I got through so many tins of German Grey and whatever the one was for the Afrika Korp when I was a kid, and that's not counting all the tins accidentally tipped over on the kitchen table. Fabulous smell too, when combined with their enamel thinners!
I kept my Humbro Enamel tins quietly tucked away. I'm glad I did because I needed a 'Brick Red'. After about a decade or more of not being used, I gave it a shake, opened it and it flowed better than any of my acrylic paint in this heat (August 2022). It smelt strong, was harder to clean off the brush and took a lot longer to dry but it was just what I needed.
As a chemist, I find it morbidly amusing that these enamel paints are being targeted while more and more ranges of lacquer paints are put on the hobby market (and elsewhere), containing cancer causing and brain cell destroying chemicals by the dozen. The thinner these lacquer paints use is also extremely hazardous. Very strange, and I am certain we will all be hearing about this further down the line.
Cancer inducing chemicals are banned from consumer sale in EU and rest of civilised world. Unless some shady companies sell illegal formulations, these lacquers should be safe and usually contain simple acetone, various acetates, and alcohols. Still modern acrylics posing no hazards whatsoever are the way to go. Lacquers are also problematic as they are highly flammable thusly banned from postal transport per ADR/IATA regulations unless they are shipped in a special way which of course never happens. Many had their flammable paints confiscated by customs but that's another story.
Thank you from New Zealand for clearing up Humbrol Enamel paint issues . In Christchurch two model Shop had run out of some Humbrol Enamels, good to know they are still around.
and another, thank god, otherwise I'd have to learn how to blend acrylics, which didn't go well the first time round. FYI Humbrol are great when mixed with oils. FYII I;m a figure painter😁
Thank you so much for this. Am currently getting back into model building after a break of many years. I had a few Humbrol enamel paints I bought about 10 years ago for various craft projects & just this last week was hunting for some specific shades to expand my options for what I'm doing now. I'd been looking absolutely EVERYWHERE for one shade in particular with no luck. This explains why.
Like other commentators, I've been using Humbrol for 60 years, remembering when they were a shilling a tin! (5p in modern money) I knew about the problems, via an incensed model shop proprietor who felt Hornby had done the dirty on retailers again (in the lack of information, and other issues) and see many are now very hard to find. Fortunately I have a stash - but that's not the beef. The 'new, improved, chemically dangerous' variety of matt paints simply won't last - they turn into a uselesss goo not too long after the tins are opened. And at £2. 00+ that is simply not good enough. Alternatives are hard to find.....perhaps the current upsets between America and China may hasten the return of British industries to this country - or perhaps not.
I’m a paint sprayer by trade, and find the oil based paints quite mild. But then, I still use them in a ventilated area, or use a mini paint spraying booth that I built from a cooker extraction hood which vents through a window. I considering putting a vent through the wall, because having a window open in winter isn’t nice.
I thought Humbrol is now made in the UK in recent times after the appalling goop that was being produced in China proved unpopular. Since UK production of Humbrol was restarted have these latest changes effected their "reboot" of Made In UK Humbrol???? I'm in Australia and I can't get Humbrol Metalcote (which , in my opinion, is/was great for both brushing and airbrushing) .
I have a saturday job working in a large stationary store - as a keen modeller, I was surprised to see a large basket full of assorted humbrol enamels buried in the back of one of the stock rooms. Thanks for explaining why this is the case - next is to ask whether I can relieve them of their unsalable stock :)
I haven't used enamels much for years - apart from the metallics, especially the Polished Steel. Humbrol enamels are good, and colour consistent - but I do prefer acrylics, with their quick drying/easy clean/low odour properties.
Enamels give such a smooth finish though, since it takes longer to dry the paint has more time to spread and when thinned slightly, literally gives no brush marks. But acrylics are useful and probably better if you were to sell your models or want to add as many models to your stash, as it is quicker and also (for me) seems more satisfying to watch the process quicker.
I know for me I prefer acrylic paints since I live in an apartment complex and I want to be careful about any odors enamels and lacquer paints give off. Plus, I have found acrylics easier to clean my airbrush and paintbrushes.
I have used Humbrol Enamels for fifty years and have always found them to be the best on the market. I recently gave Vallejo acrylics a good try, but but I was not very happy with my results...anyway, I went back to Humbrol Enamels and haven't looked back. My hobby interests are specifically, 1/72nd scale amour and aircraft as well as 15mm wargaming WWII, Cold War and Ultra Modern. I have found Humbrol Enamels perfectly compatible with Winsor-Newton Oil Colours, and can mix any colour under in the spectrum. I find that Humbrol Enamels are high quality hobby paint and very much will continue to have a market.
I use to use Humbrol all the time, but got fed up with their poor quality control - wildly different shades from the same colour, some tins far to thick, some missing the right amount of drying agent and taking far too long to dry and some separating really quickly. I switched to Colorcoats for my enamels ( though I do use lacquer acrylics and aqueous acrylics as well ), their quality is better and they have great colour matches and I believe they mix their own paints rather than get the lowest bidder to make them. Don't get me wrong a properly made tin of Humbrol is really good and nice to work with, but I just go fed up with having to fix or bin too many tins.
At a guess, the amount of MEKO modellers inhale will be tiny. These types of safety laws are usually designed to protect people in industry who use MEKO products every working day. I'll continue using my stocks of Humbrol!
Never been a fan of acrylics, will continue to buy Humbrol and they have my loyalty for being the driving force of the model paint industry we have today. Could not care less about the dictating health and safety, far more dangerous things to worry about!
I agree. You can blame the do-gooders in the EU with time on their hands meddling with stuff they don't understand, causing industry major headaches. They think the scientists will easily find a harmless substitute. They can't, with Chrome 6 (hexavalent) used in Chromates being a major problem to replace
what are the alternatives for those of us that brush paint ?? It's not cos I particularly like Humbrol but its the only stuff I can walk into a shop and buy ! I hate in when I buy matt varnish and when I open the tin it is like brown , unmixable porridge , at £2:50 a go !! You never get a reaction from the company (just like Hornby >)
I used to work in a model shop in Hull and we got our supply direct from the Hull factory, the range is now tiny as to what it was once.....We would oftern get asked about prototype kits and paint products....
Good to hear. I've always used them but recently tried acrylics, unfortunately to paint 400 medievals (colourful lot) - Not a pleasant experience 'two thin coats', well its always at leat two coats, often three, then they bleed through, and react with fibre tipped pen ink. Doubtless for those with an artistic streak, and considerable patience, acrylics can produce some splendid subtle results but for 20mm or smaller with large numbers to do enamels are definitely the way to go (just a pity the range has shrunk).
I have many happy memories of using humbrol enamels with my dad on the dining room table painting lancasters and such. It's the drying time for me with enamels. Now it's the Laquer Life for me with a few acrylics. I'm glad they didn't remove the range, But I understand why it was condensed, it has been going out of fashion for a while, I know about 4 people that use enamels out of hundreds.
I don't know what you consider a "horrendously long" drying time. I've been using Humbrol since the mid 70s, didn't think they took long to dry, especially if airbrushed; they dried pretty quick. The original Authentic Colours range covered in one coat and self leveled with no brush marks ( I still have several models from that period that are brush painted that people thought were airbrushed). The "slow" drying time is what permitted the paint to self- level. Now Xtracolour enamel paints are a different story... they can take days to cure; but the finish is pretty impressive. Guess I'm not in such a hurry to finish my models as some are; not sure what the big rush is. Recently even tried Mig and Vallejo paints; sorry, not very impressed like some seem to be. I've built up a stockpile of Humbrol Enamels over the years. I'll use them for my time remaining.
@@mh53j I have had to leave some of my enamels to dry for a whole day before, whilst that isn’t always the case, for someone like me who tries to get as much done in my available free time to make videos, putting a layer of paint on then leaving it to dry before the next one can use up all that free time, so they prolong the build
Glad they’re still available, perhaps a press release or two might have been useful, although of course if everyone panic buys up stocks that’s beneficial for the company… I’ve always used Humbrol but in the last ten years the quality has dropped, I had a tin of green that no matter how much it was stirred just came out inky black and refused to dry. I don’t mind the occasion bad one when I’ve bought hundreds over the years. What puts me off now is the high price.
It's disappointing that Humbrol PR dept (if there is one) has not kept the modelling fraternity informed as to what is going on. I noticed that my local model shop had cleared its racks of their products. However, for those of you interested, Atlantis Art Materials (off Mare Street, Hackney) still have a random selection of muddy colours in a basket for you to sift through.
I've never got on with acrylics, but that's just me. Having said that, I haven't been able to get on with the recent Humbrol enamel range either. I spent a few years buying up old Humbrol Authentics, DBI and particularly Gloy enamel paints from the 1970s. The Gloy's are my favourite. The coverage and finish with those are so good that I can match an airbrush finish with my trusty hairy sticks. Sure the drying time is glacial, but I just have a few kits on the go at once. I used to avoid Revell enamels, but I've come to appreciate their paints, especially the primary colours.
I’m a big Gloy fan too. If you want a faster drying time, I would highly recommend getting hold of a bottle of Rustins Driers. Just a drop or two added to your thinned airbrush mixture will help it flash off a lot faster. You can use it to brush with too.
@@markmills586 Always glad to hear from another fan of Gloy! Thanks for the tip on the Rustins. From the brush painting perspective, what's the deal there? Do I add a few drops to the tin, or a smaller amount in a palette as required?
@@fightersweep If I’m brush painting, I will usually thin the paint a bit (I use old plastic milk bottle lids as a palette) and add a drop or two of the Rustins to that. I know that some people add it directly to the tin, but I’d rather not encourage it to skin over or dry up unnecessarily. You’ll soon discover the amount of driers to add to suit your needs. I add the Rustins Driers to all the enamels I use (Humbrol, Revell, DBI, Compucolor, Arcus and Xtracolor) except Colourcoats, as that dries incredibly quickly if you use their branded thinner. That’s one case where you really do get what you pay for.
Ah, good old Humber Oil Co. I used to pass the place twice a day to my apprenticeship at Saltend in the early 60's. They were a company that would seemingly go on forever, a staple for modellers everywhere including me. Unfortunately, like a lot of products with a long and venerable history, the safety puritans stick their unwanted spoilsport noses in, and suddenly things are no longer in the shops, or are modified almost out of existence. Sad but true....
Most paint I use is Humbrol and Revell - enamel - because those are always available in the shops were I live. And Tamiya. Only the last couple of years I have started to use acrylics and other brands, mostly Vallejo.
well i am not active modeler the last few years due to luck of time but when i heard that i when to my workshop to double check my over 500 new Humbrol paints if are ok ;P ,i think i have enough for my life time lol !
I think the Methyl ethyl ketoxime had already been taken out. My MATT 29,33,34,and 61 SKIN? what skin went solid bought from Hobbycraft at £3 a tin i think there taking the MEKO
Thanks for this video. I started into this hobby in the seventies , and Testors and Humbrol enamels were widely available, along with " Floquil" and " " Pactra"...but when acrylics came along in the early eighties , I switched over....Tamiya and " Polly-S" acrylics....they were different and required different techniques, and it took a while to get used to them. I still have about thirty Humbrol tinlets, that sit on a shelf, never getting used....some for nearly 35 years ! I opened one tinlets recently, one of my oldest, and it took a bit of stirring, but it was still perfectly useable, after over thirty years....so it it says something about the quality of their formulation. However, I cannot ever see myself ever buying any again....I've too much invested in acrylics at this point to go back! That said, those old tinlets will probably still be useable for years, and maybe I'll pass them on to somebody who preferrs them. Thanks again!
When I was 17 I had my first driving job making deliveries. I had a drop-off at Humbrol Paints in Hull for the owner Mr Barton. He showed me around the place like I was a royal visitor and for some reason was particularly proud of the parquet flooring. He told me he had become a very wealthy man selling little tins of paint and if I worked hard I could be just as successful as him, all I had to do was come up with a niche idea. Fast forward 50 years and I am retired now having never managed to find a niche idea! I did however become a millionaire simply through working hard and being the best I could in my chosen field which involved neither paint nor parquet flooring but I never forgot the free advice.
I moved over to acrylics quite some time ago.Do have plenty of enamel tins left and will be cautious about their usage getting on my skin if i ever use them in future.
It was always good practice to take care when using modelling paints, i suppose the old tins (if you have them) will need a little more care when using
I still use these, as I am still doing it the old fashioned way, paint brush. I am just finishing off a kit with Humbrol enamels and some acrylics, Tamiya, Mr Hobby. I have recently bought an airbrush and compressor, plus spray booth, so plan on using acrylics with an airbrush, but I will still use Humbrol enamels as I like some of what you can do with these. I think the shame of this event, is the loss of some colours from the range.
I'm really glad that Humbrol still exists as I have been using it since the late sixties! The only issue is that why is it so important to prohibits this paint as non of us drink or lick this paint or any kind of water based paint like Tamyia. In any case no paint is really healthy so where is the problem....?
@@TringmotionCoUk yes I know, just smell the sweet paint but as I said before I been using the Humbrol paints for a long time like many of my friends we should all be dead now a long time ago, don't you think so? Literally a case that goes from the excess to the excess. Also the new water based paint is not so healthy too, leaves me quite perplexed...
@@paoloviti6156 this is why science uses empirical evidence and not hearsay Arsenic was banned as a colour because people died in their sleep because of their wallpaper Farmers die from pancreatic cancer due to the toxins they use. If people die from using a few pots of enamel paint, it would have been banned years ago
@@TringmotionCoUk I know about those things, and thanks for reminding me, but at 66 years old I'm getting fed-up waking up to hear new prohibition flying around...
It's bit more of a blanket issue which affects many brands, sadly Humbrol didn't put out much publicity about the situation regarding their range so I thought I would make a video about it
From what i can gather from a friend who still uses Humbrol enamel the anti skim additive in the paint that's causing the current problem wasn't working all that well
Have used Humbrol enamels since the early 70's & noticed some of my tins have "Non toxic" written on them. Mostly use Tamiya enamels now, prefer them over acrylics.
Had a nice selection of Humbrol paints. However due to not being able to get mat black I have moved to a different make of model paints. Obviously will not go back to a manufacturer who cannot supply key base colours constantly.
At last a helpful and informative video. I have been using Humbrol enamels for over 60 years, I started when I was 8 years old. Back in 2018 my local model shop removed its entire stock of enamel paints and tried to quote EU regulations that prioritised acrylic paints which has proved to be an absolute lie During the covid lockdowns I scratch built a r/c ship model and used acrylic flat white from that very popular Japanese model company. The paint took about 7 to 8 coats to fully cover and is less durable in use than the Humbrol equivalent. Acrylics have a place but not in my toolbox!
Can you check with your Humbrol sources whether there is a large culling of the enamel line happening? I see a lot of reports on Britmodeller, and other forums, that they are discontinuing a huge amount of the enamel line.
I believe that they are reducing down to a number of "core" colours, this was discussed at the airfix day and I would have to consult some of the footage I took from that to confirm . . But yes, on the whole, I am of the understanding that they are downsizing the enamel line to specific popular colours, with a variety of different tones/shades (but the more niche/specific/obscure paints will be gone). Additionally it was mentioned that they are persuing creating all colours in a matt finish, and then gloss or satin varnishes can be used over the top for the desired finish. I suppose this is a cost saving method to streamline what they actually sell
@@ModelMinutes Damn. To be honest, I don't mind the idea of making them all matt. It has always been a pain to use part matt, then satin (eg Extra dark sea grey (satin) with dark slate grey (matt) and so on), but killing any of the colours off is a damn shame as an enamel user. It was only a year ago when Model Master enamels were totally pulled. Now Humbrol decreasing the range too. I will have to see what other ranges are available near me. We don't get ExtraColour over here, and ColourCoats can take an age for the single shop that stocks them here to get new tins in (at $7.50 a pop now too), so that leaves Humbrol and Tamiya enamel (which isn't really that good of an enamel, being more made for creating washes, etc, as it can be reactivated easily with thinners). Thanks for the info MM. Appreciated, even if it is bad news.
@@greggregson9687 I would hope that humbrol would do some sort of “mix key” to tell people the perfect ratios to mix their paints for specific shades, so then the user would still have the option to achieve certain colours if they needed to
This is great news, ive used Humrol paints since the 70s when i started modelling, great gloss colours for painting model cars and other objects and a great range of colours to choose from in Matt as well.
I grew up with Humbrol Enamels as these were the only ones available in my near vicinity in limited numbers. So seeing them does bring back some fond memories. On the other hand I never liked them that much as I always struggled with even coating and thin layers. So a lot of frustration followed. I am very happy with acrylics at this point and can't imagine using enamels any time soon besides metallics and weathering, washing. By the way, there is small hobby shop which still has some in stock, if anyone interested.
Other than the really poor quality acrylic that came in the starter set when I first started, enamel was my paint choice for many years in the beginning of my modelling hobby
@@ModelMinutes Funnily enough my wife did build and paint Airfix's Spitfire starter set not too long ago and she used the given paints. It turned out quite good. I did help her a bit by airbrushing a coat of grey primer on it. I also gave her Vallejo thinner which helped a lot with the consistency of the paint. She used 3-4 thin coats. I did liked the eggshell finish it gave. Wouldn't switch to it form AK 3rd gen and Mission Models though. 🙂
I used enamels for about 30 years, but found them more and more difficult to obtain them in the US. Humbrol was my favorite. When I started of paining miniatures a few years ago, I switched to acryllics - and have never looked back.
Almost every tin of Humbrol enamel paint I have has a skin on the top, even though the lids are properly pushed down. If 'MEKO' was supposed to prevent the skin from forming, it didn't seem to work for me. I will be happy to see the paint return and fascinated to monitor the tins for an improvement. My Revell paint tins suffer from the same issue....
This has sometimes happened to me with the newer tins. No idea why. Most are fine, but a few have gone this way (and quickly too). My Chinese variants are all fine (well, as fine as they can be). My "Super Enamel" variants are great paints until you get down to a quarter to a third of a tin, then many start skinning. My old early 90's, 80's and 70's stuff is still perfect, and I can treat them any which way, no skinning ever. Same with my ancient Airfix enamels. None of my modern Revells have skinned or dried out so far, but my really old ones from the 80's did.
Acrylics may be the easier to handle, but the finish of enamel is better in all ways. 1. Gloss self flattens better. 2. Matt is far more matt. 3. The finish is more rugged and weather and handling resistant. 4. Most importantly one coat is often enough. So it's far far better for tiny details.
Bad communication on humbrols part, surely a mass, mixed, media statement release would have made sense. Sending information onto model shops, and social media's wouldn't have taken too much effort. Even releases to some of the paper media's would've been a bit helpful to the modellers that still read those rags. But no, don't tell anyone whats happening, why bother, after all it's not like there's lots of other paint companies out there!
This lack of communication was raised with them, the team in charge of Humbrol are still finding their feet and are aware that they need to improve, a lot of lessons have been learned
If enamel would disappear, I would not notice, acrylic is my go to paint after I returned to the hobby. I have some tins of hard to get metallic colours from Humbrol and Revell, but since I mostly use them for drybrushing, with proper care, those will last for decades.
I used to only use enamels, but whilst they were not being sold I needed some paint so bought some acrylic and found that was good quality imo. I'm a brush painter
Hi Mat: As one of the first names to appear on the list of "instigators" of the "rumour" (thanks for asking by the way). I would like to point out that I was in fact just asking the question, There was a clue in the Question mark at the end of the sentence. On hearing that the paints where being removed from sale I was immediately on the Humbrol website to find out more. Not a single word was mentioned. Nor was it right up until now!
It was not my intention to use you as an instigator, more the fact that your post was used to help illustrate a point, and being in the public domain and accessible to anyone I don't believe that permission was needed to post it here (which i did so under fair use). My apologies if you feel that I should have asked however, I'll try and keep that in mind for future videos. I spoke to the Humbrol guys and they are aware that they could have been a bit more forward with their press releases, but at least they have made it more clear now what their position is
This is precisely the lack of consideration and information (You're the customer, we don't care) which I referred to in my post above - my local model shop proprietor is most certainly not a fan of Hornby in any way, shape or form.
I haven't heard this being an intrivert modeller in Turkey. Although everybody converted to acrylic stuff Humbrol is still my go to paint. I was about to have a stroke in the first part of the video!! Thankfully the end is happy.
I got plenty of these for free because they are banned in Norway. I thinn them with lacquer based thinner and it dries wery fast and they are much better than tamiya acrylics. However I have heard they are returning with a new paint.
Use Humbrol enamel paint as long as I've been doing modeling, just because I find the quality of Humbrol, good and reliable and because Humbrol always has a large choice of many colors. And in 2nd place comes the Revell contacta paints and Aqua paints.
I came back to modelling few years ago. Found acrylic paints were rubbish. I mainly used car paints where possible, big cans £6, mainly plasticote, but also another supplier with huge range called Kobra.
Humbrol H93 has gone very gloopy. I have gone through several tins of H93 in a very short time! Hopefully that colour will be ok when they have reformulated the paints. I'm sure the recent heat hasn't helped. I do love Humbrol enamels.
I restarted my amateur model making hobby after a long break ( about 25-30yrs 🤭) just before Christmas last year and went a bit overboard buying everything I could never afford as a kid and now count 37 Humbrol unopened tin pots in my collection I bought from Airfix just before they stopped supplying them. I had never heard of using a Airbrush or Acrylic paints for models 😇as all I knew was how to paint with enamels. Now I have my airbrush ( I still need practice on ) I look at all my Humbrol paints sitting there abreast in their display case and all I can think of when I look at them is " My Precious " 🤣😂 .....I can't airbrush properly, I can't use my Humbrol paints as I am loathed to open them, so I have ended up buying lots of Revell tin pots....I never realised returning to modelling was so bloody expensive😁.
Pratically every modeler over the 40s has started with Humbrol enamels, now I use exclusively acrilics, expecially Vallejio's. The problem with enamels is their terrible stink, and that to clean the brushes yuo've to use chemical products. I'm very satisfied with my water based colours, if only these had existed in the '70s.....
As a scratchbuilder of miniature model ships , I've used them forever ( 1974-5 to be precise) I've been preparing for the transition with rather lavish buys of enamels . Only trouble : I hate them , even the ones discribed as "brushables" . My foot ). In order to use them , U have to use primers ( Tamiya CF5) which are NOT available in Europe . Next step is to revert to artists oils , with turpentine ...
Humbrol enamel new range 2023 only 83 colours. The only new is 14ml or 50ml. Hq from Humbrol or Hornby, no explains. Humbrol Acrylics 150 colours, only cut a few colours. Do you know whats happend?
They indicated they were reducing numbers to "core" colours, whilst also discontinuing duplicates (such as certain colours which are the same but with the only difference being a matt, satin or gloss finish) the idea being that the user will buy the matt version and then gloss coat (or as required) over the top at the end
@@ModelMinutes Ok, thanks for the answer. But they cancel many colours, i belib others reasons. But is a end of a era of enamel. Thanks for all your work
didn't watch the video? They explicitly say the enamel range has not been discontinued - some colours may not be available but they only went off the shelves for a short period in 2021/2022 whilst they reworked the formula
Bit hard to tell when I'm not sure what you mean by "overseas" - if you are in the US, then yes, probably difficult to find them. But the US is overseas to me, and being in the UK they were virtually everywhere
@@georgedistel1203 I think Humbrol was only or at least mainly Europe. As for Revell I really can't say. Mr Hobby is the brand name, Mr. Color is the non water based paint and Aqueous Hobby Color is the water based paint (just for everyone who reads this). Mr. Hobby is except for a few color ranges reasonable up to widely available in Europe (well mainland anyway, don't know about the U.K.). Though not every Mr. Color is available as Aqueous Hobby color and vice versa and Mr. Color is less available then Aqueous Hobby color, which might give you some challenges as the types are not mixable either.
@@renefrijhoff2484 as a kid growing up Testors enamels were about the only thing you could get. They are mostly gone but the original price for their little jars was .15 cents a bottle and I found some at Hobby lobby for around 2.50 for the same size jar. Hopefully they haven't changed the formulation much. I now use either Tamiya or AV paints
Believe this or not when I started making plastic kits back in the 1960's . Model paints had not been invented. We had to make our own out of crayons and light oil . Anyone remember the AirFix tractor and small sailing ships ?
Yes indeed, I do - now, if you have an unopened Fergusson tractor, in it's bag and wish to sell it, you can write your own cheque. They are incredibly valuable in mint condition.
I've not heard of MEKO, but it sounds similar to Methyl Ethyl Ketone MEK. Very nasty stuff, so I suppose we should be grateful for the hobby nannies making sure us namby pambies are safe from those nasty carcinogens! Yeah! reformulating these paints will be a real headache for Humbrol, but there must be something they can use. Acrylics use alcohol. But look on the side of Tamiya paints, there are some nasty chemicals in there too!
MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) and MEKO (methyl ethyl ketoxime) are not the same thing. MEK is a solvent/diluent used, usually in mixtures with other solvents, to reduce the viscosity of certain industrial paints such as some acrylics and cellulose-based types so that they can be easily brushed or sprayed. These paints can contain significant amount of solvents. 'Enamels' like Humbrol and most traditional solvent-based house paints use resins that are based on linseed oil or soya oil reacted with other chemicals. They are usually thinned with mineral spririts and dry at ambient temperatures. These paints harden after a few hours by reacting with atmospheric oxygen and take a few days to fully cure. Small amounts of additives known as 'driers' (catalysts) need to be present in the paint to speed up this reaction, otherwise it would remain sticky for days or weeks. Problems can arise once a paint can has been opened and resealed after use, as the reaction with oxygen starts straight away, even in the tiny cans used by modellers. This forms the hard skin on the surface of the paint, which can be difficult to remove. To minimise this, 'antioxidants' like MEKO are present in small quantities in the paint. MEKO has been widely used for well over 50 years because it works well at low levels and has a relatively low odour. Other types are available but can be smellier, just as hazardous and patented by other paint manufacturers. Finding a replacement isn't just Humbrol's problem and may take time to resolve. Sorry to sound like a lecturer - I was a paint chemist working with these kinds of coatings for many years, and a long-term modeller using them!
The quality is nothing like as good as it used to be, I have a tim of red gloss that never dries. The metallic are good for nothing, they were far better years back.
Anti-skinning agent? I guess we'll be back to the Humbrol paints I used for decades that had a skin form over the paint in half-full pots. I won't mind. The acrylics turn rubbery all the way through.
Sovereign Colourcoats uses a different anti-skinning agent and I’ve never had one of those skin over. It can be done. I’ve had a terrible time with recent Humbrol paints though. I can’t remember the last time I got more than half a tin’s use before it solidified or started to gum up.
I have only used Humbrol to paint my sailing ships. That is the only enamel that brings out the wood grain with one fine highly durable coat that allows you to enhance it that really looks like wood. I built the Plastic Mayflower and entered it in a national as was asked many times why I presented a wood model. That friends is the quality of humbrol
If you think they are smooth you should try lacquer acrylics. Even hand brushing some on I couldn't believe how smooth the finish was compared to the Humbrol enamels that I've always used.
I’m not a huge fan of the acrylic paints especially from Humbrol, they don’t store well and even on the shelf they are already separated. I have some enamel paints in my collection that are probably older than me and still give reliable finishes to my eye anyway.
Humbrol enamels are excellent, no doubt. I do prefer some colors from different brands, such as flat white, which I prefer from Testor's. I hope they will figure out a good substitute for the offending chemicals. P.S. love the automatic subtitles. Enamels by Humbrol becomes animals by humble. 🤣
Regardless I think Humbrol enamel tinlets have a finite future. Do Revell even do them any more? I haven't bought any enamels or tinlets quite literally for decades, and won't. I just don't use them any more and observe I am in the majority. They were successful back in the day when they were all that there was, and modellers were kids who couldn't afford an airbrush, even the more 'sophisticated' of us painting with from a range of a dozen colours armd with two or three brushes. For a long time, there has been far too many superior alternatives out there. The now ubiquitous 17ml plastic dropper bottle is overwhelmingly popular, arguably followed by the GSI Creos and Tamiya screw cap glass jars for acrylics and glass bottles for their enamels. The other death knell issue I see for enamels in the age of the e-store and mail order is the prohibition/constraints of air cartage. The question is how long can declining sales volume demand for the product sustain the colour range, and costs of production (that metal lidded tinlet can't be cheap) whilst keeping retail product cost viable?
I have always prefered the enamel paints as they give a better finish. I think they are made by Rustins nowadays. The Chinese made acrylic range are not as good but f you use an airbrush , easier to clean.
It’s most unfortunate though that Humbrol has decided to drop so many of their colours and now has just eighty. What’s more, they have kept the absolutely useless No.30 Dark Green but dropped No. 116, which is objectively far more useful. Their wide range of colours was one of the major attractions for me, but with so many useful colours going, Humbrol’s loss will be Colourcoats’ gain. It’s better paint anyway.
@@williamwills225 is No. 30 really a good match for GWR green? I just wonder why Humbrol have had that colour in their old Authentic and in their newer acrylic railway series if it is. But Humbrol (and Airfix) have always touted No. 30 for RAF Dark Green, and although it is dark and it is green, that’s all it has in common with the actual colour.
@@ModelMinutes if they are using the correct pigments, you may get a range of variation, but that will be a relatively narrow range and will be predictable. RAF Dark Green was made using yellow ochre and black. Chrome green pigments were expensive and only available in small quantities at the time, so not used. Therefore it can only be a brownish/olive green (in actuality it’s a dark yellow). Humbrol No. 30 has a distinct blue cast that is completely inappropriate for RAF Dark Green, as you cannot obtain that using the prescribed pigments. I would thoroughly recommend watching the Sovereign Hobbies video on paint pigments and possible results, as it demonstrates far better than I can put into words.
As an ex aircraft engineer..we used zinc chromate based primers.very toxic!! Its funny we are concerned about a tiny amount of paint in these tins which have been going for years😅
Didn't Humbrol stop getting produced a couple of years ago already? How new is this latest information? Anyhow for me it's not a disaster. If the shelves no longer get resupplied, they don't get empty by themselves. Revell and Tamiya will not stop and Vallejo neither.
The world is shifting to eco-friendly and healthierpaints which I think it's a good purpose. That's why acrylics are very popular nowadays. But some of us still love enamels. I live in the USA and I still like Testors square bottle enamels specially their silver and other metallics. They are available and cheap. I also like Humbrol enamels but I dislike the metal tins. Humbrol should upgrade their tin containers.
I suppose the tins are cheap and easy to manufacture, perhaps they could swap to glass but that might be a whole other can of worms to open for them and not cost effective
Humbrol enamels have been my paint of choice since 1958. Yes I am "that"old. I can't stand the acrylics because of their horrible smell. When Humbrol reformulated their erstwhile railway range (bring it back please) it became de rigeur for every model I built. It was durable, adhered well and was so fine that it didn't cover detail, and dried to a satin sheen in under an hour. Metalcote, too, became an essential. So glad it's not gone for ever.
it's interesting that you mention the smell of acrylics, the tamiya range smells a bit alcoholic (because it has alcohol in...) whilst the other ranges i've tried all smell quite similar, which is a slightly sweet smell but not particularly pungent
@@ModelMinutes Yeah, the Tamiya acrylics smell pretty bad. They also require a specific thinner. The water based acrylic paints from Revell, Lifecolor and Vallejo have little to no smell.
I can't smell anything at all from Vallejo acrylics that I have recently started using. Maybe using Humbrol enamels since the 70's has killed my sense of smell.
Acrylics have their place but they can be a terrible medium. Years ago I left an art course in the first week because they insisted all the students worked in acrylic when working on canvas. I said I'd be willing to fork out for my own oil paints but they refused. Acrylic or off the course they said, so off I went.
Spot on John. So what was the actual death toll directly attributed to using these paints that prompted this decision? Or is it yet another case of don't question the 'experts'?
There is a false belief that accrylic paints are better, well perhaps but even they have a cancer warning on them Humbrol paints seemed yo go downhill when they manufactured them in China. I hope they come back and also made in the UK. We need to take some personal responsibility with paint like using a ducted spray booth and a proper respirator.
I found your comment interesting so I dug out my acrylics to see if they did have cancer warnings on them, can't say I've ever looked... Humbrol: No health warning Vallejo: No health warning Hataka: No health Warning Tamiya: Flammable & Irritant - Cancer warning specific to the state of California Kcolors: No health warning Xtracrylix: No health warning other than to wash eyes if they come into contact It makes sense that the Tamiya one have a warning as it is alcohol based whereas the rest are water based. But it would seem that Acrylic is indeed, on the whole, a safer choice
@ModelMinutes yes I was referring to Tamiya. It's strange and so if you spray in Nevada or Florida then you are safe, Idont think so. I have no doubt that some paints are safer than others but as I only clean air. Let's not talk about glues. I hate that mask but the spray booth gets most of the stuff out and with the mask you can't smell anything.
I got through so many tins of German Grey and whatever the one was for the Afrika Korp when I was a kid, and that's not counting all the tins accidentally tipped over on the kitchen table. Fabulous smell too, when combined with their enamel thinners!
Dark green and brown were the colours I think i used the most in my youth, in an attempt to build as many RAF WW2 aircraft I could!
I kept my Humbro Enamel tins quietly tucked away. I'm glad I did because I needed a 'Brick Red'. After about a decade or more of not being used, I gave it a shake, opened it and it flowed better than any of my acrylic paint in this heat (August 2022). It smelt strong, was harder to clean off the brush and took a lot longer to dry but it was just what I needed.
Thanks for sharing!
As a chemist, I find it morbidly amusing that these enamel paints are being targeted while more and more ranges of lacquer paints are put on the hobby market (and elsewhere), containing cancer causing and brain cell destroying chemicals by the dozen. The thinner these lacquer paints use is also extremely hazardous. Very strange, and I am certain we will all be hearing about this further down the line.
Interesting
Lacquers were reformulated too. I have no idea which cancer causing chemicals are you referring too.
Cancer inducing chemicals are banned from consumer sale in EU and rest of civilised world. Unless some shady companies sell illegal formulations, these lacquers should be safe and usually contain simple acetone, various acetates, and alcohols. Still modern acrylics posing no hazards whatsoever are the way to go. Lacquers are also problematic as they are highly flammable thusly banned from postal transport per ADR/IATA regulations unless they are shipped in a special way which of course never happens. Many had their flammable paints confiscated by customs but that's another story.
@@AtlisWerks tamiya putty,primer etc
My thoughts exactly.
Thank you from New Zealand for clearing up Humbrol Enamel paint issues . In Christchurch two model Shop had run out of some Humbrol Enamels, good to know they are still around.
Hey there fellow kiwi
Glad it helped
And another
and another, thank god, otherwise I'd have to learn how to blend acrylics, which didn't go well the first time round. FYI Humbrol are great when mixed with oils. FYII I;m a figure painter😁
Thank you so much for this. Am currently getting back into model building after a break of many years. I had a few Humbrol enamel paints I bought about 10 years ago for various craft projects & just this last week was hunting for some specific shades to expand my options for what I'm doing now. I'd been looking absolutely EVERYWHERE for one shade in particular with no luck. This explains why.
Glad I could help
Like other commentators, I've been using Humbrol for 60 years, remembering when they were a shilling a tin! (5p in modern money) I knew about the problems, via an incensed model shop proprietor who felt Hornby had done the dirty on retailers again (in the lack of information, and other issues) and see many are now very hard to find. Fortunately I have a stash - but that's not the beef. The 'new, improved, chemically dangerous' variety of matt paints simply won't last - they turn into a uselesss goo not too long after the tins are opened. And at £2. 00+ that is simply not good enough. Alternatives are hard to find.....perhaps the current upsets between America and China may hasten the return of British industries to this country - or perhaps not.
There are always alternative paint brands
I’m a paint sprayer by trade, and find the oil based paints quite mild.
But then, I still use them in a ventilated area, or use a mini paint spraying booth that I built from a cooker extraction hood which vents through a window.
I considering putting a vent through the wall, because having a window open in winter isn’t nice.
I thought Humbrol is now made in the UK in recent times after the appalling goop that was being produced in China proved unpopular. Since UK production of Humbrol was restarted have these latest changes effected their "reboot" of Made In UK Humbrol???? I'm in Australia and I can't get Humbrol Metalcote (which , in my opinion, is/was great for both brushing and airbrushing) .
I have a saturday job working in a large stationary store - as a keen modeller, I was surprised to see a large basket full of assorted humbrol enamels buried in the back of one of the stock rooms.
Thanks for explaining why this is the case - next is to ask whether I can relieve them of their unsalable stock :)
Good luck!
I haven't used enamels much for years - apart from the metallics, especially the Polished Steel. Humbrol enamels are good, and colour consistent - but I do prefer acrylics, with their quick drying/easy clean/low odour properties.
Thanks for sharing!
Enamels give such a smooth finish though, since it takes longer to dry the paint has more time to spread and when thinned slightly, literally gives no brush marks. But acrylics are useful and probably better if you were to sell your models or want to add as many models to your stash, as it is quicker and also (for me) seems more satisfying to watch the process quicker.
I know for me I prefer acrylic paints since I live in an apartment complex and I want to be careful about any odors enamels and lacquer paints give off. Plus, I have found acrylics easier to clean my airbrush and paintbrushes.
I find water too "thick" for the finer work (1:32 figures).
@@meneerjansen00 - Just thin the paint down with acrylic thinners.
I have used Humbrol Enamels for fifty years and have always found them to be the best on the market. I recently gave Vallejo acrylics a good try, but but I was not very happy with my results...anyway, I went back to Humbrol Enamels and haven't looked back. My hobby interests are specifically, 1/72nd scale amour and aircraft as well as 15mm wargaming WWII, Cold War and Ultra Modern. I have found Humbrol Enamels perfectly compatible with Winsor-Newton Oil Colours, and can mix any colour under in the spectrum. I find that Humbrol Enamels are high quality hobby paint and very much will continue to have a market.
Thanks for sharing!
I use to use Humbrol all the time, but got fed up with their poor quality control - wildly different shades from the same colour, some tins far to thick, some missing the right amount of drying agent and taking far too long to dry and some separating really quickly. I switched to Colorcoats for my enamels ( though I do use lacquer acrylics and aqueous acrylics as well ), their quality is better and they have great colour matches and I believe they mix their own paints rather than get the lowest bidder to make them. Don't get me wrong a properly made tin of Humbrol is really good and nice to work with, but I just go fed up with having to fix or bin too many tins.
At a guess, the amount of MEKO modellers inhale will be tiny. These types of safety laws are usually designed to protect people in industry who use MEKO products every working day. I'll continue using my stocks of Humbrol!
I'm sure there are many with stocks of paints that they will still use, they just aren't allowed to be sold
Never been a fan of acrylics, will continue to buy Humbrol and they have my loyalty for being the driving force of the model paint industry we have today. Could not care less about the dictating health and safety, far more dangerous things to worry about!
I agree. You can blame the do-gooders in the EU with time on their hands meddling with stuff they don't understand, causing industry major headaches. They think the scientists will easily find a harmless substitute. They can't, with Chrome 6 (hexavalent) used in Chromates being a major problem to replace
thanks for sharing
what are the alternatives for those of us that brush paint ?? It's not cos I particularly like Humbrol but its the only stuff I can walk into a shop and buy ! I hate in when I buy matt varnish and when I open the tin it is like brown , unmixable porridge , at £2:50 a go !! You never get a reaction from the company (just like Hornby >)
@@fredtedstedman Tamiya, Vallejo and Revell acrylic can all be brush painted, as long as you then them appropriately
I used to work in a model shop in Hull and we got our supply direct from the Hull factory, the range is now tiny as to what it was once.....We would oftern get asked about prototype kits and paint products....
nice!
Good to hear. I've always used them but recently tried acrylics, unfortunately to paint 400 medievals (colourful lot) - Not a pleasant experience 'two thin coats', well its always at leat two coats, often three, then they bleed through, and react with fibre tipped pen ink. Doubtless for those with an artistic streak, and considerable patience, acrylics can produce some splendid subtle results but for 20mm or smaller with large numbers to do enamels are definitely the way to go (just a pity the range has shrunk).
yeah, that was the good thing about enamels, often only one coat was needed
I have many happy memories of using humbrol enamels with my dad on the dining room table painting lancasters and such. It's the drying time for me with enamels. Now it's the Laquer Life for me with a few acrylics.
I'm glad they didn't remove the range, But I understand why it was condensed, it has been going out of fashion for a while, I know about 4 people that use enamels out of hundreds.
I use them on occasion, because I have them and sometimes I don't have an acrylic alternative - but yes, the drying time is horrendously long
Ain't nobody got time for the drying. Cutting them with laquer thinner helps but not by much.
@@lpjmodels yeah, acrylics ftw
I don't know what you consider a "horrendously long" drying time. I've been using Humbrol since the mid 70s, didn't think they took long to dry, especially if airbrushed; they dried pretty quick. The original Authentic Colours range covered in one coat and self leveled with no brush marks ( I still have several models from that period that are brush painted that people thought were airbrushed). The "slow" drying time is what permitted the paint to self- level. Now Xtracolour enamel paints are a different story... they can take days to cure; but the finish is pretty impressive.
Guess I'm not in such a hurry to finish my models as some are; not sure what the big rush is.
Recently even tried Mig and Vallejo paints; sorry, not very impressed like some seem to be.
I've built up a stockpile of Humbrol Enamels over the years. I'll use them for my time remaining.
@@mh53j I have had to leave some of my enamels to dry for a whole day before, whilst that isn’t always the case, for someone like me who tries to get as much done in my available free time to make videos, putting a layer of paint on then leaving it to dry before the next one can use up all that free time, so they prolong the build
Glad they’re still available, perhaps a press release or two might have been useful, although of course if everyone panic buys up stocks that’s beneficial for the company… I’ve always used Humbrol but in the last ten years the quality has dropped, I had a tin of green that no matter how much it was stirred just came out inky black and refused to dry. I don’t mind the occasion bad one when I’ve bought hundreds over the years. What puts me off now is the high price.
Hopefully they have learnt their lessons and will move forwards with a bit more transparency
It's disappointing that Humbrol PR dept (if there is one) has not kept the modelling fraternity informed as to what is going on. I noticed that my local model shop had cleared its racks of their products. However, for those of you interested, Atlantis Art Materials (off Mare Street, Hackney) still have a random selection of muddy colours in a basket for you to sift through.
Yeah, they are aware that they need to improve on the pr front
can confirm that basket is still there
I've never got on with acrylics, but that's just me. Having said that, I haven't been able to get on with the recent Humbrol enamel range either. I spent a few years buying up old Humbrol Authentics, DBI and particularly Gloy enamel paints from the 1970s. The Gloy's are my favourite. The coverage and finish with those are so good that I can match an airbrush finish with my trusty hairy sticks. Sure the drying time is glacial, but I just have a few kits on the go at once. I used to avoid Revell enamels, but I've come to appreciate their paints, especially the primary colours.
thanks for sharing!
I’m a big Gloy fan too. If you want a faster drying time, I would highly recommend getting hold of a bottle of Rustins Driers. Just a drop or two added to your thinned airbrush mixture will help it flash off a lot faster. You can use it to brush with too.
@@markmills586 Always glad to hear from another fan of Gloy! Thanks for the tip on the Rustins. From the brush painting perspective, what's the deal there? Do I add a few drops to the tin, or a smaller amount in a palette as required?
@@fightersweep If I’m brush painting, I will usually thin the paint a bit (I use old plastic milk bottle lids as a palette) and add a drop or two of the Rustins to that. I know that some people add it directly to the tin, but I’d rather not encourage it to skin over or dry up unnecessarily. You’ll soon discover the amount of driers to add to suit your needs.
I add the Rustins Driers to all the enamels I use (Humbrol, Revell, DBI, Compucolor, Arcus and Xtracolor) except Colourcoats, as that dries incredibly quickly if you use their branded thinner. That’s one case where you really do get what you pay for.
Ah, good old Humber Oil Co. I used to pass the place twice a day to my apprenticeship at Saltend in the early 60's. They were a company that would seemingly go on forever, a staple for modellers everywhere including me. Unfortunately, like a lot of products with a long and venerable history, the safety puritans stick their unwanted spoilsport noses in, and suddenly things are no longer in the shops, or are modified almost out of existence. Sad but true....
a safer product doesn't always mean a worse one
Safety keeps us alive. Be positive
Always my go-to paint. Very hard to find in Canada, but nothing compares to these excellent paints
Most paint I use is Humbrol and Revell - enamel - because those are always available in the shops were I live. And Tamiya. Only the last couple of years I have started to use acrylics and other brands, mostly Vallejo.
interesting!
well i am not active modeler the last few years due to luck of time but when i heard that i when to my workshop to double check my over 500 new Humbrol paints if are ok ;P ,i think i have enough for my life time lol !
and then some!
I think the Methyl ethyl ketoxime had already been taken out.
My MATT 29,33,34,and 61 SKIN? what skin went solid bought from Hobbycraft at £3 a tin i think there taking the MEKO
sorry to hear that
Thanks for this video. I started into this hobby in the seventies , and Testors and Humbrol enamels were widely available, along with " Floquil" and " " Pactra"...but when acrylics came along in the early eighties , I switched over....Tamiya and " Polly-S" acrylics....they were different and required different techniques, and it took a while to get used to them. I still have about thirty Humbrol tinlets, that sit on a shelf, never getting used....some for nearly 35 years ! I opened one tinlets recently, one of my oldest, and it took a bit of stirring, but it was still perfectly useable, after over thirty years....so it it says something about the quality of their formulation.
However, I cannot ever see myself ever buying any again....I've too much invested in acrylics at this point to go back! That said, those old tinlets will probably still be useable for years, and maybe I'll pass them on to somebody who preferrs them.
Thanks again!
Thanks for your thoughts!
When I was 17 I had my first driving job making deliveries. I had a drop-off at Humbrol Paints in Hull for the owner Mr Barton. He showed me around the place like I was a royal visitor and for some reason was particularly proud of the parquet flooring. He told me he had become a very wealthy man selling little tins of paint and if I worked hard I could be just as successful as him, all I had to do was come up with a niche idea. Fast forward 50 years and I am retired now having never managed to find a niche idea! I did however become a millionaire simply through working hard and being the best I could in my chosen field which involved neither paint nor parquet flooring but I never forgot the free advice.
what an interesting story, sadly I feel becoming a millionaire is somewhat of a dream for many, even those who work hard
I moved over to acrylics quite some time ago.Do have plenty of enamel tins left and will be cautious about their usage getting on my skin if i ever use them in future.
It was always good practice to take care when using modelling paints, i suppose the old tins (if you have them) will need a little more care when using
I still use these, as I am still doing it the old fashioned way, paint brush. I am just finishing off a kit with Humbrol enamels and some acrylics, Tamiya, Mr Hobby. I have recently bought an airbrush and compressor, plus spray booth, so plan on using acrylics with an airbrush, but I will still use Humbrol enamels as I like some of what you can do with these. I think the shame of this event, is the loss of some colours from the range.
Thanks for sharing!
I'm really glad that Humbrol still exists as I have been using it since the late sixties! The only issue is that why is it so important to prohibits this paint as non of us drink or lick this paint or any kind of water based paint like Tamyia. In any case no paint is really healthy so where is the problem....?
Because VOCs are by their nature, airborne
@@TringmotionCoUk yes I know, just smell the sweet paint but as I said before I been using the Humbrol paints for a long time like many of my friends we should all be dead now a long time ago, don't you think so? Literally a case that goes from the excess to the excess. Also the new water based paint is not so healthy too, leaves me quite perplexed...
@@paoloviti6156 this is why science uses empirical evidence and not hearsay
Arsenic was banned as a colour because people died in their sleep because of their wallpaper
Farmers die from pancreatic cancer due to the toxins they use.
If people die from using a few pots of enamel paint, it would have been banned years ago
@@TringmotionCoUk I know about those things, and thanks for reminding me, but at 66 years old I'm getting fed-up waking up to hear new prohibition flying around...
It's bit more of a blanket issue which affects many brands, sadly Humbrol didn't put out much publicity about the situation regarding their range so I thought I would make a video about it
From what i can gather from a friend who still uses Humbrol enamel the anti skim additive in the paint that's causing the current problem wasn't working all that well
I've known some of my tins of paint to develop a skin over time, but I wonder if that was because the tins weren't air tight in storage
@@ModelMinutes Yes you have to keep the rim of the tin clear of paint maybe a wipe around with a rag before closing the tin up
Have used Humbrol enamels since the early 70's & noticed some of my tins have "Non toxic" written on them. Mostly use Tamiya enamels now, prefer them over acrylics.
interesting!
Had a nice selection of Humbrol paints. However due to not being able to get mat black I have moved to a different make of model paints. Obviously will not go back to a manufacturer who cannot supply key base colours constantly.
their range will be coming back at some point in the future
For me it's the cost £3 a tin I find that a bit steep cheaper to buy in bulk.I recently acquired some paints from Italy saved a few Bob.
nice!
At last a helpful and informative video.
I have been using Humbrol enamels for over 60 years, I started when I was 8 years old. Back in 2018 my local model shop removed its entire stock of enamel paints and tried to quote EU regulations that prioritised acrylic paints which has proved to be an absolute lie
During the covid lockdowns I scratch built a r/c ship model and used acrylic flat white from that very popular Japanese model company. The paint took about 7 to 8 coats to fully cover and is less durable in use than the Humbrol equivalent.
Acrylics have a place but not in my toolbox!
I’m glad that my video has helped clear a few things up
Can you check with your Humbrol sources whether there is a large culling of the enamel line happening? I see a lot of reports on Britmodeller, and other forums, that they are discontinuing a huge amount of the enamel line.
I believe that they are reducing down to a number of "core" colours, this was discussed at the airfix day and I would have to consult some of the footage I took from that to confirm . . But yes, on the whole, I am of the understanding that they are downsizing the enamel line to specific popular colours, with a variety of different tones/shades (but the more niche/specific/obscure paints will be gone). Additionally it was mentioned that they are persuing creating all colours in a matt finish, and then gloss or satin varnishes can be used over the top for the desired finish. I suppose this is a cost saving method to streamline what they actually sell
@@ModelMinutes Damn. To be honest, I don't mind the idea of making them all matt. It has always been a pain to use part matt, then satin (eg Extra dark sea grey (satin) with dark slate grey (matt) and so on), but killing any of the colours off is a damn shame as an enamel user. It was only a year ago when Model Master enamels were totally pulled. Now Humbrol decreasing the range too. I will have to see what other ranges are available near me. We don't get ExtraColour over here, and ColourCoats can take an age for the single shop that stocks them here to get new tins in (at $7.50 a pop now too), so that leaves Humbrol and Tamiya enamel (which isn't really that good of an enamel, being more made for creating washes, etc, as it can be reactivated easily with thinners).
Thanks for the info MM. Appreciated, even if it is bad news.
@@greggregson9687 I would hope that humbrol would do some sort of “mix key” to tell people the perfect ratios to mix their paints for specific shades, so then the user would still have the option to achieve certain colours if they needed to
This is great news, ive used Humrol paints since the 70s when i started modelling, great gloss colours for painting model cars and other objects and a great range of colours to choose from in Matt as well.
😊
I grew up with Humbrol Enamels as these were the only ones available in my near vicinity in limited numbers. So seeing them does bring back some fond memories.
On the other hand I never liked them that much as I always struggled with even coating and thin layers. So a lot of frustration followed.
I am very happy with acrylics at this point and can't imagine using enamels any time soon besides metallics and weathering, washing.
By the way, there is small hobby shop which still has some in stock, if anyone interested.
Other than the really poor quality acrylic that came in the starter set when I first started, enamel was my paint choice for many years in the beginning of my modelling hobby
@@ModelMinutes Funnily enough my wife did build and paint Airfix's Spitfire starter set not too long ago and she used the given paints.
It turned out quite good. I did help her a bit by airbrushing a coat of grey primer on it.
I also gave her Vallejo thinner which helped a lot with the consistency of the paint.
She used 3-4 thin coats.
I did liked the eggshell finish it gave.
Wouldn't switch to it form AK 3rd gen and Mission Models though. 🙂
I used enamels for about 30 years, but found them more and more difficult to obtain them in the US. Humbrol was my favorite. When I started of paining miniatures a few years ago, I switched to acryllics - and have never looked back.
I primarily use acrylic, but still use enamel on occasion
Thanks for the info. I was unaware of the carcinogen risk.
No worries! I think the risk is small, but companies must still comply with the legislation
What other brands of enamel/oil paints are still widely available? Revell?
Other people have mentioned some in previous comments I’m pretty sure
Great news!! Thank Gods!
😊
I had no choice I found the gloss varnish I been using for years suddenly had the paint reaction (blistering) so had to switch to water based paints 😪
that is a shame
Almost every tin of Humbrol enamel paint I have has a skin on the top, even though the lids are properly pushed down.
If 'MEKO' was supposed to prevent the skin from forming, it didn't seem to work for me.
I will be happy to see the paint return and fascinated to monitor the tins for an improvement.
My Revell paint tins suffer from the same issue....
Never had this problem with either of these.
Same here, always thought the enamel was crap. Never tried to airbrush it but now I use laquer paint thinned and shot through an Airbrush
@@statoilbensin2190 You're lucky, I'm looking into a Humbrol enamel gold paint tin and it's solid right through!
This has sometimes happened to me with the newer tins. No idea why. Most are fine, but a few have gone this way (and quickly too). My Chinese variants are all fine (well, as fine as they can be). My "Super Enamel" variants are great paints until you get down to a quarter to a third of a tin, then many start skinning. My old early 90's, 80's and 70's stuff is still perfect, and I can treat them any which way, no skinning ever. Same with my ancient Airfix enamels. None of my modern Revells have skinned or dried out so far, but my really old ones from the 80's did.
I don't think it's meant to prevent a skin in it's entirety, just reduce the speed and amount that is created
Thank you very much for this Thank you.
You're very welcome!
Acrylics may be the easier to handle, but the finish of enamel is better in all ways.
1. Gloss self flattens better.
2. Matt is far more matt.
3. The finish is more rugged and weather and handling resistant.
4. Most importantly one coat is often enough. So it's far far better for tiny details.
thanks for sharing!
Bad communication on humbrols part, surely a mass, mixed, media statement release would have made sense. Sending information onto model shops, and social media's wouldn't have taken too much effort. Even releases to some of the paper media's would've been a bit helpful to the modellers that still read those rags. But no, don't tell anyone whats happening, why bother, after all it's not like there's lots of other paint companies out there!
This lack of communication was raised with them, the team in charge of Humbrol are still finding their feet and are aware that they need to improve, a lot of lessons have been learned
I love Humbrol! My goto hobby enamel then Testors then the Polly S acryllics.
nice!
My local art shop has continued to sell their stock of enamels (thank goodness) as have many eBay sellers - I guess they didn't get the memo.
i suppose not
I remember them and Airfix in the late 70s . Come early 80s Testors came in along with Tamiya in Larger containers. Every brand had its unique aroma.
True
If enamel would disappear, I would not notice, acrylic is my go to paint after I returned to the hobby. I have some tins of hard to get metallic colours from Humbrol and Revell, but since I mostly use them for drybrushing, with proper care, those will last for decades.
I rarely use enamels because the long drying times make it difficult to make quick progress
I used to only use enamels, but whilst they were not being sold I needed some paint so bought some acrylic and found that was good quality imo. I'm a brush painter
Acrylic paints have come a long way
Bring back the orange and white metal tubes of Ambroid balsa glue!
Balsa glue is still around isn’t it?
@@ModelMinutes Not the old Ambroid. Great stuff, but it was the original junkie “sniffing glue”.
Glad to hear that, dont know what I would do without humbrol number 147!
I have so many different shades of grey!
Perhaps I wasn't as worried as others, but it's good to get the truth. I use acrylics mostly, but sometimes you just need some enamel. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Why the sudden end of enamel paints? Will one find exact duplicates in acrylic.
I think you missed the info in this video
Hi Mat:
As one of the first names to appear on the list of "instigators" of the "rumour" (thanks for asking by the way). I would like to point out that I was in fact just asking the question, There was a clue in the Question mark at the end of the sentence.
On hearing that the paints where being removed from sale I was immediately on the Humbrol website to find out more. Not a single word was mentioned. Nor was it right up until now!
It was not my intention to use you as an instigator, more the fact that your post was used to help illustrate a point, and being in the public domain and accessible to anyone I don't believe that permission was needed to post it here (which i did so under fair use). My apologies if you feel that I should have asked however, I'll try and keep that in mind for future videos.
I spoke to the Humbrol guys and they are aware that they could have been a bit more forward with their press releases, but at least they have made it more clear now what their position is
This is precisely the lack of consideration and information (You're the customer, we don't care) which I referred to in my post above - my local model shop proprietor is most certainly not a fan of Hornby in any way, shape or form.
@@johndavies1090 still not sure I understand
I haven't heard this being an intrivert modeller in Turkey. Although everybody converted to acrylic stuff Humbrol is still my go to paint. I was about to have a stroke in the first part of the video!! Thankfully the end is happy.
:D
I got plenty of these for free because they are banned in Norway. I thinn them with lacquer based thinner and it dries wery fast and they are much better than tamiya acrylics. However I have heard they are returning with a new paint.
they are changing the formula
Acrylics are shocking for washes unless you want terrible tide marks, just no comparison to humbrols and oils.
Acrylics tend to dry quickly which is why they aren't great for a wash
That’s my point!
Las pinturas son bastante buenas solo que demoran demasiado en secar. Esa es la única queja. Sobre el MEKO, espero que mejoren su fórmula.
I'm pretty sure that the new formula paints are out now . .
Use Humbrol enamel paint as long as I've been doing modeling, just because I find the quality of Humbrol, good and reliable and because Humbrol always has a large choice of many colors. And in 2nd place comes the Revell contacta paints and Aqua paints.
They are usually quite budget friendly in their cost too
I came back to modelling few years ago. Found acrylic paints were rubbish. I mainly used car paints where possible, big cans £6, mainly plasticote, but also another supplier with huge range called Kobra.
Only colour acrylic i have used was Humbrol desert yellow spray.
I do enjoy using spray paints from a can :D
Humbrol H93 has gone very gloopy. I have gone through several tins of H93 in a very short time! Hopefully that colour will be ok when they have reformulated the paints. I'm sure the recent heat hasn't helped. I do love Humbrol enamels.
Thanks for sharing
I restarted my amateur model making hobby after a long break ( about 25-30yrs 🤭) just before Christmas last year and went a bit overboard buying everything I could never afford as a kid and now count 37 Humbrol unopened tin pots in my collection I bought from Airfix just before they stopped supplying them. I had never heard of using a Airbrush or Acrylic paints for models 😇as all I knew was how to paint with enamels. Now I have my airbrush ( I still need practice on ) I look at all my Humbrol paints sitting there abreast in their display case and all I can think of when I look at them is " My Precious " 🤣😂 .....I can't airbrush properly, I can't use my Humbrol paints as I am loathed to open them, so I have ended up buying lots of Revell tin pots....I never realised returning to modelling was so bloody expensive😁.
Yeah, modelling can be expensive at times, but it isn't always as costly as some other hobbies
Pratically every modeler over the 40s has started with Humbrol enamels, now I use exclusively acrilics, expecially Vallejio's. The problem with enamels is their terrible stink, and that to clean the brushes yuo've to use chemical products. I'm very satisfied with my water based colours, if only these had existed in the '70s.....
even many modellers under 40 started off with these too :D
As a scratchbuilder of miniature model ships , I've used them forever ( 1974-5 to be precise) I've been preparing for the transition with rather lavish buys of enamels . Only trouble : I hate them , even the ones discribed as "brushables" . My foot ). In order to use them , U have to use primers ( Tamiya CF5) which are NOT available in Europe . Next step is to revert to artists oils , with turpentine ...
Thanks for sharing
Humbrol enamel new range 2023 only 83 colours. The only new is 14ml or 50ml.
Hq from Humbrol or Hornby, no explains.
Humbrol Acrylics 150 colours, only cut a few colours.
Do you know whats happend?
They indicated they were reducing numbers to "core" colours, whilst also discontinuing duplicates (such as certain colours which are the same but with the only difference being a matt, satin or gloss finish) the idea being that the user will buy the matt version and then gloss coat (or as required) over the top at the end
@@ModelMinutes Ok, thanks for the answer.
But they cancel many colours, i belib others reasons.
But is a end of a era of enamel.
Thanks for all your work
My 60 are still going :) Awesome
nice!
Can't imagine life as a modeller without sniffing Humbrol enamels!
haha!
awwww there gone , too bad i really like their sand color.
didn't watch the video? They explicitly say the enamel range has not been discontinued - some colours may not be available but they only went off the shelves for a short period in 2021/2022 whilst they reworked the formula
Never have seen them in the store and I have been modeling since then early 70's are they only available overseas?
Bit hard to tell when I'm not sure what you mean by "overseas" - if you are in the US, then yes, probably difficult to find them. But the US is overseas to me, and being in the UK they were virtually everywhere
@@ModelMinutes yep in the United States. Mr. Hobby paints as far as I know aren't available either.
@@georgedistel1203 yeah, not often seen in the USA
@@georgedistel1203 I think Humbrol was only or at least mainly Europe. As for Revell I really can't say. Mr Hobby is the brand name, Mr. Color is the non water based paint and Aqueous Hobby Color is the water based paint (just for everyone who reads this). Mr. Hobby is except for a few color ranges reasonable up to widely available in Europe (well mainland anyway, don't know about the U.K.). Though not every Mr. Color is available as Aqueous Hobby color and vice versa and Mr. Color is less available then Aqueous Hobby color, which might give you some challenges as the types are not mixable either.
@@renefrijhoff2484 as a kid growing up Testors enamels were about the only thing you could get. They are mostly gone but the original price for their little jars was .15 cents a bottle and I found some at Hobby lobby for around 2.50 for the same size jar. Hopefully they haven't changed the formulation much. I now use either Tamiya or AV paints
Believe this or not when I started making plastic kits back in the 1960's . Model paints had not been invented. We had to make our own out of crayons and light oil . Anyone remember the AirFix tractor and small sailing ships ?
Back in the day you bought them in plastic bags from Woolies for a couple of bob - now you need a second mortgage to buy some of the kits.
interesting!
Yes indeed, I do - now, if you have an unopened Fergusson tractor, in it's bag and wish to sell it, you can write your own cheque. They are incredibly valuable in mint condition.
I've not heard of MEKO, but it sounds similar to Methyl Ethyl Ketone MEK. Very nasty stuff, so I suppose we should be grateful for the hobby nannies making sure us namby pambies are safe from those nasty carcinogens!
Yeah! reformulating these paints will be a real headache for Humbrol, but there must be something they can use. Acrylics use alcohol. But look on the side of Tamiya paints, there are some nasty chemicals in there too!
it is difficult and takes quite a time i imagine
MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) and MEKO (methyl ethyl ketoxime) are not the same thing.
MEK is a solvent/diluent used, usually in mixtures with other solvents, to reduce the viscosity of certain industrial paints such as some acrylics and cellulose-based types so that they can be easily brushed or sprayed. These paints can contain significant amount of solvents.
'Enamels' like Humbrol and most traditional solvent-based house paints use resins that are based on linseed oil or soya oil reacted with other chemicals. They are usually thinned with mineral spririts and dry at ambient temperatures. These paints harden after a few hours by reacting with atmospheric oxygen and take a few days to fully cure. Small amounts of additives known as 'driers' (catalysts) need to be present in the paint to speed up this reaction, otherwise it would remain sticky for days or weeks.
Problems can arise once a paint can has been opened and resealed after use, as the reaction with oxygen starts straight away, even in the tiny cans used by modellers. This forms the hard skin on the surface of the paint, which can be difficult to remove. To minimise this, 'antioxidants' like MEKO are present in small quantities in the paint. MEKO has been widely used for well over 50 years
because it works well at low levels and has a relatively low odour. Other types are available but can be smellier, just as hazardous and patented by other paint manufacturers. Finding a replacement isn't just Humbrol's problem and may take time to resolve.
Sorry to sound like a lecturer - I was a paint chemist working with these kinds of coatings for many years, and a long-term modeller using them!
I am going to touch on this in tonights livestream, 2300Z
nice!
The quality is nothing like as good as it used to be, I have a tim of red gloss that never dries. The metallic are good for nothing, they were far better years back.
I wonder how the new formula will do
@@ModelMinutes, I'm not holding my breath.
Anti-skinning agent? I guess we'll be back to the Humbrol paints I used for decades that had a skin form over the paint in half-full pots. I won't mind. The acrylics turn rubbery all the way through.
I think there might be new formulas they can try
Sovereign Colourcoats uses a different anti-skinning agent and I’ve never had one of those skin over. It can be done. I’ve had a terrible time with recent Humbrol paints though. I can’t remember the last time I got more than half a tin’s use before it solidified or started to gum up.
As a wargamer, I haven’t used anything other than acrylic for decades! Vallejo, GW, Armypainter are the go to.
Thanks
I use enamels for painting my model ships. They really work for me and I hope that they won't be discontinued.
They aren’t discontinued…
I have only used Humbrol to paint my sailing ships. That is the only enamel that brings out the wood grain with one fine highly durable coat that allows you to enhance it that really looks like wood. I built the Plastic Mayflower and entered it in a national as was asked many times why I presented a wood model. That friends is the quality of humbrol
I wouldn’t use any other paints, I love enamel paints, gives a wonderful smooth finish.
yeah, it's that long drying time that lets them self-level
If you think they are smooth you should try lacquer acrylics. Even hand brushing some on I couldn't believe how smooth the finish was compared to the Humbrol enamels that I've always used.
I’m not a huge fan of the acrylic paints especially from Humbrol, they don’t store well and even on the shelf they are already separated. I have some enamel paints in my collection that are probably older than me and still give reliable finishes to my eye anyway.
Enamel paints still seperate though, sometimes I find them more of a pain to remix than acrylics
Humbrol enamels are excellent, no doubt. I do prefer some colors from different brands, such as flat white, which I prefer from Testor's. I hope they will figure out a good substitute for the offending chemicals. P.S. love the automatic subtitles. Enamels by Humbrol becomes animals by humble. 🤣
haha! UA-cam's auto-generated subtitles are hilarious at times
Regardless I think Humbrol enamel tinlets have a finite future. Do Revell even do them any more? I haven't bought any enamels or tinlets quite literally for decades, and won't. I just don't use them any more and observe I am in the majority. They were successful back in the day when they were all that there was, and modellers were kids who couldn't afford an airbrush, even the more 'sophisticated' of us painting with from a range of a dozen colours armd with two or three brushes.
For a long time, there has been far too many superior alternatives out there. The now ubiquitous 17ml plastic dropper bottle is overwhelmingly popular, arguably followed by the GSI Creos and Tamiya screw cap glass jars for acrylics and glass bottles for their enamels. The other death knell issue I see for enamels in the age of the e-store and mail order is the prohibition/constraints of air cartage. The question is how long can declining sales volume demand for the product sustain the colour range, and costs of production (that metal lidded tinlet can't be cheap) whilst keeping retail product cost viable?
certainly an interesting question
Modelling will never smell the same - great news though it would be a shame to loose such an icon!
I think my nose has become a bit smell-blind over the years so I can’t really notice the scent anymore anyway 😂
I love enamels and lacquers
great! :D
I have always prefered the enamel paints as they give a better finish. I think they are made by Rustins nowadays. The Chinese made acrylic range are not as good but f you use an airbrush , easier to clean.
Thanks for the info!
Update - new range of acrylics now made in UK
@@jimmclay2353 yeah, I made a video about them a few weeks ago 😂
It’s most unfortunate though that Humbrol has decided to drop so many of their colours and now has just eighty. What’s more, they have kept the absolutely useless No.30 Dark Green but dropped No. 116, which is objectively far more useful.
Their wide range of colours was one of the major attractions for me, but with so many useful colours going, Humbrol’s loss will be Colourcoats’ gain.
It’s better paint anyway.
You are not a railway locomotive fan. GWR et al.
@@williamwills225 is No. 30 really a good match for GWR green? I just wonder why Humbrol have had that colour in their old Authentic and in their newer acrylic railway series if it is.
But Humbrol (and Airfix) have always touted No. 30 for RAF Dark Green, and although it is dark and it is green, that’s all it has in common with the actual colour.
as a good friend of mine says, 10 different companies will give you 10 different shades of brown for the same shade of RAF camo
@@ModelMinutes if they are using the correct pigments, you may get a range of variation, but that will be a relatively narrow range and will be predictable. RAF Dark Green was made using yellow ochre and black. Chrome green pigments were expensive and only available in small quantities at the time, so not used. Therefore it can only be a brownish/olive green (in actuality it’s a dark yellow). Humbrol No. 30 has a distinct blue cast that is completely inappropriate for RAF Dark Green, as you cannot obtain that using the prescribed pigments.
I would thoroughly recommend watching the Sovereign Hobbies video on paint pigments and possible results, as it demonstrates far better than I can put into words.
Just like with Testiors paint here in America Hobby Lobby carries it.
I see
As an ex aircraft engineer..we used zinc chromate based primers.very toxic!!
Its funny we are concerned about a tiny amount of paint in these tins which have been going for years😅
Wow! Thanks for the info
Brought some not long back in Boyes for value.
nice
Didn't Humbrol stop getting produced a couple of years ago already? How new is this latest information? Anyhow for me it's not a disaster. If the shelves no longer get resupplied, they don't get empty by themselves. Revell and Tamiya will not stop and Vallejo neither.
No, they didn’t stop production a few years back, perhaps your local shops just stopped stocking them
Okay thanks!
The world is shifting to eco-friendly and healthierpaints which I think it's a good purpose. That's why acrylics are very popular nowadays. But some of us still love enamels. I live in the USA and I still like Testors square bottle enamels specially their silver and other metallics. They are available and cheap. I also like Humbrol enamels but I dislike the metal tins.
Humbrol should upgrade their tin containers.
I suppose the tins are cheap and easy to manufacture, perhaps they could swap to glass but that might be a whole other can of worms to open for them and not cost effective
The amount of times I had to wash my hands in mek is incalculable. Never knew.
:o
Humbrol enamels have been my paint of choice since 1958. Yes I am "that"old. I can't stand the acrylics because of their horrible smell.
When Humbrol reformulated their erstwhile railway range (bring it back please) it became de rigeur for every model I built. It was durable, adhered well and was so fine that it didn't cover detail, and dried to a satin sheen in under an hour. Metalcote, too, became an essential. So glad it's not gone for ever.
it's interesting that you mention the smell of acrylics, the tamiya range smells a bit alcoholic (because it has alcohol in...) whilst the other ranges i've tried all smell quite similar, which is a slightly sweet smell but not particularly pungent
@@ModelMinutes
Yeah, the Tamiya acrylics smell pretty bad. They also require a specific thinner. The water based acrylic paints from Revell, Lifecolor and Vallejo have little to no smell.
I can't smell anything at all from Vallejo acrylics that I have recently started using. Maybe using Humbrol enamels since the 70's has killed my sense of smell.
Acrylics have their place but they can be a terrible medium. Years ago I left an art course in the first week because they insisted all the students worked in acrylic when working on canvas. I said I'd be willing to fork out for my own oil paints but they refused. Acrylic or off the course they said, so off I went.
Nostálgicos ingleses...
Andrea, Vallejo, Ak, Escale 75, Mig e incluso incluso gloy le dan 40 vueltas en gama, calidad para aerógrafo y en precio...
I guess we can be nostalgic, but for a "budget" range of paints they weren't too bad. I certainly learnt the basics of modelling on these
Humbrol paint may still be here but thay seem to be making it as thin as water nowadays, and you barely get two thirds of a tin full.
can't say i've noticed that with their enamels
Always used Humbrol enamels and occasionally Revell and will continue to do so despite the nanny state health dictators .
if they can make the paint just as good but more safe, that's good too
The Nanny state thats stopping you getting cancer?
Spot on John. So what was the actual death toll directly attributed to using these paints that prompted this decision? Or is it yet another case of don't question the 'experts'?
@@ianbutler8776 Not quite. The nanny state that without consultation or evidence SAYS it stops you getting cancer.
@@bunion8579yeah probably into the tens of millions 😂😂😂…
I switched to ac yrs ago as thay are more mistake friendly than Enamel .
:d
I don't know why humbrol enamel paint production will end, but isn't that one of the reasons why a scale modeller has a better finish
Not sure I understand
There is a false belief that accrylic paints are better, well perhaps but even they have a cancer warning on them
Humbrol paints seemed yo go downhill when they manufactured them in China.
I hope they come back and also made in the UK.
We need to take some personal responsibility with paint like using a ducted spray booth and a proper respirator.
I found your comment interesting so I dug out my acrylics to see if they did have cancer warnings on them, can't say I've ever looked...
Humbrol: No health warning
Vallejo: No health warning
Hataka: No health Warning
Tamiya: Flammable & Irritant - Cancer warning specific to the state of California
Kcolors: No health warning
Xtracrylix: No health warning other than to wash eyes if they come into contact
It makes sense that the Tamiya one have a warning as it is alcohol based whereas the rest are water based. But it would seem that Acrylic is indeed, on the whole, a safer choice
@ModelMinutes yes I was referring to Tamiya.
It's strange and so if you spray in Nevada or Florida then you are safe, Idont think so.
I have no doubt that some paints are safer than others but as I only clean air.
Let's not talk about glues.
I hate that mask but the spray booth gets most of the stuff out and with the mask you can't smell anything.
I used Humbrol Enamels in the early 70ties.
I’m still using them 🫡
Just purchased 2 tins from Sprue Bros.
nice!
Old Humbrol enamels was great, The Old ones, pre 2000.
😊