SimonT - Hobbyboss 1/16 Tiger I (AAGB)

[SimonT]

Morning folks

Ventured up into the stash yesterday evening - there are so many possible contenders for this build, Brummbars in 1/72 and 35th, multiple Tigers in 72, 48, 35, 25 and 16th scale, multiple Tiger II in 48 and 35th, Colonial Viper, Space 1999 Eagle, mechanical Mule, Elephants in 48 and 35th, Staghound in 48 and 35th, M18 Hellcat, F15 Eagle, F16 Falcon, Marder in 48th etc etc etc but the winner is this:-


this thing is seriously BIG!


lifting the lid reveals a packed box full to the brim with more boxes


large decal sheet full of large decals



despite the size the instructions only run to 22 stages


a full colour markings sheet


everything is supplied boxed and bagged and the majority of the parts are factory removed from the sprues

some of the many wheels and a set of poly caps


suspension arms



lots of track links and a bag of metal track pins - each link has four ejector pin marks on the inner face

lots of filling and sanding required - deep joy


another box with yet more wheels plus the sprockets and idlers


smaller details still on a sprue tree


another box reveals the lower hull - a very substantial moulding


another box houses the huge turret - all hatches are moulded shut and stowage box is integrally moulded


another sprue of detail parts


hull top is another large single piece moulding - already spotted a couple of things that will need rectifying


a bag of rubber tyres and the turret fixing, a carry over from its days as an R/C tank


another detail sprue


a blister pack with lots of small parts, screws and pins - most bits have fallen out their bubbles and gathered down one corner


a substantial bit of brass supplies the engine deck grilles - unfortunately this is the only etch supplied so I have ordered a set of tool clamps

there is a full set of etch available out there on the net but it costs about the same as the kit, £50+postage

That's my 20 photo limit reached so back in a jiffy.......

 

[SimonT]

the mantlet and more detail parts


more colour options

That's the lot


plus the aftermarket turned barrel

This is a very large kit and the finished article is over half a metre long - no idea where it will go once complete, assuming of course that I do complete it

Due to it being originally an R/C tank there are quite a few areas that will need fettling

It is not a patch on the Tamiya kit but then it cost £66 compared to well over £500 so beggars can't be choosers - a bit of modelling should be able to turn it into something acceptable

The turned barrel was a very reasonable £17 and the etch tool clamps about another £15

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Wow, what a monster. I'm sure that this will give you endless fettling opportunities Simon. Have you cleared a room/garage to display it in?

 

[SimonT]

Hi Peter - it will need a lot of fettling. No idea where it will live

 

[Steve Jones]

WOW!! What a kit. Looking forward to seeing this. Will you be doing the Zim? That would be fun to see. I suggest you build the extension on the house first. Good luck sir.

 

[SimonT]

It would be rude not to at this scale Steve - they supply some rather flimsy looking etched serrated tools for scraping in the pattern

One thing I have never come across is pictures of someone actually applying zim in a factory - seen pics of bare zim after application but never actually during the process to see what they used

 

[Gern]

You'll need to do something with the barrel assembly as there's a HUGE open gap between the front of the turret and the mantle. Other than that, I seem to remember from my attempt (as yet unfinished) that everything fits together nicely.

 

[Fernando N]

Wow, that’s a huge one Simon.
Good luck!

 

[SimonT]

Dave - the whole gun barrel assembly looks suspect as it doesn't pivot in the correct place. No doubt another R/C side effect. I noticed the engine deck has what looks like a speaker mount under one grille that will need removing. I seem to remember that the grill bars themselves should have some gaps rather than being solid

I suspect there will be a lot of stuff to correct

Fernando - it certainly is, ta

 

[Jakko]

One thing I have never come across is pictures of someone actually applying zim in a factory - seen pics of bare zim after application but never actually during the process to see what they used

Something nags at me that I think I’ve seen a photo or video of this once, but I don’t recall at all where or when — or even if this is a real memory

 

[Steve Jones]

I have photos of Zim on a Tiger if you need pattern references



Ingredients for Zim

Zimmerit was made up of the following:
40% Barium Sulphate, BaSO4 - is made from Barium (Ba) treated with Sulpheric acid (H2SO4), and is water-insoluble
25% Polyvinyl Acetate, PVA - commonly known as white carpenters glue
15% ochre pigment, An earth-toned coloring material
10% Zinc sulphide and ZnS - a natural mineral, and a Zinc ore.
70% Zinc Sulphide and 30% Barium Suphate give Lithopone, a white pigment
10% sawdust

These are passages of text from interviews of engineers at the Hanenscel and I.G. Farbenindustrie A.G. Hochst factories

The Zimmerit was received in drums from Chemische Werke Zimmer in Berlin, but they thought production had taken place in various centers because of the large scale demands, and because of factory dispersal. The material arrived in a consistency of soft putty (others have compared it to paste, plaster or plastic). It contained a volatile solvent smelling like acetone. No thinners were added before use as it worked very easily even when handled by inexperienced personnel. The surface of the tank did not need to be prepared before applying Zimmerit, but it was normal to coat the vehicle with anti-corrosive primer. The Zimmerit was applied to the surface in two coats, using a sheet metal trowel. The first coat was 5mm thick and was marked out in squares using the edge of the trowel. This coat was allowed to dry at ordinary temperatures for 24 hours. The second coat was applied thinner and marked in wavy lines with a metal comb. The crisscross squares increased the adhesion of the second coat, while the comb markings gave a camouflage finish, plus poor contact for mines. After the application of both coats, the surface was treated by a gas blow-lamp to harden it. This took about an hour per tank and no difficulty was experienced in getting satisfactory hardness without the Zimmerit becoming brittle. (I have seen samples of aged Zimmerit and it reminded me of compressed sawdust.) During the hardening process the solvent was removed by the heat of the blow-lamp on the surface. The chief thing to watch was not to leave any soft spots which could be brushed off the vehicle if not hardened properly. If the Zimmerit was not heated with a blow-lamp it took eight days to harden. This was impractical considering the urgent need of tank delivery to the front. The Production Engineer of Henschel Werke said that the company did not help in the development of Zimmerit, but simply applied it to vehicles. He thought that Zimmerit was dropped late in the war due to the development of better anti-tank weapons.

They said that they had heard of the C.W. Zimmer Co., but also knew nothing of the development of Zimmerit. It was also mentioned that such things were kept secret. After referring to the company’s records it was learned that Mowilith 20 (a Polyvinyl Acetate) was sold to the C.W. Zimmer Co. In July 1943, but they had no idea if the company or its personnel still existed. The general properties of Polyvinyl Acetate were discussed. Mowilith 20 was 50% benzene solution (this is what smelled and was burned off with blow-lamps). It had an average MW of 3500 (Staudinger viscosity method, 1 - 2% solution) and a melting range of 40 to 50 degrees C. It was also confirmed that the blow-lamp would remove the solvent and adhere the Zimmerit to the armor, thus increasing its resistance to shock. In regard to adhesion, it was suggested that a clean or just painted surface would be better than a greasy or rusty one. Also, that Polyvinyl Acetate with a pigment mixture (Zimmerit had 15% ochre) were somewhat water-resistant, but due to thermal behavior of Polyvinyl Acetate its use was limited in plastics as it became brittle when cold. In conclusion, the team decided that the C.W. Zimmer Co. was responsible for Zimmerit and every effort should be made to contact them. They also were wondering if Zimmerit, thinned down, could have been sprayed on vehicles to speed up application time. However, no follow-up research was done due to the end of WW2.

This is the only photo of instructions on application I have



I suspect the secrecy of the material prevented photos of the application being taken

Here is a set of modern recreation photos of zimmerit



Company logo



Steve

 

[Jim R]

Morning Simon
That is some kit. I look forward to seeing you bring it up to standard.
Jim

 

[SimonT]

Thanks for that lot Steve - interesting

Have plenty of reference books for the patterns ta

I was always under the impression that it was a stone like substance but it turns out to be wood glue and sawdust, and a few other things

That is a very small trowel in the little application picture - take a while to go around a tank with that

The 1:1 test is a bit rough compared to the real thing - don’t think they have really got the hang of it

Morning Jim - well, I shall have a go. Think I will need to temporarily shelve a lot of the other projects

 

[JR]

Morning all.
Simon that is one large beast. You'll have to get some bigger knees to be able to build it !

 

[Deleted member 7237]

Hi Simon is there enough pewter on the planet for this build there's certainly going to be a shortage for a while.
Must order some now before it's all gone.
Pete.

 

[SimonT]

Certainly will John - cantilevered knee outriggers, off to look on ebay.....

Pete - Side skirts will need replacing with pewter and possibly the exhaust shields

 

[Jakko]

This is the only photo of instructions on application I have

View attachment 357908

That’s the image I was thinking of. I think it’s in one of Spielberger’s books as well …

/me goes to his books

Ah, yes, it’s in Bob’s favourite volume: Sturmgeschütze: Entwicklung und Fertigung der s Pak, on page 100. There’s also a similar illustration of how to do a pattern with rough squares and smooth lines between them.

I suspect the secrecy of the material prevented photos of the application being taken

That was my thought too, plus ones from inside an actual working factory might be a bit rare because you probably wouldn’t want your slave labourers to appear in too many photos.

 

[SimonT]

Thanks for the info everyone


The tool clamps arrived yesterday

 

[SimonT]

Decided to start with the track links - each one has four ejector pin marks to fill and sand plus a bit of flash to get rid of


sanding will take some time but at least they are a good chunky size


still quite a few to fill


chunky!

There only seems to be one link type and they are asymmetrical which means one track will effectively be on backwards compared to the other side - need to check that out when I find my tiger books

 

[Si Benson]

Morning Mr T,
Ah yes, a big kitty indeed Looks like a lot of fun!
At least at this scale, tweaking the details should be a lot simpler and a good excuse to push the boun

I have the Tamiya 1/16th full option RC version which occasionally comes down for a spin around the house. It’s a beast, and with batteries in, weighs in around 2.5 kilos and is not kind to toes

You have my undivided attention