What's up with Tamyia?

nkuzmik · Post by **nkuzmik** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:15 am

I've been trying to find Tamyia acrylic in my local(meaning any hobby shop that is less than a 2 hour drive. YAY Mojave Desert!) hobby shops but no joy. One shop I talked to mentioned something about an import ban.

What's going on?

darthviper107 · Post by **darthviper107** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:46 am

They do seem hard to find. My local Hobbytown had some though, not a very good selection, most of the good ones weren't in stock (and I'd imagine they probably wouldn't be stocked any time soon)

duck · Post by **duck** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:03 am

California changed their laws regarding labeling of chemicals, so in order to import Tamiya paints, the label has to change. On top of that, the distribution center was hit by the earthquake and tsunami earlier this year.

USSARCADIA · Post by **USSARCADIA** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 2:38 pm

You're not alone. Our local Hobby People in Pasadena is nearly out of everything! Luckily I found a small action figure shop in Temple City that still has some.

seam-filler · Post by **seam-filler** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 3:41 am

It's a world-wide problem. Most countries have signed up to new, much tighter restrictions on what can and cannot be imported. Much of this comes down to how products are labelled and Tamiya, by and large, label their products to Japanese and East-Asian standards. These no longer meet the more stringent rules in Europe and US/Canada, so it's harder to get the stuff through customs in those countries.

Because the market for Tamiya paints & solvents in the 'west' makes up only a tiny part of their market, there isn't much economic impetus for them to change their labeling for these markets.

DrShrinker · Post by **DrShrinker** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 3:15 pm

So my LHS is almost out of paints and completely out of Tamiya thinner. They do not know when they will get more.

What other product can i use to thin Tamiya paints for airbrushing?

kenlilly106 · Post by **kenlilly106** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:11 pm

91% isopropyl alcohol or lacquer thinner.

Ken

DrShrinker · Post by **DrShrinker** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 7:27 pm

thanks

gene1138 · Post by **gene1138** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 12:02 pm

kenlilly106 wrote:91% isopropyl alcohol or lacquer thinner.

Ken

Is that just straight IPA or do you cut it down with distilled water or anything else? I'm starting to get back into model building after 15 yrs and learning to work with acrylics. Picked up some Tamiya paints and don't know what's best to thin it. I been reading a few different suggestions.

Thanks,
Gene

kenlilly106 · Post by **kenlilly106** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 12:39 pm

I use IPA straight up, no mixer

A little water may help slow down the drying time and may help prevent the airbrush tip clogging from the paint, also I think the Tamiya brand thinner has a "flo-aid" added to it for this purpose.

A common one modelers used in the past was Kodak Photoflow, not sure if its still made with the decline in film photography, I think Liquitex makes something similar in their artist paint line. Basically the flo-aids act as thinners to the paint without actually thinning the paint down, this way the paint sprays better but you don't lose the coverage and density of the paint.

A lot of what you add beyond the basic thinner is going to depend on your airbrush setup and the environmental conditions where you live. Ex - I live in Appalachian Mountains in the Eastern US, spring and summer around here is typically warm but humid at times, I need a thinner that's going to flash off quickly so the paint will dry quickly and not stay tacky for days. If you live in the Southwestern desert area of the US then you'll probably want something to retard the drying time so the paint doesn't clog the airbrush or dry grainy on the model.

It's something you'll have to experiment with to see what works best for you, I've seen beginner airbrushers on the forums get upset when they don't get a definitive recipe for thinning the paint, there are so many variables involved that the best way is to experiment and note what works best for you.

Ken

gene1138 · Post by **gene1138** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:43 pm

Thanks, Ken. I'm in Jersey so I'd think my basic formulation should be close to yours. At first I was feeling a little overwhelmed by all the possibilities for thinning acrylics. Reading your post has put me more at ease.

DaveVan · Post by **DaveVan** » Fri Sep 09, 2011 9:33 pm

Some folks on a model car BB claim that their LHS in CA got Tamiya spray cans back in stock.....we'll see....

southwestforests · Post by **southwestforests** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 8:42 pm

Found this, which jibes with what Mike, LHS owner in our itty bitty burg of 8000, said, http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/t ... int+in+US-

Tamiya's having labeling issues...
May 24 2011, 1:31 AM

There's plenty of supply (in Japan) and plenty of demand (here), but there's a wall of bureaucracy standing in between at the moment.

There's been a Tamiya USA-authored memo on the subject posted alongside the Tamiya rack at my LHS (Colpar. Denver, CO) for a couple of months now. Originally, they had projected that the labeling problems would be resolved by late April, but that was before the natural disaster that has disrupted things in Japan.

I have heard that the problems specifically stem from regulatory changes in California. While this would not surprise me, I have heard nothing authoritative on the subject and this information is - so far - unconfirmed.

IIRC Gunze/GSI went through something similar not too long ago.

Tamiya responce..
May 24 2011, 9:26 AM

Here is the reply I got from Tamiya USA when I asked them about their paint supply in the US:

"In an effort to maintain the high standards so many of our customers have become accustom to, and rely on, Tamiya America, Inc is working diligently to update certain chemical products. A major part of these updates include new or revised labeling to ensure Tamiya America, Inc. is complying with the highest consumer safety standards set by the U.S. government in conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

We would like to apologize for the delay associated with this process. Unfortunately we have experienced a few challenges during this process that have set our time-line further back. Please keep in mind we are working as quickly as possible to get the affected products back into your hands and the hands of the consumers.

Below is brief update on a few of the key items:

Tamiya Putty (87053 & 87095), we are happy to announce this product has been updated will be released by early to mid April 2011.

Tamiya Acrylic Paint (813XX, 817XX, 815XX & 810XX), Tamiya Cements (87012 & 87038), Tamiya Thinners (81520, 81020, 81030, 81040, & 87077), Tamiya Primers (87026, 87042, 87044, 87061, 87064, 87075, & 87096)

All items listed above are still pending relabeling. The next phase in our process is ordering for distribution, anticipated re-release date by the end of May or sooner.

We will continue to work as quickly as possible with all parties involved to complete the process and provide your customers with products of the highest quality and standards. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your continued support."

seam-filler · Post by **seam-filler** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 2:35 am

There was a time when Tamiya USA would have been allowed to import stuff from Japan and then re-label (or add an extra label) to suit US regulations. But this is no longer allowed and the product has to be imported to the US with legal labelling already in place. IIRC it’s a Federal directive to unify labelling throughout the US rather than for individual states to have their own standards.

DaveVan · Post by **DaveVan** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 9:27 am

Federal directive to unify labelling throughout the US rather than for individual states to have their own standards.

The label I see on many products 'The state of California.....' is not a Federal label. It's another CA exemption the state feels the need to add to 'protect'.....

It will be interesting to see what label is added.

Dobber · Post by **Dobber** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 8:56 am

So much for May. The primmer has been missing for over a year now and now their Acrylic paints are all but gone too. WTF! Anyone know anything else or heard anything?

Chris

Thomas E. Johnson · Post by **Thomas E. Johnson** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:35 pm

Tamiya adjusted their labels and the stuff is coming back in now. My local Hobbytown is restocking big time.

Thomas E. Johnson · Post by **Thomas E. Johnson** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:35 pm

Tamiya adjusted their labels and the stuff is coming back in now. My local Hobbytown is restocking big time.

taliesen · Post by **taliesen** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:40 pm

I was also able to pick up some fine white primer from my local Hobbytown over the weekend - the guy said they got white primer, and one of the mini acrylics, and that was it. But it's progress! I'd tell you which store here in Texas, but I guarantee you they no longer have any primer (yes, it was my fault) . . . [/code]

nkuzmik · Post by **nkuzmik** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:17 am

DaveVan wrote:
Federal directive to unify labelling throughout the US rather than for individual states to have their own standards.
The label I see on many products 'The state of California.....' is not a Federal label. It's another CA exemption the state feels the need to add to 'protect'.....

It will be interesting to see what label is added.

I've seen labels on store shelves warning that "this product may contain potentially harmful levels of mercury" and pregnant and/or nursing women, small children and the elderly should avoid it. By the way, this is in the frozen foods aisle.

MillenniumFalsehood · Tue Nov 01, 2011 10:21 pm

My LHS hasn't restocked Tamiya paints in months. I keep waiting for him to, as I want a new pot of clear red.

Captain Riker · Post by **Captain Riker** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 11:08 am

any update on this? My LHS has gotten the primer back but the paint is still in short supply. I had to search around 8 online stores to find the LAST can of Insignia white.

Are their good alternatives? I tend to use Tamiya spray cans for my base colors and Model Master or Vallejo for details. I'm such a paint newb.

southwestforests · Post by **southwestforests** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 11:48 am

http://cs.finescale.com/FSMCS/forums/p/ ... 37027.aspx

Tamiya paints are back to the U.S.
Chrisk-k Posted: Mon, Jan 30 2012 1:30 PM Reply

I just received email from Tamiya USA.

>>Tamiya paints are just coming back to the market as of December 2011.
Tamiya paints can be order directly from Tamiya America, please see the link
below. Once the "Add to Cart" icon re-appears the item can be ordered:
http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/catego ... b-id=60000

Tamiya paints are also available at retailers such as Tower Hobbies:
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wt ... =RHG&V=TAM

Thank you,

Tamiya America
>>Customer Service

Hopefully, the shortage will be over soon.

Captain Riker · Post by **Captain Riker** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:15 pm

Wow, good timing. Thanks for the reply.

Most of the people in that thread and at Hyperscale are saying they see their LHS restocked. Hopefully my LHS is by tomorrow. I may swing by.