Humbrol discontinuing 32 colours

[John]

Humbrol haven't announced any new products for 2016, at least not so far. I wonder if there are things going on behind the scenes after the quality issues that arose with the RLM enamels.

J

[Knight_Flyer]

I can only assume they're discontinued because they're not bought in great numbers which is a shame as some are a good match for a particular aircraft scheme.

[bentwaters81tfw]

If the paints are of the quality of the last tin of 11 silver I bought, they can discontinue the lot. Gloss bright silver? Yeah, right. matt pebbledash grey. Still awaiting a reply to my email to Humbrol.

Damn shame, as I used Humbrol for 50 years plus. It isn't what it was.

[dalea]

Thanks for the heads-up, anyway. Ticking the 'like' box is hardly appropriate.

[robvulcan]

I don't bother with Humbrol metallocs I must be lucky with their other paints. The camo colours are great. I do use many brands I like the variety.

The new tins I have are amazing they have the mostly blue bottom to the tins.

I wil say they don't have the permanency of the 80s early 90s ones which did not need primer and become part of the plastic. I miss them paints so much.

[mirageiv]

Its a little frustrating in my opinion that Humbrol makes many excellent colour matches, some absolutely spot on, but they are let down as I find they require a more work to get a decent finish such as having to micromesh matt paints as they refuse to go on without a rough sandpaper texture. This has unfortunately stopped me purchasing and using them for a while now unless I have no other choice, given most of their paint matches are matt/satin, reluctantly I don't bother anymore. Im no paint expert so I'm not sure what is needed/removed from the mixture, but if they could change some of the smoothness and drying qualities they still would be an widespread, accurate and decent paint despite all the other excellent competition.

[robvulcan]

Its a little frustrating in my opinion that Humbrol makes many excellent colour matches, some absolutely spot on, but they are let down as I find they require a more work to get a decent finish such as having to micromesh matt paints as they refuse to go on without a rough sandpaper texture. This has unfortunately stopped me purchasing and using them for a while now unless I have no other choice, given most of their paint matches are matt/satin, reluctantly I don't bother anymore. Im no paint expert so I'm not sure what is needed/removed from the mixture, but if they could change some of the smoothness and drying qualities they still would be an widespread, accurate and decent paint despite all the other excellent competition.

The enamels go on flawlessly with lighter fuel thinner I use swan and the acrylics with Wndsor and Newton Flow Improver. But both need a good primer Halfords Standard car or filler primer is perfect for this Edited February 4, 2016 by robvulcan

[mirageiv]

Thanks for that tip Rob, I will try it! I have failed trying so many different thinner types, but that is one I haven't ! Hopefully my huge stockpile still has use yet . Is there an adverse reactions to other thinners when using lighter fluid that you know of? I usually use the Mr.Color range and they can be a little temperamental with differing thinners above and below.

cheers,

David

edit, i just use enamels

Edited February 4, 2016 by mirageiv

[Space Ranger]

I can't find these listed in any recent Humbrol catalog:

36 Matt pastel green

42 Matt violet

44 Matt pastel blue

58 Matt magenta

111 Matt field grey

112 Matt field blue

234 Matt dark flesh

237 Matt desert tan

239 Gloss British racing green

When were they introduced? My Humbrol Colour System calls no. 111 "Matt Uniform Grey" and no. 112 "Matt Tarmac"!

Edited February 4, 2016 by Space Ranger

[Truro Model Builder]

They were all introduced, along with the RLM colours, about three years ago.

[robvulcan]

Thanks for that tip Rob, I will try it! I have failed trying so many different thinner types, but that is one I haven't ! Hopefully my huge stockpile still has use yet . Is there an adverse reactions to other thinners when using lighter fluid that you know of? I usually use the Mr.Color range and they can be a little temperamental with differing thinners above and below.

cheers,

David

edit, i just use enamels

No problem only passing on what other modellers told me. I would not mix two types of thinners as you never know what will happen.

Just try a new tin of Humbrol and thin it with the lighter fuel so it's like milk and stir forever it really makes a difference.

The lighter fuel evaporates fast and drying time should be quite quick for enamels but best left a day or two. The lighter fuel is naptha and if you read the tin of Humbrol enamel it mentions naptha as that's what it's made of.

Works for me brushing and airbrushing should be fine it oddly seems better than their own thinner.

As for Mr Colour I assume it's designed to extend the drying time which might be the issue assuming it does for enamel what their acrylic ones do.

Come to think of it Mr Color to my knowledge is not enamel paint it is a laccure based acrylic as an alternative to their water based acylic Mr Hobby Aqueous which I think is alchohol based.

To my knowledge the only true enamels are Humbrol, Revell, Pheonix Precision Paints, Cherry Paints, Railmatch, WEM Colour Coats and Xtracolour.

Just in case of confusion I know there is Mr Paint which is unrelated to the Mr colour and mr hobby paints and sold by uschi van der rosten which is laccure based.

Cheers Rob

[Truro Model Builder]

I've come across the lighter fluid suggestion before, and seen it remarked that it imparts a dead flat finish. Is that so, Rob?

[SleeperService]

Regarding comments above I've been trial brushing Humbrol on my mule for a while now. Saved two or three nasty experiences. My latest tin of silver is just like bentwater's one. Interesting that three other tins from another outlet are all fine...

[Graham Boak]

Just a theory: perhaps these are not being discontinued, never to be seen again, but simply rested? Much as models are missing from the catalogue for a few years but then returned? I can imagine that after an initial surge in buying a new release people will be slow to come back for another tin in the short term. If they do, retailers' stocks are likely to cover the demand, and retailers will be slow to order significant numbers of tins that are still on the shelves.

[robvulcan]

I've come across the lighter fluid suggestion before, and seen it remarked that it imparts a dead flat finish. Is that so, Rob?

I believe too that's what was said. When brushing matt it does indeed dry flat in my expirience when painting the interior of my lancaster and Stirling recently

[dwh]

I was completing a Humbrol order last week and noticed that 32 separate colours appear to have been dropped from the range, both enamel and acrylic. Essentially they are all the colours that were introduced about three years ago, including all the RLM colours, but there are one or two surprises in there:

36 Matt pastel green

42 Matt violet

44 Matt pastel blue

58 Matt magenta

111 Matt field grey

112 Matt field blue

156 Satin dark camouflage grey

157 Matt azure blue

167 Satin RAF Barley grey

168 Satin hemp

187 Matt dark stone

195 Satin dark green

225 Matt middle stone

230 Matt PRU blue

234 Matt dark flesh

237 Matt desert tan

239 Gloss British racing green

240 Matt RLM 02 grau

241 Matt RLM 70 schwartzgrun

242 Matt RLM 71 dunkelgrun

243 Matt RLM 72 grun

244 Matt RLM 73 grun

245 Matt RLM 74 graugrun

246 Matt RLM 75 grauviolett

247 Matt RLM 76 lichtblau

248 Matt RLM 78 himmelblau

249 Matt RLM 79 sandbraun

250 Matt desert sand

251 Matt RLM 81 dunkelbraun

252 Matt RLM 82 olivgrun

253 Matt RLM 83 dunkelgrun

1325 Clear green

So if you want any, grab them while you can.

I have just picked up the new mini A5 size Airfix catalogue from LHS and all the colours you list are still shown in this catalogue?

Derek

[Space Ranger]

I have just picked up the new mini A5 size Airfix catalogue from LHS and all the colours you list are still shown in this catalogue?

Derek

And they all seem to be still available through Humbrol USA; I just ordered some of them!

[Truro Model Builder]

They are also listed in the 2016 Airfix Yearbook.

As I have said, just because they are discontinued does not mean they will not be available for some time to come as stocks run down. Some paint colours are very slow to move off the racks, and I have no doubt pastel blue and magenta will be around for some time to come. But those 32 colours are NOT, repeat NOT available to order on the 2016 Humbrol TRADE order form, which indicates they are no longer in production. Henceforth, if you want any of them, buy them when you see them.

I suspect Hornby will be quite content to hang on to existing stocks and supply them exclusively via their own internet retail operation until they sell out.

[Space Ranger]

I visited two local hobby shops in the Dallas area yesterday, looking for some of these colors, and noticed that there were no dedicated spaces on the Humbrol racks for any of them, even the Luftwaffe colors.

[dwh]

My LHS owner spoke to Hornby rep yesterday, and confirmed that these colours are being discontinued over a period of time.

[Beardie]

Just a wee question about the lighter fluid.

Has anyone tried Naptha as supplied to car bodyshops?

I see you can get 5 LITRES of Shelsol Naptha solvent from NationalBodyShopSupplies on Fleabay for a mere £12.99 plus £6 post compared to Swan lighter fluid for upwards of £1 per 100mls so an equivalent amount would cost at least £50. I would reckon that the quality supplied to body shops doing high quality finishes would have to be pretty darn good although, if I recall correctly, it is only used to clean down panels/bodywork etc. prior to painting.

[Mike Starmer]

If true then this is what happens when the bean-counters run the show. Mind you, I spoke to a rep. at Humbrols years ago about accuracy of most of their colours. The general reply was " We make a colour, you take it or leave it". What an attitude! Then came "Of course our master cards were destroyed in a fire". I pointed out that if no one had the whit to purchase readily published accurate material as I would have done they deserved to go out of business. If these paints are discontinued then I shall no longer be able to produce the colours for British military vehicles as I have since 1997.

[Graham Boak]

I wouldn't disagree about the iniquities of bean-counters, but beyond that the average rep is unlikely to be a good guide to what is happening behind the scenes as to the choice and/or matching of colours. It's too far from their job description, or experience, or interest. There's plenty of evidence that over the years, including recently, Humbrol have tried to match particular historic (and current) colours, with generally a fair amount of success. Yes they got some wrong, or just not quite close enough, or standards slipped over years of production. That doesn't mean that there aren't professionals behind the scenes doing a decent job.

[ivand]

I visited two local hobby shops in the Dallas area yesterday, looking for some of these colors, and noticed that there were no dedicated spaces on the Humbrol racks for any of them, even the Luftwaffe colors.

That's probably because the racks predate the introduction of those colours. I spoke to my LHS owner about these colours being discontinued and he said the RLM colours were just beginning to sell after he got a new Humbrol rack with dedicated spaces for the new colours. When he had the old rack, he had to put the RLM range next to it and people didn't seem to take notice. Of course, once the public gets accustomed to these paints being available, they're discontinued!

[George Norman]

Lucky to get the Standard colours in our LMS. Absolutely gone to pot.