Jump to content

Testors is Gone - International Sales Affected


Recommended Posts

On 5/3/2020 at 4:29 AM, is it windy yet? said:

 

 

Do do you like the length of bristles on the testers glue or the length of the handle so you dip down to the end of the bottle?  Because the Tamiya brush shaft length is adjustable. If you want it longer just give it a gentle tug with some needle nose pliers.  I learned of this two weeks ago, saw a video on it. 

 

Yup, I too didn't know about this until I saw that video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvKAaIqNo4Y

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
20 hours ago, Mstor said:

 

Have you tried True North Paints. They are a line a enamels pretty much designed to fill in the niche being left by MM.

 

https://www.truenorthpaints.com/

 

 

 Just opened the box on my first order, which showed up today. Two of them are RAF Dk. Earth/Dk. Green, so now I guess I'll have to break out that new Tamiya Spit. Mk.I and try them out 👍

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 5/2/2020 at 3:14 PM, DrGlueblob said:

I just got two bottles of MM Chevy Engine Red from Hobbylinc mail order a week ago before seeing this. Testors C.E. red is an exact match for Aero-Union firebombers.

 

Nice enuf reason to make such a purchase - BUT even though you could go straight bottle to do your 454 Chevelle build, the C.E. red is a tad too red for AU Orange match. When I used to work for them on both P-2 & P-3, had to do a touch up job, so Ooops some of the Orange ended up on a 1" x 2" piece of scrap aluminum. I have the Draw sheets and resin RADS II tank (I will correct areas) and did color test. Simply enuf all u gotta do is use (or get a bottle) MM Int. Orange #2022 and mix both 50-50. Then there's scale effect...

Link to post
Share on other sites

Some people are reporting that Testors shut down completely today. I wonder if the whole brand just couldn't be sold to someone else at this point. Model Master was introduced just as a got my first aircraft kit, so it feels like a whole shift in the hobby to me.

Link to post
Share on other sites
15 hours ago, phasephantomphixer said:

Nice enuf reason to make such a purchase - BUT even though you could go straight bottle to do your 454 Chevelle build, the C.E. red is a tad too red for AU Orange match. When I used to work for them on both P-2 & P-3, had to do a touch up job, so Ooops some of the Orange ended up on a 1" x 2" piece of scrap aluminum. I have the Draw sheets and resin RADS II tank (I will correct areas) and did color test. Simply enuf all u gotta do is use (or get a bottle) MM Int. Orange #2022 and mix both 50-50. Then there's scale effect...

-And cloudy/sunny, time of day, etc.

Red/orange are fugitive colors -they change due to Sunlight exposure.

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 5/5/2020 at 7:30 PM, Mstor said:

 

Have you tried True North Paints. They are a line a enamels pretty much designed to fill in the niche being left by MM.

 

https://www.truenorthpaints.com/


I have used MM pretty much since they first came on the market because I really like the way they hand brushed. I have been researching the True North paints brand availability but searches of several Canadian hobby stores have come up empty. Does anyone here know where I can buy True North paints online from a Canadian hobby store?

 

Thanks in advance,

Mark

Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, cf18hornet said:


I have used MM pretty much since they first came on the market because I really like the way they hand brushed. I have been researching the True North paints brand availability but searches of several Canadian hobby stores have come up empty. Does anyone here know where I can buy True North paints online from a Canadian hobby store?

 

Thanks in advance,

Mark

 

As far as I know, True North paints are only available from their web store and Bluejacket Shipcrafters Inc. in Maine, USA. (there is an announcement of this under the "coming soon" section of the site). I would suggest contacting the owners directly via their website and ask them about your concerns. Is it not possible to ship enamel paints from the US to Canada?

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 5/5/2020 at 9:30 PM, Mstor said:

 

Have you tried True North Paints. They are a line a enamels pretty much designed to fill in the niche being left by MM.

 

https://www.truenorthpaints.com/

Did a quick search of their colors, and the first two I looked for they did NOT carry, RAF PRU Blue and Interior Green.

Larry

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yea, strangely they have concentrated on WWII Naval colors instead of air force colors. You could write them and ask what their plans are as far as WWII air force colors. They did do are pretty good selection of FS colors, including the elusive Voodoo Grey :thumbsup:.

Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Mstor said:

 

As far as I know, True North paints are only available from their web store and Bluejacket Shipcrafters Inc. in Maine, USA. (there is an announcement of this under the "coming soon" section of the site). I would suggest contacting the owners directly via their website and ask them about your concerns. Is it not possible to ship enamel paints from the US to Canada?

I’m not sure if it’s possible to ship from the US to Canada. I do know that Sprue Brothers can’t ship MM enamels to Canada so I assume shipping True North paints to Canada would be under the same conditions.My main concern is the total cost buying from the US. After paying  our horrendous exchange rate, high postage rate and the possibility of paying import duties and/or taxes it would make these paints ridiculously expensive. 

Edited by cf18hornet
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...

Quality and selection have gone down hill since Rustoleum bought the line.  I had to buy filter funnels to screen out the crud that would clog my airbrush and once opened it only lasted a couple months  ( I have a 10 year old bottle of Tamiya that's still good).  How can a corporation lose money selling 1/2 oz of paint for $3.00!!   Poor management and marketing!  I've used it for years with great results until a few years ago.  I've emailed them multiple times and the ignore me, so good riddance!  We'll see how Revell does with their new line and of course there is Tamiya that I've used with success.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well I don't think Rustoleum's the  reason for the decline as they bought Testors back in 1984. The problem as I see it is that the hobby has shifted from a general one to a more specialized one, you see that guy's like AK, Mig and Vallejo are putting out stuff left, right, and centre,  Testors hasn't kept up. As far as making money well if your'e selling something for $3.00 you have to sell A LOT !!!!! and I've seen certain colours sit on hobby shop racks for years. One last thing is that the Hobby in North America is an older crowd compared to Europe so more expansion across the pond. Sad to see them go but sometimes that's how it goes.

Ken 

          

Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't see how selection has gone down since they were bought in 1984 (by RPM).  Model Master was new, then we got Model Master II and the vast Acryl line with hundreds of new colors. I don' think quality was affected either, I have plenty of Model Master bottles that I've been using for 20 years. I think they just don't want to deal in the small stuff.  In all my time working at a hobby shop I don't think I sold more than a few bottles, and I see the same supply sitting on the shelf year after year.  How many people are really in the market for that exact bottle of 35102?  (especially now that most of us are probably just getting them through the same few online dealers.)  It's too bad they don't care to keep it going, personally, I think they could find a way to make a one-barrel batch of each color at a time on-demand, but since hobby material is their side gig and not their main business, and this precise target market is so small, that the overall management isn't going to concern themselves with it, much less understand the significance of each item.  At this point, I would like to see them sell off the Model Master line to a small hobby oriented business that has an active interest in each product.

Edited by Camus272
Link to post
Share on other sites
On 8/9/2020 at 3:27 PM, fulcrum1 said:

As long as they keep selling their model master glue, I'm content....

 

I was worried enough that I bought a rest-of-my-life supply of the non-toxic glue last month (which I like because of its very slow setting time).

 

Now, that happens to be a single one, but still.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 4 months later...
32 minutes ago, Bring back all testors MM paints said:

This is a typical text book corporate takeover. Buy out another company, then put them out of business. "F" their loyal customers and anyone else who thinks otherwise. Rustoleum better prepare themselves for a barrage of very nasty letters and amails.

Sadly, they could care less. I'm so glad I purchased a lot of the colors I use or, will need down the road, back this time last year.

I've tried True North paints. While they spray nicely, they DO NOT cover in one coat when brushed like MM does.

 

Steve

Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, stalal said:

While we talk about demise MM paint line, I still see their webpage and their list of Metalizer paints. 

 

https://www.testors.com/product-catalog/testors-brands/model-master/metalizer-lacquer-paint/bottles

 

Are they still available in USA? I know we in Canada stopped getting those many years ago.

Sprue Bros. still carries the Metalizer paints although a LOT of them are OUT OF STOCK at the moment.

I prefer to use Alclad for my metal colors, I think they look more true.

Steve

Link to post
Share on other sites
20 hours ago, stalal said:

While we talk about demise MM paint line, I still see their webpage and their list of Metalizer paints. 

 

https://www.testors.com/product-catalog/testors-brands/model-master/metalizer-lacquer-paint/bottles

 

Are they still available in USA? I know we in Canada stopped getting those many years ago.

This website hasn't been accurate in at least three years.  There are items on there that we know were discontinued years ago.  It's really just a matter of what stocks retailers still have.

Link to post
Share on other sites

LVP Paints offers US Fed Std colors in enamel in several formats: touch up paint pen, 2 oz touch up paint bottle and brush, 1/2 & 1 Qt cans; and 4 & 12 oz aerosol cans.  Here is a link for FS15045 Strata Blue.  They ship via UPS Ground for aerosols and others may go via USPS.  So I would think that they will ship to Canada as well.  FWIW, Dutch 

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/8/2021 at 7:10 AM, Dutch said:

LVP Paints offers US Fed Std colors in enamel in several formats: touch up paint pen, 2 oz touch up paint bottle and brush, 1/2 & 1 Qt cans; and 4 & 12 oz aerosol cans.  Here is a link for FS15045 Strata Blue.  They ship via UPS Ground for aerosols and others may go via USPS.  So I would think that they will ship to Canada as well.  FWIW, Dutch 

Have you bought any of their paints?

If so, how do they work, and do they match the FS595 chips?

Larry

Link to post
Share on other sites
46 minutes ago, ReccePhreak said:

Have you bought any of their paints?

If so, how do they work, and do they match the FS595 chips?

Larry

Larry, I'll be placing a order this week. I have a BDU-33 that needs to be re-painted, it should be FS 35109 so, we'll see how close it is to my  Federal Standard 595a color chips.

Steve

Link to post
Share on other sites
19 hours ago, A-10 LOADER said:

Larry, I'll be placing a order this week. I have a BDU-33 that needs to be re-painted, it should be FS 35109 so, we'll see how close it is to my  Federal Standard 595a color chips.

Steve

 

I'll be watching this also cause I need something new and this could be it.  Sucked when testors got rid of 36622 and these guys have 26622 and 36622.  It's getting tough to find any of the paints I normally use.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...