Anybody seen the NEW Dumas Brooklin Tug?

[graphixman]

I guess they re-released this really nice kit, but now without the excellent fiberglass hull. They substituted it with vacuformed ABS. Besides that I wonder if they cut corners anywhere else. The price is way lower than I remember it being with the FG hull. :confused:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXSDX0&P=7

Also looks like their Jersey City tug has gone ABS as well.

[amdaylight]

Greetings,

It is my understanding that the only thing that changed is the hulls for Dumas, the cost of making the FG hulls went out of sight, also I believe that there was an EPA issue that they avoided by going to the vacuformed ABS hulls. If you want the strength of the FG hull, scuff up the inside real well and then glass the inside.

Andre

[woodybob]

I understood most companies moved to Arizona because it was a friendly manufacturing state.

[Kmot]

The long reach of the EPA is everywhere now...

[Aerominded]

There are still a number of 'glass shops around... "EPA", while a factor may not be the whole story... Labor may have played a role too.

[Brooks]

Epoxy is not as benign as we modelers usually treat it. None of it is good for you, and some types are positively poisoness. For example, Imron, the DuPont 2 part epoxy paint used on some cars and most airplanes, states that a *single* exposure will cause permanent lung damage. No filter mask of any type is approved, only positive pressure air masks may be used. If Dumas was using one of the particularly dangerous formulations, then the EPA would have been justified in requiring them to upgrade their safety procedures.

The EPA is like all govt. agencies, full of good and bad; I am not defending them per se. They make a convenient scapegoat for businesses which are poorly run in the first place.

Dumas quality is notoriously bad with some kits, and their Missing parts and Defective parts replacement policies caused me a lot of heartache. I would not consider Dumas statements to be truthful, based on my personal experience with the company. As far as their decreasing the quality of their hulls by substituting ABS for fiberglass...Maybe it was the EPA, and maybe it was not....

[der kapitan]

Dumas quality is notoriously bad with some kits, and their Missing parts and Defective parts replacement policies caused me a lot of heartache. I would not consider Dumas statements to be truthful, based on my personal experience with the company. As far as their decreasing the quality of their hulls by substituting ABS for fiberglass...Maybe it was the EPA, and maybe it was not....
The EPA was mentioned as the reason for dropping their fiberglass hulls, but I think it was more the decision of Dumas' bean counters---. :p

Face it, vacforming is an infinitely cheaper way to go. ;)

The quality of their hulls is now on a par with the wood supplied in their kits---. :eek: