Shipping paint etc internationally

[bluestag]

I read Phoenix's site to say that they CAN ship paint internationally, with adequate packaging.

 

Has anyone experience of this?   I'm in California and would really like to get several items of their range.

 

Lordy, are they slow to respond to emails......

[Jeff Smith]

Pheonix seems to be living in the dark ages providing only oil based paints.  I switched to acrylics many years ago and find most of what I need in the Vallejo and Citadel ranges.  Unfortunately Humbrol discontinued their railway range and Testors discontinued their Acryl Model Master range.  There is the Badger range, one of which I use for Midland red.  I have not explored the Tamya range.

 

Anyway, if you have not used acrylic paint now might be the time to switch.  What particular colors are you interested in?

[brossard]

50 minutes ago, bluestag said:

I read Phoenix's site to say that they CAN ship paint internationally, with adequate packaging.

 

Has anyone experience of this?   I'm in California and would really like to get several items of their range.

 

Lordy, are they slow to respond to emails......

I sent them an email asking if they shipped to Canada, this was months ago - crickets.

 

I have a policy that any supplier that ignores me gets ignored back.

 

British Model Trains is showing Humbrol acrylics available:

 

https://britishmodeltrains.ca/collections/paint

 

John

[bluestag]

8 minutes ago, brossard said:

I sent them an email asking if they shipped to Canada, this was months ago - crickets.

 

I have a policy that any supplier that ignores me gets ignored back.

 

British Model Trains is showing Humbrol acrylics available:

 

https://britishmodeltrains.ca/collections/paint

 

John

John,

 

My local hobbyshop usually has a full selection of Humbrol colors.  Humbrol is owned by Hornby, which also owns Airfix.   Hornby fills a shipping container once a month or there abouts, and my hobbyshop receives a bunch of stuff from them, being a plastic model kits dealer especially.

 

I'm especially looking for two part self etch primer, which I cannot find in the US.   I have used self etch rattle cans from the super store, and it is only adequate.

 

Yes, Phoenix is remarkably unresponsive.

 

Kevin

[brossard]

21 minutes ago, bluestag said:

John,

 

My local hobbyshop usually has a full selection of Humbrol colors.  Humbrol is owned by Hornby, which also owns Airfix.   Hornby fills a shipping container once a month or there abouts, and my hobbyshop receives a bunch of stuff from them, being a plastic model kits dealer especially.

 

I'm especially looking for two part self etch primer, which I cannot find in the US.   I have used self etch rattle cans from the super store, and it is only adequate.

 

Yes, Phoenix is remarkably unresponsive.

 

Kevin

You are blessed to have a "local hobbyshop".  The last one in Montreal closed a couple of years ago.  I can get most of what I need from online stores (which are great I must say) but not British colours.  Happily I have several "tinlets" of various Humbrol British railway colours so things are not desperate.

 

Fortunately, I can get paints and glues etc. via Canada Post.

 

Good luck

 

John

[bluestag]

36 minutes ago, brossard said:

You are blessed to have a "local hobbyshop".  The last one in Montreal closed a couple of years ago.  I can get most of what I need from online stores (which are great I must say) but not British colours.  Happily I have several "tinlets" of various Humbrol British railway colours so things are not desperate.

 

Fortunately, I can get paints and glues etc. via Canada Post.

 

Good luck

 

John

Montreal is not a small town.    I'm surprised you have no hobby shops.    My store is Burbank House of Hobbies.   They have a web site.

[brossard]

1 hour ago, bluestag said:

Montreal is not a small town.    I'm surprised you have no hobby shops.    My store is Burbank House of Hobbies.   They have a web site.

Demographics are changing I think.  There are fewer and fewer people who are willing to actually build things.  Look at the memberships of most clubs - grey hair and bifocals.

 

One thing I have learned is to avoid buying stuff from over the border.  USPS is slow, expensive and shipments take a long time, at least it was the last time I tried, which was years ago.

 

I have no problem buying from the UK, shipping is usually quick, about a week, and reasonably priced.  Funny how that works.

 

Shipping within Canada is remarkably fast, usually within 2 days and in the case of one shop, free if you buy enough.

 

John

[bluestag]

41 minutes ago, brossard said:

Demographics are changing I think.  There are fewer and fewer people who are willing to actually build things.  Look at the memberships of most clubs - grey hair and bifocals.

 

One thing I have learned is to avoid buying stuff from over the border.  USPS is slow, expensive and shipments take a long time, at least it was the last time I tried, which was years ago.

 

I have no problem buying from the UK, shipping is usually quick, about a week, and reasonably priced.  Funny how that works.

 

Shipping within Canada is remarkably fast, usually within 2 days and in the case of one shop, free if you buy enough.

 

John

Yes, it is an ageing hobby.   I'm 64, all my operating chums are my age or older.   But next week I am hosting a mid 20's enthusiast introduced to me by John Redrup of London Road Models.   This kid is into my railway, the LNWR, despite living in N California.   I at least lived in GB in my youth.   I'm glad to take a part in encouraging a new enthusiast.   Even if he is in 4mm, which I left for stuff that I can see in 7mm.    I find getting packages from Britain brutally expensive.   Happily I have two Brit chums who travel home regularly, and are happy to schlep kits back for me in their luggage.   But getting paint back is another thing.

[brossard]

16 minutes ago, bluestag said:

Yes, it is an ageing hobby.   I'm 64, all my operating chums are my age or older.   But next week I am hosting a mid 20's enthusiast introduced to me by John Redrup of London Road Models.   This kid is into my railway, the LNWR, despite living in N California.   I at least lived in GB in my youth.   I'm glad to take a part in encouraging a new enthusiast.   Even if he is in 4mm, which I left for stuff that I can see in 7mm.    I find getting packages from Britain brutally expensive.   Happily I have two Brit chums who travel home regularly, and are happy to schlep kits back for me in their luggage.   But getting paint back is another thing.

Yes, I'm the same.  The club I belong to does have a young 'un but the rest of us are old crocks, and even so, for all of Quebec, there are only about a dozen people into British rail.

 

I was pretty young when the family left UK, but I remember seeing working steam on, I think, the L&Y line from Blackburn, through Accrington to Burnley.

 

When I was doing 00 (30 odd years) I did LMS.  Now I'm doing 0, it is BR in the 60's.  Mostly because there is more choice in RTR.

 

7mm does tend to be expensive for shipping.  Hattons like to use couriers for locos which I hate.  I have preordered some locos from Antics so we'll see if they are more reasonable.

 

Lol, I think I found you in the BRMNA directory.

 

John

Edited December 24, 2023 by brossard

[BachelorBoy]

1 hour ago, brossard said:

Demographics are changing I think.  There are fewer and fewer people who are willing to actually build things.  Look at the memberships of most clubs - grey hair and bifocals.

 

The membership of clubs may be ageing, and I think that could be a self-reinforcing change: the more they are dominated by older people, the less attractive they are to younger people.

 

Nevertheless, the number of older people is rising absolutely and proportionately in most developed societies.

 

And I suspect that the rise of YouTube has freed many people from the necessity of joining clubs to learn modelling techniques. 

[bluestag]

43 minutes ago, brossard said:

Yes, I'm the same.  The club I belong to does have a young 'un but the rest of us are old crocks, and even so, for all of Quebec, there are only about a dozen people into British rail.

 

I was pretty young when the family left UK, but I remember seeing working steam on, I think, the L&Y line from Blackburn, through Accrington to Burnley.

 

When I was doing 00 (30 odd years) I did LMS.  Now I'm doing 0, it is BR in the 60's.  Mostly because there is more choice in RTR.

 

7mm does tend to be expensive for shipping.  Hattons like to use couriers for locos which I hate.  I have preordered some locos from Antics so we'll see if they are more reasonable.

 

Lol, I think I found you in the BRMNA directory.

 

John

Yes, I am in BRNMA

[SR71]

From professional experience you will likely struggle to get paint shipped across the sea (don't try air!) these days. And then add California which has a lot of additional restrictions on chemicals that can be used and is worse still. You will be better talking to a friendly car restorer to see where they get their paint mixed.

 

We used to get asked to ship our equipment with touch up paint but in recent years clients have struggled to find a shipping company that will take it. In order to ship the paint they would end up putting it in it's own container and sending with shipper that will take hazardous cargo. They can't get insurance to ship it with the main equipment because they have to include the consequential loss of the entire ships cargo.

 

In modelling terms we were sending a lot of paint but it's not a containers worth. After several instances of paint being left behind, and then having to be disposed of as hazardous waste, we now recommend touch up paint is bought locally. Modern paint mixing has very good repeatability meaning it can be used without it looking like our equipment has measles. If you want to know what to ask for have a look at RAL codes, however I hesitate to offer suggestions as colour is very subjective and everyone has their own perception of what is right.

[bluestag]

9 hours ago, SR71 said:

From professional experience you will likely struggle to get paint shipped across the sea (don't try air!) these days. And then add California which has a lot of additional restrictions on chemicals that can be used and is worse still. You will be better talking to a friendly car restorer to see where they get their paint mixed.

 

We used to get asked to ship our equipment with touch up paint but in recent years clients have struggled to find a shipping company that will take it. In order to ship the paint they would end up putting it in it's own container and sending with shipper that will take hazardous cargo. They can't get insurance to ship it with the main equipment because they have to include the consequential loss of the entire ships cargo.

 

In modelling terms we were sending a lot of paint but it's not a containers worth. After several instances of paint being left behind, and then having to be disposed of as hazardous waste, we now recommend touch up paint is bought locally. Modern paint mixing has very good repeatability meaning it can be used without it looking like our equipment has measles. If you want to know what to ask for have a look at RAL codes, however I hesitate to offer suggestions as colour is very subjective and everyone has their own perception of what is right.

Thanks.  What I am primarily after is self etch primer, the colors are just coincidental.

[Jeff Smith]

Is this for brass?

[SR71]

I think you should be able to get etch primer out of state if you can't get it locally. Our fabricator in Pamona always has to deviate because they can't get the specific paints due to California legislation on VOC's etc. Our fabricator in Tulsa never had any problems though.

 

In the UK I use U-Pol etch primer and checking the website they have a North American presence. I've never used phoenix primer, is it special in some way?

[bluestag]

4 hours ago, Jeff Smith said:

Is this for brass?

Mostly.   It is good for resin as well.

[bluestag]

4 hours ago, SR71 said:

I think you should be able to get etch primer out of state if you can't get it locally. Our fabricator in Pamona always has to deviate because they can't get the specific paints due to California legislation on VOC's etc. Our fabricator in Tulsa never had any problems though.

 

In the UK I use U-Pol etch primer and checking the website they have a North American presence. I've never used phoenix primer, is it special in some way?

It is two part, so has an indefinite shelf life, and is meant to be airbrushed, which gives a superior finish if you have any skill with an airbrush.   As I wrote above, I can get a rattle can of effective etch primer, but it is a lot of paint for a small project, and it does not lie down utterly flat.

[SR71]

Understood. In the UK you can get U-Pol in a tin which will air brush. Friends who run 16mm live steam do this and get a really good finish. I can't say more than that as to how they do it as I'm not an airbrusher (yet).

[bluestag]

2 hours ago, SR71 said:

Understood. In the UK you can get U-Pol in a tin which will air brush. Friends who run 16mm live steam do this and get a really good finish. I can't say more than that as to how they do it as I'm not an airbrusher (yet).

Yes, I am a rookie at airbrushing.    And I don't have many good candidates for practice, beyond bean cans.