Zimmerit or no zimmerit

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Bluelion
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Zimmerit or no zimmerit

Post by Bluelion »

My next project is a Porsche turret tiger 2 , I have read that zimmerit is a a must , I would prefer not to as it already has a reasonable paint job that I want to add to to winterise it , I looked at tiger 314 with a Porsche turret pictures on Internet but that one clearly shows a zimmerit coating.
So unless someone can say there was just one Porsche tiger without zimmerit I'm a bit buggered.
A tough ask I know
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jarndice
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Re: Zimmerit or no zimmerit

Post by jarndice »

Zimmeritt was applied to German Armour to prevent magnetic anti tank mines sticking to the vehicle,
Belatedly someone in an office in Berlin realised that the only Army in the European Theatre using magnetic anti tank mines was the German Army !!! :{
DOHHH,
The British used a thing called a "Sticky" bomb and the Soviets would throw "Molotov" cocktails (gasoline filled bottles with a lit wick) but both of these were just as deadly on a Zimmeritt fitted Tank as one without the coating.
And so toward the end of the last unpleasantness the application of Zimmeritt stopped,
So a late model Tiger 1/11 can be honestly built without putting the stuff on.
shaun.
I think I am about to upset someone :haha:
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jackalope
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Re: Zimmerit or no zimmerit

Post by jackalope »

Most pictures and videos I've seen of the early Porsche King Tiger they did not have zimmeret so you're fine without it.
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Bluelion
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Re: Zimmerit or no zimmerit

Post by Bluelion »

I did hear the Russians only used magnetic mines on a limited scale , the Germans developed anti weapons for their weapons even if the allies did not have that weapon they would soon would .
But thanks jackalop that's good enough for me . I did read the only 2 that did not have zimmerit were prototypes
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DavidByrden
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Re: Zimmerit or no zimmerit

Post by DavidByrden »

jarndice wrote:a late model Tiger 1/11 can be honestly built without putting the stuff on.
Tiger 1 production ended while Zimmerit was still in use. We have not identified any photos of late Tiger 1 without Zimmerit.

David
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palepainter
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Re: Zimmerit or no zimmerit

Post by palepainter »

Besides the historical aspects of the Zim, I have found the zim I have applied using the putty was very fragile. It chipped very easily. I am thinking getting the premade Zim for my KT project.
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Max-U52
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Re: Zimmerit or no zimmerit

Post by Max-U52 »

Bluelion, I have an Imex/Taigen Porsche turret King tiger and it does NOT have zim. I've got a new headlight for it, just have to find time.

Last edited by Max-U52 on Mon Jan 25, 2016 2:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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billpe
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Re: Zimmerit or no zimmerit

Post by billpe »

The production Porsche Tiger 2s had zimmerit. However it's your model. If you want to count rivets, count rivets. If you don't, don't worry.
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jackalope
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Re: Zimmerit or no zimmerit

Post by jackalope »

Just Google "King Tiger" then click images and scroll down and you'll see several examples of Porsche King Tigers with no zimmeret. Both historical pictures and pictures of them in museums with Porsche turrets and no zimmeret. I'm not kidding, go look I'll wait. ;)
billpe
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Re: Zimmerit or no zimmerit

Post by billpe »

The ones without look like the prototypes. The museum example is actually the soft steel prototype. Quite a few are inconclusive as the image is too grainy to say either way. The circumstantial evidence would suggest that zimmerit was used. Just look at all the pre September 1944 King Tigers with the production turret: all zimmerit and made in the same assembly yard.
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