TKM Resins

[Guest Mustang3.8]

Hey, y'all.

I recently bought a 1972 Cadillac Fleetwood from TKM Resins, and it is a piece of junk! It is the worst quility casting I have ever seen. It looks like it was carved outta something I can't say on here. I would not recommend TKM Resins.

[Fuel Coupe]

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8074

[BigPoppa]

Should asked around first! TKM has been the joke of resin casting for many many many years

[RodBurNeR]

umm yeah....never bought any because I could tell in the worst photos they are horrible. I have heard some guys praise them up and down.....but those people must be new to resin. It's unfortunate that people who are "new to resin" buy that junk and if they realize how bad it is.....they refuse to buy resin from ANYone again because they are scared to waste money. (have friends that way)

[hippie6]

I wish I could say something nice but.... a while back I purchased one off ebay. The difference between his stuff and holthaus or flintstone is like trying to compare picaso with a 5 year olds finger painting.

[Modelsbyroni]

YEAH MAN, HIS STUFF IS STRAIGHT UP GARBAGE LOOKS LIKE A BLOCK OF GOV'MENT.CHEESE. HAVE SEEN THIS JUNK IN PERSON AND NOT WORTH 42 BUCKS, WHEN THERES GOOD LOOKIN RESIN BODIES THAT CAN BE HAD FOR 10.

[Eshaver]

You know , Dennis Doty formerly of Model Car Journal often used to mention T K M in the Collectable Automobilia of Collectable but I have never heard how well the models went together till now . Mebbie if someone in Irving Texas sees ole Dennis , they might want owarn him too................ Ed Shaver

[Rob Hall]

Hey, y'all.

I recently bought a 1972 Cadillac Fleetwood from TKM Resins, and it is a piece of junk! It is the worst quility casting I have ever seen. It looks like it was carved outta something I can't say on here. I would not recommend TKM Resins.

That's unfortunate....a '72 Fleetwood is such a cool subject, would love to see one done by a competent caster...I'd love to see something like that from The Modelhaus.

[roadhawg]

I wish I could say something nice but.... a while back I purchased one off ebay. The difference between his stuff and holthaus or flintstone is like trying to compare picaso with a 5 year olds finger painting.

I totally understand your point, and you are correct, BUT.............to be quite honest, there isn't much difference between a Picasso and a 5 year olds finger painting.

[dimaxion]

I totally understand your point, and you are correct, BUT.............to be quite honest, there isn't much difference between a Picasso and a 5 year olds finger painting.

The next thought is , what did early resins look like ? TKM is still casting the way it was done in the early Years . Make a negative mold and pour in Resin . This is called "Slush Casting" . Banthrico did this with Metal in the Early Days of Promos .

You younguns are spoiled by far superior products . The current products are a result of progress . I for one are glad to have a couple of TKM's on my shelves . He does subject matter rairley copied . Are you planning to build the Caddy ? I only have one more almost complete Picasso to finish . Contact me if you want to unload this please . Thanx Thomas K. Mills ... John JR

Edited August 7, 2009 by dimaxion

[Rob Hall]

You younguns are spoiled by far superior products . The current products are a result of progress . I for one are glad to have a couple of TKMs on my shelves . He does subject matter rairley copied . Thanx Tom ... John JR

Ya, I didn't get into resin until the mid '90s with Modelhaus resto parts. I've looked at TKM lists a few times, he does have some great subject matter, but the horrific execution I've seen in pics and heard about scares me off..

[Zoom Zoom]

I bought a TKM Lincoln Mk. VII in the early 80's. I was warned that they were "different". I wasn't quite expecting the mess that arrived...at least old slush cast metal promos have a level of "finish". TKM models are poorly molded copies of masters that must be made from amateur clay models...wheels that are awfully rough, raw metal chassis that will cut you if you look at them wrong...everything cast in open 1 piece molds. Sloppy doesn't begin to describe the reality.

I was so put off from it that it eventually went in the garbage. Had I not met Don Holthaus in Toledo around 1986, I may have never trusted any resin kit, because up until he started casting, nobody was doing the kind of quality that most modelers would really want. TKM and Sam Miller make/made some interesting stuff, but they're really not "models"...they're more "folk art". Sam's models were also odd, but they weren't nearly the disasters that TKM models are. Sam's compare well w/the slush cast promos, and I have a couple of his models built that are more than acceptable. TKM's compare with...nothing that we've ever seen before, or will ever see again. I hope.

[jeffb]

I totally understand your point, and you are correct, BUT.............to be quite honest, there isn't much difference between a Picasso and a 5 year olds finger painting.

the difference is about 5 million dollars, give or take....

[dimaxion]

the difference is about 5 million dollars, give or take....

Ouch , I would like to have traded for the Mark VIII . I am finishing up a 1994 version of this same model . I had owned one , 1:1 , (yes past tense , I had to quit driving) for reference . I took allot of "silly putty" for it's lacking . Thanx..

[goldfinger]

This subject came up elswhere. The solution, Throw a tarp over the miserable blob and use it in a diorama!

[Six Cruvers]

I paid some $40+ for what was supposed to be a '47 Chevrolet station wagon.  I've been doing professional resins since they came out and mine bring top dollar.  I did what I could to this poor bondo sculpture and it brought $7 on ebay.  If you're a millionaire and need some tax write-offs, or just some exercises in spending money, see Tom K. Mills, in OK City.  He's the one who makes this TKM garbage.

[Six Cruvers]

TKM is to resin what Premiere and Palmer was to plastic models: the Biggest Joke in the Industry.  A NOS Palmer kit is worth more if you empty the contents into the nearest trash can and just offer the box. 

Don Holthaus was probably the most talented designer around, but he sure yanked the tablecloth out from under everyone by promising he'd stay open until the end of 2016, then disappeared in June, 2015, leaving all his customers spinning in the wind.  I hope he's happy.

Edited May 31, 2022 by Six Cruvers
changed wording

[Tom Geiger]

29 minutes ago, Six Cruvers said:

Don Holthaus was probably the most talented designer around, but he sure yanked the tablecloth out from under everyone by promising he'd stay open until the end of 2016, then disappeared in June, 2015, leaving all his customers spinning in the wind.  I hope he's happy.

Um no...  Don announced two rounds of "Last Call" to his customers.  That resulted in orders that added a year to his retirement date. He's a class act. A man is allowed to retire.

Edited May 31, 2022 by Tom Geiger

[sfhess]

1 minute ago, Tom Geiger said:

Um no...  Don announced two rounds of "Last Call" to his customers.  That resulted in orders that added a year to his retirement date. He's a class act. A man is allowed to retire.

And as far as any of us knows, he and his wife Carol fulfilled all the orders that were submitted.

[GLMFAA1]

1 minute ago, Tom Geiger said:

Um no...  Don announced two rounds of "Last Call" to his customers.  That resulted in orders that added a year to his retirement date.  A man is allowed to retire.

Thanks Tom for setting the record straight. There is always one person who you would give a 100 dollars to and they would complain about one side of the bills being green

[Dave Van]

TKM = Folk Art