing attachments,they are no worse than those of East Coast Armori
but cost much,much less.I can provide the basic pieces to make them.
In october it will be ready and the engine.
Ivano.costantini@alice.it

[Paul Morris]

Hi Ivano.

Welcome aboard ... I am very impressed with your radiators please keep me informed about availability.
Cheers Paul.

[Ivano Costantini]

Thank you! You have to have a lot patience because i do not know English,i hope you
understand i'm using google. I'm doing them for my tank.I can provide all the resin parts.Each modeller can complete them as he wishes.I used all the material readily available. By doing so it spends less and a little 'time.

[Ivano Costantini]

Clearly,the pieces must be modified according to the building you want to do

[Paul Morris]

Hello Ivano.

Lovely parts very impressed I am hooked please P.M. me with prices when you are ready
Well done cheers Paul.

[John Heath]

Hi Ivano

Some very useful looking parts. Think I just might order some later this year when I start my Tiger build.

John

[mark lawson]

Ciao Kameraden, vuoi anche costruire il motore completo Maybach, le parti già effettuate sono belle

[David McConnell]

Hello
I have not posted on the forum for many years!

My tank has zimmerit.

I used Apoxie Sculpt over 8 years ago, it is still in tact

Mind you my tank is under my bed still not finished

Cheers

Dave

[Dave Boller]

Hi. All but early(and some Mid) production Tiger-1's had Zimmerit. Production on the Tiger-1 stopped in favor of the King Tiger, before zimmerit was discontinued. I say if you can do it, do it, simply for historical accuracy. Many different media out there for it; you can check those options out here on this site. Each has it's own pros and cons. Pick one that suits you. It's also a great way to cover up those hull screw holes and seams.

[John Grima]

As for which type of engine to use When I was developing the engine kits a board member on here gave me the idea for the half engine set.

The purpose of the half engine is for use in the engine bay of the model. The full engine does have more detail but will require more prepwork to the tank as you will need to redesign the interior layout of the equipment as the whole rear portion of the model will be dedicated to the engine compartment.

Because of the way the engine compartment layout is designed on these German tanks about 50% of the engine is not visible, because of this the detailing on the half engine is most of the visible detailing that can be seen by the viewer. Also If you are using the smoke system you can mount the smoke system closer to the rear wall, with the full engine I had to move the smoke system to the center of the tank and have it run through the manifolds. It works but again will require more work and out of the modding to do.

Here is a pic from a board member James Tseliki, on his build he used one of my half engines and modded a set of my fan ducts.









On my latest late tiger I build I utilized the full engine, only on this build the engine and clutches were modded to be animated.















In addition to the engine I also have the functional fan clusters, the exhaust cooling duct, the lower hull fuel tanks, and the top fuel tank air duct covers









all of my parts for the Tiger I are listed here, http://eastcoastarmory.com/tiger.htm