Alternative 4 Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 (edited) I was recently gifted an original tool 1/48 Tamiya mk.1 Spitfire which despite it's age is a really nice kit. Halfway though the build I noticed the piece that fits on the underside of the nose, the chin if you will, is missing. I am not sure if I have misplaced it, or it never came with the kit. My conundrum is, do I pull my house apart looking for it and waste hours of my life? Or do I just try and make a replacement shape out of milliput and save a few hours of my life? I thought these Tamiya kits were supposed to be easy to build, lol! Edited April 25, 2022 by Alternative 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airmechaja Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 I would first ask if someone has the part on the "spare parts forum" . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Geoff M Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 Tamiya's instruction have a very complete parts breakdown and part numbers for ordering replacement parts. The feedback I have read is they are very good about replacing lost or broken parts. Geoff M Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ElectroSoldier Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 Tamiya not only replace lost of broken parts, they are also happy to replace parts you want. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
southwestforests Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 7 hours ago, Alternative 4 said: My conundrum is, do I pull my house apart looking for it and waste hours of my life? Or do I just try and make a replacement shape out of milliput and save a few hours of my life? It is a well-demonstrated axiom in the model railroading community that the only way to find a lost part is to replace it: once a replacement has been acquired or fabricated the lost part will reappear within anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 days. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alternative 4 Posted April 25, 2022 Author Share Posted April 25, 2022 4 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said: Tamiya not only replace lost of broken parts, they are also happy to replace parts you want. In the USA maybe, for the rest of the world we are advised to go through a local distributor. I tried that another time and they weren't very interested. Sadly these are really my only two options. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alternative 4 Posted April 25, 2022 Author Share Posted April 25, 2022 2 hours ago, southwestforests said: It is a well-demonstrated axiom in the model railroading community that the only way to find a lost part is to replace it: once a replacement has been acquired or fabricated the lost part will reappear within anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 days. 😁 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ElectroSoldier Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 12 hours ago, Alternative 4 said: In the USA maybe, for the rest of the world we are advised to go through a local distributor. I tried that another time and they weren't very interested. Sadly these are really my only two options. Thats how Tamiya do their spare parts service. Its a much better option for them to do it that way Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alternative 4 Posted April 26, 2022 Author Share Posted April 26, 2022 14 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said: Thats how Tamiya do their spare parts service. Its a much better option for them to do it that way I partly agree, while it does make sense in the world of brick and mortar stores, in the age of the internet it presents some challenges to the consumer (e.g there are no Tamiya retailers within 100s of Kilometers to me). But If that's the way they have chosen to run their business and the quality of their product means it's not that big of a problem for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jim S Posted April 27, 2022 Share Posted April 27, 2022 (edited) Hello. I believe the original tool Tamiya Spitfire Mk I fuselage tree is identical to the successively released Mk Vb. There is a review of the Tamiya Mk Vb on Modelingmadness and SVA confirms this in text. There is a pic of the trees related to the kit review. Check it out. Maybe someone can spare their non-tropical chin from their Mk Vb or alternately use it as an excuse to pick up the Mk Vb. If all else fails I can dig up my Mk Vb this weekend and send the surplus chin your way.Hope this helps. Jim S 61035 is the Spitfire Mk Vb Tropical kit number reviewed on MM Edited April 27, 2022 by Jim S Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alternative 4 Posted April 27, 2022 Author Share Posted April 27, 2022 2 hours ago, Jim S said: Hello. I believe the original tool Tamiya Spitfire Mk I fuselage tree is identical to the successively released Mk Vb. There is a review of the Tamiya Mk Vb on Modelingmadness and SVA confirms this in text. There is a pic of the trees related to the kit review. Check it out. Maybe someone can spare their non-tropical chin from their Mk Vb or alternately use it as an excuse to pick up the Mk Vb. If all else fails I can dig up my Mk Vb this weekend and send the surplus chin your way.Hope this helps. Jim S 61035 is the Spitfire Mk Vb Tropical kit number reviewed on MM Thanks for the suggestion I might just buy the Mk. Vb, it will be a good excuse to have another Spitifre. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jim S Posted April 27, 2022 Share Posted April 27, 2022 1 hour ago, Alternative 4 said: Thanks for the suggestion I might just buy the Mk. Vb, it will be a good excuse to have another Spitifre. You’re welcome. One can never have too many Spitfires! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ElectroSoldier Posted April 27, 2022 Share Posted April 27, 2022 9 hours ago, Alternative 4 said: I partly agree, while it does make sense in the world of brick and mortar stores, in the age of the internet it presents some challenges to the consumer (e.g there are no Tamiya retailers within 100s of Kilometers to me). But If that's the way they have chosen to run their business and the quality of their product means it's not that big of a problem for me. I think you misunderstand what a local distributer is. I have many local retailers but the local distributer to me is many hundreds of miles away. A disty is usually though not always an importer too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chuck1945 Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 The other catch with replacement parts from Tamiya is that the kit needs to be in production. I’ve had successes with parts and also responses saying the kit has been discontinued and no parts available Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ElectroSoldier Posted April 30, 2022 Share Posted April 30, 2022 If the distributer has the kit in stock and is willing it doesnt matter how long its been out of production Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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