bshorey

Hi All, I'm presently detailing and repairing a Mato 1/16 all metal PZKW III L. Is there a supplier in Canada for Aber Clamp and Bracket sets.I can order them from Europe but would prefer something closer. A US supplier would work.

BTW the individual parts of the model are very good. The assembly is crap and quality control non-existent. As a toy these are very expensive. As the basis for an excellent model these are great. Order the bare metal version and break out the Dremmel tool, metal grinding wheels, brazing torch, soldering gun, body filler, files, and primer. Just like working on a real tank!

ausf

The North American Aber distributor was (maybe still is) was in Canada, I believe it was called Air Connection or something similar.

bradgreene

Try ArtisticHobbies.com. I think they're based in Texas.

jarndice

"ABER" Photo Etch is very finely detailed but it is a pain building their products, because they are so detailed, and that is why I use "VOYAGER" Photo Etch, Just about everything that ABER make so does VOYAGER and it is a lot easier yet looks as good.
Do I have to tell you they are a Chinese Company?
www.voyagermodel.com
is where to go.
I have just visited the VOYAGER Web Site and the Clamps and Clasps are nowhere to be seen
BUT
"FORGEBEAR" on E-BAY have VOYAGER's early Tiger 1 Clamps and Clasps and the late Tiger 1 Clamps and Clasps, they are selling at £8 + post each, I figure if VOYAGER have stopped making them you might want to get them while you still can!
Shaun.

tomhugill

Seconded, the clamps being a primer example, aber ones have twice the pieces and arguably don't look as good unless your a wizard at building them.

ausf

I agree with the above gents.

Voyager blows away Aber in 1/35, I assume they would in 1/16 as well. I used to import Voyager years back (I still have a sizeable inventory of kits, cleaning rods and width indicators) and they are one of the fastest moving companies I've come across, I have no doubt that if the 1/16 didn't have brisk sales, they were dropped. They had a wildly popular 1/35 clamp set they stopped producing too, it became almost a collector item for a few years.

I would place an order on Monday and have a 50 pound box of brass in my hands on Thursday, all the way from Shanghai, through customs, before I could even get to the bank to arrange transfer of funds to them. Aber by comparison, if you got anything within 3 months of payment, you were lucky.

Crius

Unfortunately for all of us, Gene is callin' it a wrap and Artistic Hobbies is going out of business. How much longer he'll be open I do not know, and I haven't heard anything about a "going out of business sale".

In Fact, I just checked and according to his website he closed last month. A major loss for the entire hobby community. I personally will miss Artistic Hobbies very much.

Markocaster

This is sad. I got my first tank from Gene at artistic Hobbies. Great guy to deal with. Very sad to hear he is closing down.

MAUS45

Wow, I have purchased from Gene as well. Sorry to hear is is closing down.

ausf

It's a tough way to make a living and if you're doing it as a hobby, it's too much work to enjoy over time.

The hobby business is fickle at best, and dealing with weight, etc and shipping of 1/16 tanks is a bear, if you have to deal with a few returns, you're losing money. Too many cheap options out there.

When I opened up my online shop, I had hit the soft spot that the big retailers weren't handling. My biggest sellers beside the tools I made, were Voyager and Mig pigments. I dealt one on one with them and the product was small enough that I could keep fluid stock and replenish almost constantly, with all the new releases.

Then Mig lost his company in a lawsuit, Voyager wanted to do with a central distributor (I had zero interest in that) and therefore caused a tripling in prices and an unbeliveable slow down in movement and each successive production run of the tools got more and more expensive.

Voyager's experiment failed and they gave themselves a serious blow that I'm not sure they ever recovered from and Mig went on to form two more companies (lost one).

Couple that with constantly changing policies of manufacturers, subsidized Chinese shipping and Amazon opening up new markets, you have to be out of your mind to give it a shot.

I order products shipped from Hong Kong that is less expensive than just the postage on a 1 oz package from NY to NJ.

Panther F

Jeff is right... it's tough and to combine business with pleasure.

I also think a small guy would get killed on returns and/or defective broken products, like an RTR tank.

I always liked Gene and he was good to me!



Jeff

bshorey

Thanks everyone for the feedback. It was very helpful. I ordered two of the Voyager Tiger 1 clamp sets from Forgebear (plus a lot more, to fill the posted package up to the limit). The rest I can scratch build with scrap and a soldering gun. Most of you probably know this but solder wire makes great conduit, clamps, bolt heads. Use as is or roll/hammer flat and cut with an exacto knife. Sticks to CA glue and holds paint.