How Does Tamiya Do It?

Phil_H

 

 

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Let.s not forget there's nothing that rivet counters can argue over accuracies in them. They're all fantasy Sci-Fi stuff.

 

 

Plenty of rivet counters in the sci-fi world. Sometimes, they're the worst...

 

I whole heartedly agree, sci-fi modelers can be some of the worst in our hobby. They will turn on one another, track down and hound each other as they try to find a new home. Nerd rage to the Nth degree.

Bandai did turn out some very nice 1/48 scale armor model kits in the 70s that were ahead of their time with complete interiors, engines and figures.

Bandai has a line of 1/35 scale Gundam futuristic military ground vehicles, including an awesome twin barreled tank and futuristic Hummer looking staff vehicle. You can only imagine what they could do with actual vehicles.

And while not military vehicles, their 1/35 scale series of Batmobiles were highly detailed. They did the 1989 Keaton Batmobile, Batman Forever Batmobile, and the Batman Begins Tumbler which was also released in a black chrome Dark Knight version.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

 

 

Roald

 At this point, if I buy a newer tool Tamiya kit I feel safe assuming that the engineering will be great. Can’t really say that about any other manufacturer.

 

 

 

 

Uh... Eduard kits.....

 

I second Eduard. Their planes are well detailed and generally have great fit. A few years back they released a 1/35 Hetzer with full interior that is gorgeous. Dragon, Takom and Meng are also releasing some pretty impressive models.

Bish

But one area Tamiya does not seem to be ahead of others is there decals, those are bloody awful, deffinetly the worst kit decals i have used in both builds. Odd, but i have never had a problem with their armour decals.

 

I'm glad that I'm not the only one that has trouble with Tamiya's aircraft decals and not the armor ones. Pretty much every Tamiya a/c I've built I've had issues with the decals and never really any with the armor. Come to think of it I never had problems with decals in their Formula kits either. 

Roald

 

 

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Hmm.. it seems to me you’re pretty set on Tamiya is the best and everyone else is crap. But hey, if it’s the shake and bake kits you like best. Go for it. Just don’t bash other kit brands by assuming they’re no good as far as accuracies or fit issues. 

 

 

That‘s not at all what I said, but I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. 

 

Hurt my feelings?! ROFLMAO! You didnt suceed nor will ever do. 

As one poster mentioned, Tamiya decals are notorious for being on the thick side. With that being said, all I’m saying not all Tamiya is gold. Yes, they’re good kits, but so are others that can stack up with them. That was my whole point.

It's the elves.

Bish

But one area Tamiya does not seem to be ahead of others is there decals, those are bloody awful, deffinetly the worst kit decals i have used in both builds.

I agree.

Tamiya decals don’t seem to match the rest of the kit in terms of quality. In fact, there’s so much criticism of their decals online that I’m surprised they haven’t done something about it yet.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Hmm.. it seems to me you’re pretty set on Tamiya is the best and everyone else is crap. But hey, if it’s the shake and bake kits you like best. Go for it. Just don’t bash other kit brands by assuming they’re no good as far as accuracies or fit issues. 

That‘s not at all what I said, but I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. 

Hi Bish ;

 Well to tell the truth , the only "Mossie"kit I have ever owned was Revell's large one back in the late seventies .Nice Bird , lots of detail oportunities and great decals .Plus it's the only plane I ever painted with " Polly-S" truly great Acrylic paint .No Brushmarks either .

 Some changes in paint have Not been for the better .Like Floquil colors for trains .Super great for Armor kits . But no longer available either .I loved painting Planes and ships with Humbrol too .Now they don't have the colors I used a lot . Kits ? I will have to side with Eduard and Tamiya for ships .Some unusual subjects too .

Well, we can only go by our own personel experiance can't we. Mine is such that i have now bought AM stencil sets for my other Tamiya Mossie kits rather than struggle with theres (fortunatly i already had AM decals for the markings) and the one Tamiya kit i was planning on useing the kit decals on, i am now looking at alternatives.

I strongly disagree.  I've built lots of Tamiya aircraft, never had a problem.  They set down a good as any after market ones I have used.  

Tamiya is a great company.  I like them all realy  Including Hasagawa, Revelogram, Fujimy, Dragon,(who probly have the most of) and many many more.  The only company i dont realy care for is Lindberg.  They never impresed me, even as a little kid, back in the late 50's.  Takom is new one that I really like.  I've done several of their kits and their fit is marvelous.  Very welldone.

I have only built 2 Tamiya aircraft kits so far, both last year. And i agree they are very nice kits, but i am not sure they are so far ahead of everyone else that some seem to suggest. I have built Hasegawa kits which fit just as well as thye Tamiya ones and i am sure tamiya has their bad kits.

But one area Tamiya does not seem to be ahead of others is there decals, those are bloody awful, deffinetly the worst kit decals i have used in both builds. Odd, but i have never had a problem with their armour decals.

I would traid a little of Tamiya's super fit for some decent decals.

Roald

The Bandai kits are great in both fit and detail. If they decided to get into other non-scifi subjects they’d be a force to reckon with.

 

Back in the 70’s, they made a line of 1/48 kits- tanks, trucks, etc. all with complete interiors, as well as figure and accessory sets. They sure were a force to reckon with in those, and it would be nice to see them bring these 1/48 kits back. As well as expand the line with some new tool kits as well.

Roald

 

 

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

 

 

Roald

 At this point, if I buy a newer tool Tamiya kit I feel safe assuming that the engineering will be great. Can’t really say that about any other manufacturer.

 

 

 

 

Uh... Eduard kits.....

 

 

Eduard has gotten much better, I agree. The Hellcat, in particular, is a great fitting kit. But this is a fairly recent development, no? 

I found the 1/48 Bf 110 and Taifun to have lots of fit issues. In terms of consistency I’d still have to give it to Tamiya.

 

Hmm.. it seems to me you’re pretty set on Tamiya is the best and everyone else is crap. But hey, if it’s the shake and bake kits you like best. Go for it. Just don’t bash other kit brands by assuming they’re no good as far as accuracies or fit issues. Not everyone can afford a Tamiya kit. Hell, I’d love to get my hands on a 1/48 scale Tamiya Swordfish or IL-2 Sturmovick kit but I certainly can’t afford it based on their asking price. 

The Eduard Hellcat is in fact, fairly recent (2019) but is a reissue kit. And the reviews still consider them a great kit. 

Roald

 

 

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

 

 

Roald

 At this point, if I buy a newer tool Tamiya kit I feel safe assuming that the engineering will be great. Can’t really say that about any other manufacturer.

 

 

 

 

Uh... Eduard kits.....

 

 

Eduard has gotten much better, I agree. The Hellcat, in particular, is a great fitting kit. But this is a fairly recent development, no? 

I found the 1/48 Bf 110 and Taifun to have lots of fit issues. In terms of consistency I’d still have to give it to Tamiya.

 

I recently completed a 1/48 eduard Bf 110 and it built just as nice and easy as any Tamiya kit I ever built.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

 

 

Roald

 At this point, if I buy a newer tool Tamiya kit I feel safe assuming that the engineering will be great. Can’t really say that about any other manufacturer.

 

 

 

 

Uh... Eduard kits.....

Eduard has gotten much better, I agree. The Hellcat, in particular, is a great fitting kit. But this is a fairly recent development, no? 

I found the 1/48 Bf 110 and Taifun to have lots of fit issues. In terms of consistency I’d still have to give it to Tamiya.

The Bandai kits are great in both fit and detail. If they decided to get into other non-scifi subjects they’d be a force to reckon with.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Seriously? Rivet counters over something that’s not even real? Good Lord, they need to get a life.

Yeah, if you want to argue a point with the hard-core Sci-Fi crew, your reference material better be what they consider to be "canon".

But I digress.. 

Back to regular programming.. 

Phil_H

 

 

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Let.s not forget there's nothing that rivet counters can argue over accuracies in them. They're all fantasy Sci-Fi stuff.

 

 

Plenty of rivet counters in the sci-fi world. Sometimes, they're the worst...

 

Seriously? Rivet counters over something that’s not even real? Good Lord, they need to get a life.

bluenote

 

 

stikpusher

Yes, their Star Wars kits are most impressive. The Gundam kits by Bandai that my son builds look great as well. Their engineering is really something to marvel at, in that it’s all snap together, fits fantastic, and is articulable. Not to mention the muliple colors, like Phil said above. High tech and simple at the same time. 

 

 

 

 

I was really excited to see all of those great Star Wars kits until I learned that they are all snap together and require no painting.  (I believe you can paint if you want, but is not required).

 

I would love to see traditional model kits for Star Wars from Bandai (glue required, and plain white sprues so that you can paint from scratch).  

 

You should really try one, don't be fooled by snap together title. I still use glue on mine and the no need to paint is also a not true, the colors are in the ballpark but not right. They are the most accurate Star Wars kits I've seen. Comparing the Bandai Y-wing to the Fine Molds, the Bandai wins hands down.

Hi !

 I read this with a smile . One kit comes to mind .Their Clear version of the M.E.262 . I have acquired four .Why ?Well, I like chotchskis and airplanes .This has allowed me to refine superdetailing skills on a/c to a degree I never thought I would do .

 Why ? well, you can see it all when it's done . All those little hair fine wires painted to reflect hydraulics and fluid lines etc.Boy , that's fun . It's a nice break from detailing ship wheelhouses and bridges .

Aah;

 Bandai -That name conjures up great memories for me in an Armor scale I would,ve not tried otherwise .The demise of their 1/48 scale Armor kits , With full interiors I might add ! was sad for me . I still have one Sdkfz251/1 of theirs !

 I had hoped they would grace us with American Armor too . Now as far as what I specialize in - Ships , I think Trumpeter has given us some Knock out kits .I only request them as gifts because on a fixed income I cannot afford them . Same for Tamiya !

 I have never wanted for enjoyment in their ship kits .In smaller scales I have done a few Skywave kits and some off brands .Of course I have everything Heller and Revellogram produced . Lindberg for cut up refits and remodels .

 I won't cut up a Tamiya or Trumpeter ship ! They cost to much, just to use the hull for something else .Revell and Lindberg , sure . Lindberg has the Minesweeper for instance. Great to modify into a Ocean Going Salvage ship or Oceanagraphic Research vessel .

 Of course I have every company's iterations of them .Can you say Perkasa ? A patrol Torpedo Boat for Malaysia ? If I remember correctly it was Tamiya or Hasegawa .Hull molded in two colors .Wow! In the Eighties ?

The only real problem with Revell now is that there is no Revell USA anymore. Or at least currently. It’s all run from Germany now. Just look at the new website and the customer service section to see how they have changed. Not the same as they used to be, and not for the better. Revell Germany does make some great stuff, and at an affordable price. 

In the last couple of years Revell made great strides in fit and detail.  Same with Airfix.  Less money than Tamiya too.  You pay your money and make your choice.  Most Tamiya kits are great, but you pay for that.

To add to the discussion, I think Tamiya is fantastic!  Their kits are top quality and all of their tools, paints, etc are top notch as well.  I only use their acrylic paints for both airbrushing and handbrushing (use a drop of their retarder and they handbrush perfectly). 

The kits are expensive, but well worth it to me.

I still buy Revell for their car kits, as they have American cars and Tamiya doesn't.  Revell is still very good and their kits are very different compared to Tamiya.  

stikpusher

Yes, their Star Wars kits are most impressive. The Gundam kits by Bandai that my son builds look great as well. Their engineering is really something to marvel at, in that it’s all snap together, fits fantastic, and is articulable. Not to mention the muliple colors, like Phil said above. High tech and simple at the same time. 

 

Somehow the thread title keeps bringing to mind the line from Simmons in the first Transformers movie:

“You’ve got to respect the Japanese. They know the way of the samurai” (referring to Nokia). LOL

Sorry for the

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Sometimes these "New Tooling" kits are re pops of older kits with added goodies. As stik mentioned, not all Tamiya is gold. Airfix and Italeri are giving them a run for their money.

 

 

 

stikpusher

Yes, their Star Wars kits are most impressive. The Gundam kits by Bandai that my son builds look great as well. Their engineering is really something to marvel at, in that it’s all snap together, fits fantastic, and is articulable. Not to mention the muliple colors, like Phil said above. High tech and simple at the same time. 

 

 

 

 

 

Let.s not forget there's nothing that rivet counters can argue over accuracies in them. They're all fantasy Sci-Fi stuff.

 

Oh there are accuracy fanatics in the sci fi universes... Especially in any of those subjects based off of TV or Movies. 

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Let.s not forget there's nothing that rivet counters can argue over accuracies in them. They're all fantasy Sci-Fi stuff.

Plenty of rivet counters in the sci-fi world. Sometimes, they're the worst...

Roald

 At this point, if I buy a newer tool Tamiya kit I feel safe assuming that the engineering will be great. Can’t really say that about any other manufacturer.

Uh... Eduard kits.....