Tamiya 12653 - 1:48 Tiger I Mid / Late - Zimmerit Coating Sheet

Tamiya self-adhesive Zimmerit coating sheet for the Tiger I model (Tamiya 32575) in 1:48 scale

The smaller the scale, the harder Zimmerit is to reproduce with putty — in 1:48 the pattern has to be fine and even, and any inaccuracy shows immediately. Tamiya 12653 is a self-adhesive sheet with an embossed, three-dimensional Zimmerit pattern, prepared for one specific kit: the Tamiya Tiger I late production (32575) in 1:48 scale.

The set contains one sheet. The panels are cut out with a hobby knife along the printed outlines and applied to the matching areas of the armour. The coating accepts model paints, so the applied Zimmerit is painted along with the rest of the model, by airbrush or brush, and can be shaded and weathered afterwards.

What's in the box:

• One self-adhesive Zimmerit sheet with an embossed, three-dimensional pattern
• Panel outlines printed on the sheet, to be cut out with a hobby knife

Specifications:

• Scale: 1:48
• Catalogue number: 12653
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Designed for: Tamiya Tiger I late production (32575)
• Type: self-adhesive Zimmerit coating sheet
• Material: self-adhesive coating with embossed pattern
• Contents: one sheet

Self-adhesive Zimmerit coating sheets – armour texture without putty work

A Zimmerit coating sheet is an aftermarket accessory in the form of a self-adhesive covering with an embossed, three-dimensional rendering of the Zimmerit paste pattern. It is neither a photo-etched part nor a decal — the sheet is applied directly to the surface of the model, and its texture reproduces the characteristic ridged finish of the original.

The individual panels are outlined on the sheet, but they have to be cut out by the modeller with a hobby knife along those outlines — they are not ready-to-peel elements. Each cut panel is applied to the matching area of the armour and adjusted to the edges and details of the plastic. The coating takes model paints, so painting and weathering proceed just as they would on styrene.

The alternative is applying and texturing putty or modelling paste by hand, which is time-consuming and hard to keep even across a whole vehicle, especially in the smaller scales. The sheet gives a uniform pattern without that work. The set is designed for one specific Tamiya kit (32575); a fit to kits from other manufacturers is not claimed.

About the vehicle – Tiger I:

The Tiger I was a German heavy tank introduced in 1942, armed with the 88 mm KwK 36 L/56 gun and protected by armour up to 100 mm thick. For most of the war it remained one of the most dangerous opponents Allied tank crews could face, although its complex design and high production cost limited the number of vehicles at the front. Around 1,350 were built.

Mid- and late-production vehicles differed from early ones in, among other things, a new commander's cupola with periscopes, various design simplifications and — in the late series — road wheels with steel rims. Tanks from this period were coated with Zimmerit at the factories until its use was halted in the autumn of 1944.

Zimmerit was a non-magnetic paste applied to the armour of German vehicles from the autumn of 1943. It was meant to protect against magnetic anti-tank mines — the Germans feared the Allies would copy their own Hafthohlladung charge. The texture held the magnet away from the armour and reduced the contact area. The paste was applied at the factories and shaped with trowels and stamps; the most common pattern was vertical columns of horizontal ridges. Its use was discontinued by an order of 9 September 1944, after concerns — later shown to be unfounded — that Zimmerit could be set alight by hits.

Original vehicle specifications (Tiger I):

• Combat weight: approx. 57 t
• Crew: 5
• Main armament: 88 mm KwK 36 L/56 gun
• Secondary armament: two 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns
• Frontal armour: up to 100 mm
• Powerplant: Maybach HL 230 P45 engine, approx. 700 hp
• Suspension: torsion bars with interleaved road wheels
• Top speed: approx. 38 km/h
• Range: approx. 195 km on roads
• Production: approx. 1,350 vehicles (1942–1944)

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 in Shizuoka, originally as a woodworking business and, from the 1960s, a producer of plastic kits. The brand built its position on precise moulds, well-prepared instructions and good parts fit. Its catalogue covers military, aircraft, ship and car models, as well as paints, tools and accessories that complement its own kits. Zimmerit coating sheets belong to that last group — they are designed for specific Tamiya kits, so the panel shapes correspond to the armour rendered in the particular model.