1:35 GERMAN MEDIUM TANK SD.KFZ.171 PANTHER AUSF.D ZIMMERIT DECAL

What Zimmerit was for

Zimmerit was a paste that the German army applied to the surface of armored vehicles during the Second World War; its ridged texture was meant to prevent magnetic mines from sticking. Few people can imitate it convincingly by hand with putty, which is why ready-made sheets with a raised relief are used to transfer the pattern onto a model evenly.

What the set solves

The sheet is prepared for the Sd.Kfz.171 Panther in the Ausf.D version in 1:35 scale. The early Panther differs from the later versions in the shape of both the hull and the turret, so the Zimmerit areas are laid out differently on each version. The placement of the parts and the recommended procedure are given in the manufacturer's instructions, which also specify the base kit. The pieces tend to be shaped to a particular hull outline, so it pays to simply lay them on and check before applying them.

Procedure

• clean and degrease the surface of the part, otherwise the piece will not seat
• check how it is to be applied in the instructions first, see the warning below
• with the usual wet method, briefly soak the sheet and settle the piece onto a damp surface
• press the bubbles out with a soft brush from the center toward the edges
• paint only after it has dried thoroughly, and thinly, so that the relief stays legible

A warning before you apply it

Before you soak the sheet, check in the instructions whether it is a self-adhesive version. A soaked self-adhesive film is ruined beyond recovery, whereas a wet sheet that has not been soaked can still be soaked later. The model, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.