Zimmerit was a paste-like coating used on German armored fighting vehicles between December 1943 and October 1944. It was used to produce a hard layer covering the metal armor of the vehicle, providing enough separation that magnetically attached anti-tank mines would fail to stick to the vehicle. This 5x10 inch sticker sheet enables easy reproduction of zimmerit on the Tamiya #35353 1/35 scale German Assault Tank IV Brummbar Late Production. There are 48 red outlined stickers on this sheet that need to be cut out, pealed from the backing and applied to the model. The stickers are a little thicker then decals and cut very easily with a sharp X-Acto blade. I also used my photoetch scissors to cut a few decals. A metal straight edge helps making the longer cuts. There is some extra zimmerit coating printed on this sheet for repair needs.

I am using this sheet on the new Tamiya Brummbar for a separate review.

I first sat down with the one-page instruction sheet along with the kit’s instruction sheet and marked what parts need the zimmerit added. There are five vehicle drawings on the instruction sheet on where to apply the numbered zimmerit stickers. I found that it was easier to add the zimmerit before building the model for most of the parts. I did build up the engine deck, the driver’s covering and the rear casement doors before adding the zimmerit stickers. I also installed part C65, the rear trailer bracket, to help line up stickers 36 and 37. There are a lot of bolt head holes that need to be drilled out of the stickers before you apply them. I found a 1.5mm drill bit worked best in my pin vise. I put the sticker sheet on a piece of glass and lightly drilled these out, then I reversed the drilling to help pull the cut-off sticker pieces off.

By very careful aligning the stickers before applying them, since they are very sticky. I found it best to line up any holes first and work my way out to the edges with a burnishing tool, like a toothpick or q-tip. I cut just a little outside the red lines, then trimmed the stickers after applying. The red outlines and bolt holes lines are just about a perfect fit for the kit. The only place the outline was a shade too small was on the front of the driver’s area.

There are a couple areas the stickers did not conform to the kit parts, like on the front vents for the transmission. I applied Tamiya Extra Thin cement, which softened the stickers, then I could manually form them better. I also used cement around some edges to get them to lay down better. I did have some edges lift a little after painting, but they are not too noticeable.

I was a little worried that the kit’s decals on the zimmerit would silver badly, but with a couple applications of setting solution, they laid down fine. The zimmerit ridges are not very deep, but they are deep enough for a wash to flow into. I really like the look that it gives the finished model. It probably added about 3 hours to the build, but is well worth it.

I would like to thank Tamiya USA and IPSM for the chance to use and review this add-on kit.