Is there a trick to applying decals to zimmerit surface?

Marc780 · Post by **Marc780** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 3:44 am

You know the problems, they don't look right, they fall off, they don't mold to the surface. is there a trick to applying the decals to zimmerit surface so they look good? Glue, heat, something else?

MichaelC · Post by **MichaelC** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 4:02 am

Marc,

I use lacquer thinner, gently brush it over the decal and it will slowly soften it and mold to the zim surface like this:

If you keep applying it you will end up melting it a bit and it will look like the paint has come off.

MichaelC.

tomhugill · Post by **tomhugill** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 6:57 am

Microsol.

hotte8487 · Post by **hotte8487** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:33 am

the trick is: take no decals at zimmerit surfaces

Marc780 · Post by **Marc780** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:39 am

hotte8487 wrote:the trick is: take no decals at zimmerit surfaces

But i tried painting the numbers and it looked like a monkey did it.

billpe · Post by **billpe** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:54 am

You can also try a decal softener.

Personally I'd make some templates of the tactical numbers. It takes a while but its a nice way of getting some authentic looking numbers as the real ones were generally applied using templates.

MichaelC · Post by **MichaelC** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 1:05 pm

billpe wrote:You can also try a decal softener.

Personally I'd make some templates of the tactical numbers. It takes a while but its a nice way of getting some authentic looking numbers as the real ones were generally applied using templates.

Microsol is a decal softener. Lacquer thinner works the same way. You can also try painting mask from Montex:

http://www.rctank.de/KING-TIGER_1

MichaelC.

ALPHA · Post by **ALPHA** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 4:47 pm

Contact Palepainter...He isn't building right now...but he does visit.... PM him...see if you can have him make you up some stencils.... Maybe Painless can help...because they live close ...and Painless could also tell you about the quality of the stencils as he has used them on both his Sherman builds...other than that..the best way to do Zim is by hand...Remember it doesn't need to be perfect... it's a tank...sketching the numbers with a pencil first helps

ALPHA

brizo58 · Post by **brizo58** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 5:21 pm

Hi,
Yep lots of micro sol and set works well

. Brian...

jtracks · Post by **jtracks** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:37 pm

I'm new here so please excuse my ignorance. I was under the impression that zimmerit was a clay or putty type substance. Do they coat the entire tank with the stuff to get the pattern? Thanks.

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Is there a trick to applying decals to zimmerit surface?

Is there a trick to applying decals to zimmerit surface?

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Re: Is there a trick to applying decals to zimmerit surface?

Re: Is there a trick to applying decals to zimmerit surface?

Re: Is there a trick to applying decals to zimmerit surface?

Re: Is there a trick to applying decals to zimmerit surface?

Re: Is there a trick to applying decals to zimmerit surface?

Re: Is there a trick to applying decals to zimmerit surface?