Tamiya 12673 - 1:35 Brummbar - Zimmerit Coating Sheet

Tamiya self-adhesive Zimmerit coating sheet for the Brummbär late production model (Tamiya 35353) in 1:35 scale

The boxy, near-vertical superstructure of the Brummbär offers a large canvas for Zimmerit — and many hours of work if the texture is reproduced with putty. Tamiya 12673 is a self-adhesive sheet measuring 250 × 135 mm with an embossed, three-dimensional Zimmerit pattern, prepared for one specific kit: the Tamiya Brummbär (Sturmpanzer) late production (35353) in 1:35 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, 250 × 135 mm, with an embossed three-dimensional pattern
• Panel outlines printed on the sheet, to be cut out with a hobby knife

Specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Catalogue number: 12673
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Designed for: Tamiya Brummbär (Sturmpanzer) late production (35353)
• Type: self-adhesive Zimmerit coating sheet
• Material: self-adhesive coating with embossed pattern
• Sheet size: 250 × 135 mm (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. The sheet gives a uniform pattern without that work. The set is designed for one specific Tamiya kit (35353); a fit to kits from other manufacturers is not claimed.

About the vehicle – Brummbär (Sturmpanzer):

The Brummbär, officially the Sturmpanzer IV, was a German heavy assault gun built on the chassis of the Panzer IV. Its massive armoured superstructure housed a short-barrelled 150 mm howitzer intended to destroy fortifications, strongpoints and buildings — in other words, to provide direct support to infantry fighting in towns and against prepared positions. The vehicle made its combat debut at Kursk in 1943.

Around 300 vehicles were built across several production series. Late-production examples, built from 1944, received a redesigned superstructure with a commander's cupola and a machine gun in the front plate, improving defence against enemy infantry. Vehicles completed before September 1944 were coated with Zimmerit.

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 (Brummbär / Sturmpanzer IV):

• Combat weight: approx. 28 t
• Crew: 5
• Main armament: 150 mm StuH 43 L/12 howitzer
• Secondary armament: 7.92 mm machine gun in the superstructure front plate (late production)
• Superstructure front armour: 100 mm
• Powerplant: Maybach HL 120 TRM engine, approx. 300 hp
• Suspension: leaf springs
• Top speed: approx. 40 km/h
• Production: approx. 300 vehicles (1943–1945)

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.