Zimmerit

[GaryG64]

Has anyone had the chance to apply zimmerit with the Tamiya coating applicator successfully.
I  tried it with Tamiya putty, but so far no luck.
I sanded it down and tried again... still looks awful. The 1st attempt the putty was not dry the second attempt I waited for it to dry more.
I have Perfect Plastic Putty I could try. Or should I just get miliput?
I'm also trying to achieve holes in the zimmerit for wear and tear.
I might need to sand this try down and wait for the roller tools to come in for a more successful attempt.

 

[urumomo]

Which Tamiya putty is that ?
Their Basic Type , lacquer putty ?

 

[GaryG64]

Basic Type.
These are the 2 putty tubes I have.

 

[urumomo]

wow , that's what I thought it was , - I'm surprised you got that far with that stuff .
That lacquer putty is too high in solvent by weight , sticky and dries too fast ,
I'd recommend using an epoxy putty like Milliput , Tamiya's , Aves etc
Keep the tool wet .

 

[GaryG64]

Ok. I'll give it another try with Miliput.
Thanks, Keith

 

[GaryG64]

Well, there are 4 different types of Miliput. Which should be chosen for zimmerit?

 

[urumomo]

Super fine ,
or order some Aves Apoxie Sculpt . you get more for your money and I think it's far superior .
The Aves is all the same but comes in various colors . I just use the natural color one .

 

[urumomo]

To mix it , It's best to measure each part by weight but you can eyeball it . I use a little digital scale .
I'd start with a small amount -- like a couple of small balls of each part ( whether you use Milliput or the Aves ) then roll it out into a thin flat sheet atop some parchment paper .
Remember the actual Zimmerit was only 6 mm thick nominal so that's just shy of 2/10ths of a mm at 1/35 scale .

Then cut a section out that approximates the geometry of the hull you're applying it to and slap that on the plastic --It's most sticky in the beginning so that will give you the best adhesion to the plastic . You can rough up the plastic with light sanding with 120 -200 grit sandpaper before applying it to give it some extra bite .
Probably be easiest to cut out the sheet of epoxy along with the parchment paper and slap the epoxy on and peel the paper away .

It will be easier to tool as it begins to cure and it becomes less sticky . Keep the tools wet !
You have a couple of hours or more before it will begin to get too firm to tool . The Aves has a nice steady rate of cure .
I haven't used Milliput in a really long time so I don't remember what the cure rate is but it's fairly similar to Aves .
The Milliput is more sticky if I remember right -- one reason I don't like it .

Be a good idea to mix some up and experiment with it before you jump into the Zim work so you have a good idea how it behaves .
Experiment on some scrap .

 

[GaryG64]

My first (I think successful) zimmerit application.

 

[GaryG64]

To mix it , It's best to measure each part by weight but you can eyeball it . I use a little digital scale .
I'd start with a small amount -- like a couple of small balls of each part ( whether you use Milliput or the Aves ) then roll it out into a thin flat sheet atop some parchment paper .
Remember the actual Zimmerit was only 6 mm thick nominal so that's just shy of 2/10ths of a mm at 1/35 scale .

Then cut a section out that approximates the geometry of the hull you're applying it to and slap that on the plastic --It's most sticky in the beginning so that will give you the best adhesion to the plastic . You can rough up the plastic with light sanding with 120 -200 grit sandpaper before applying it to give it some extra bite .
Probably be easiest to cut out the sheet of epoxy along with the parchment paper and slap the epoxy on and peel the paper away .

It will be easier to tool as it begins to cure and it becomes less sticky . Keep the tools wet !
You have a couple of hours or more before it will begin to get too firm to tool . The Aves has a nice steady rate of cure .
I haven't used Milliput in a really long time so I don't remember what the cure rate is but it's fairly similar to Aves .
The Milliput is more sticky if I remember right -- one reason I don't like it .

Be a good idea to mix some up and experiment with it before you jump into the Zim work so you have a good idea how it behaves .
Experiment on some scrap .

I have the Aves in the Amazon cart.
I was bound and determined to have Zim on this tank. Lol
Parchment paper? That's a great idea!

Thank you so much for your advice. I always look forward for yours and other experience.

 

[urumomo]

My first (I think successful) zimmerit application.

That looks pretty dang good .
That's the acrylic plastic putty ?
You might stick to using that -- whatever works best for you .

 

[GaryG64]

That looks pretty dang good .
That's the acrylic plastic putty ?
You might stick to using that -- whatever works best for you .

Thanks.
Yes, it is the Plastic Putty. I did all of the hull last night.
On to the next