We know not everyone subscribes to our emails, so we wanted to share a round-up of important updates and behind-the-scenes news—straight from our workbench to yours. From shipping changes and canopy mask updates to retailer referrals and website upgrades, here’s what’s new at Kit Masx!
📦 Shipping Update: What’s Going On & What It Means for You
If you've been wondering why shipping within Canada suddenly costs more - you're not alone.
Due to an ongoing labor dispute at Canada Post that’s affecting delivery reliability, we’ve made the tough (but necessary) call to temporarily stop using their services. The last thing we want is for your order to vanish into a postal black hole or arrive weeks late. Until things settle, all Canadian orders will ship via Sendle, our best alternate option.
Here’s what that means for you:
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Canadian Shipping = $18 CAD
This covers Sendle’s rates plus packaging materials (envelopes, shipping labels, etc.). We’re not padding the price or trying to squeeze a profit out of exorbitant shipping costs. We pay what you pay. There is one perk though - tracking is included, so you can watch your order every step of the way. -
U.S. Shipping = $12 CAD (No Change)
Rates stay the same, but packages are shipped via Sendle, which partners with USPS after crossing the border. Heads up: there’s a chance of import fees due to ever-shifting tariffs, but so far, we haven’t had any reports of extra charges. -
International Shipping = Paused for Now
We hate to do it, but shipping outside North America currently costs upwards of $50 CAD, making it an unrealistic option for most customers. We’ll bring back global shipping as soon as rates return to normal. -
Free Shipping = On Pause Too
We normally offer free shipping on orders over $20 (Canada) or $60 (U.S./International), but due to these rising costs, we’ve had to temporarily suspend this offer. However, we fully intend to bring it back as soon as the Canada Post situation is resolved.
Thank you so much for your understanding, patience, and support as we ride out this bumpy shipping season together.
Canopy Mask Layouts: We Heard You (Thanks, Jon!)
Big thanks to Jon’s Model Kit Review for catching something important: on some of our sets that include inner and outer canopy masks, the inner masks weren’t quite as intuitive to apply as they should be.
Here’s what happened:
Kevin designed the layout assuming you’d be holding the canopy right-side up during application. But of course, when applying inner masks, modelers naturally flip the canopy over. That mismatch in perspective made the layout a bit confusing—though the masks themselves fit beautifully!
We’re now in the process of updating all affected sets—both the physical layouts and the listing images on our website. If you bought a set with inner and outer masks in the last 21 days, you should already have the updated version.
🗓️ If you purchased before May 15, don’t worry—the masks are still accurate, they just might require a little extra mental gymnastics during application. To make it easier:
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Look up your set on our website using the Kit Masx item number in the search field (e.g. 48-063 or 48063)
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Refer to the updated image in the listing to guide your application.
🧭 Also new: our updated sets now include a small orientation guide in the top-right corner, using these symbols:
Use these markers to align your canopy and masks correctly before applying—it's a little thing that makes a big difference in making your masking experience easy peasy.
🎥 Martin Made a Video! (And a Recording Studio!)
We’re thrilled to share a brand-new video tutorial created by one of our talented customers, Martin Chartrand. Martin is a retired modeler with a passion for the hobby—and he kindly volunteered to make this tutorial for us, even setting up his own little recording studio to do it!
In the video, he walks you through how to apply both inner and outer canopy masks using Kit Masx item #48-110 – Airfix North American P-51D/K, F-51D, Mk.IV Mustang 1/48 Canopy & Wheel Paint Masks (Kit # A05136).
His clear instructions and close-up visuals make it super easy to follow along, especially if you’re new to using our canopy mask sets.
📺 Check it out and please give Martin a big virtual high-five for being such a generous member of our community! 👇
Help Bring Kit Masx to Your Local Hobby Store!
Imagine walking into your favorite local hobby shop and spotting Kit Masx products right there on the shelf—no waiting, no shipping, just instant access to the masks you need. Sounds good, right?
You can help make it happen!
We’re looking to partner with more local hobby stores, and we’ve put together a complimentary welcome package for shops interested in testing the waters. It’s a great way for them to see if carrying Kit Masx products is a good fit for their customers—and a win for you, too!
💡 Here’s how you can help:
If you have a local shop you think would be a great Kit Masx retailer, send them our way! Just send us an email with the name and location of the hobby store and we'll do the rest!
Whether your go-to hobby store is in Canada, the United States, or another part of the world, we want to hear from you!
We greatly appreciate your help in getting Kit Masx designs into more stores, more communities, and more hands!
What’s Up with Custom Orders & Made-to-Order Masking?
We know many of you have been wondering: When will Kit Masx reopen its custom and made-to-order masking service?
The short answer: not quite yet—but we’ve got good reasons.
What you might not know is that both Kevin and I still work other jobs, and mask design happens during the in-between hours. Sometimes, we even sneak in a day off (gasp!)—especially during the summer, when we love hitting the back roads on our motorcycle, no destination, no schedule, just freedom and fresh air.
Because Kevin's design time is limited, we do our best to balance new product releases, hobby collaborations, and customer requests. Many of our “coming soon” projects are delayed not by lack of effort, but because generous hobby friends have sent us their clear parts with no rush at all—which lets us squeeze in occasional custom jobs or prioritize popular requests.
That said, due to the ongoing demand and our current schedule, we won't be scheduling any new made-to-order and custom mask requests for the remainder of 2025.
We plan to reopen custom slots in November 2025 for project completion dates starting in January 2026.
You can still send us requests!
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You’re welcome to request earlier release dates for sets on our Coming Soon list or kits from our Kit Masx Kit List—we’ll do our best to accommodate.
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We’re also happy to create custom marking sets for designs already in our library, like existing insignia or markings in different sizes or scales.
📩 To make a request for a custom marking set or to nudge a canopy mask project along the timeline, just email us. We’ll see what magic we can work!
Coming Soon!
➡️ Website Upgrades!
We’re working behind the scenes on something that’s not quite as exciting as a new mask set—but still super important: a Shopify theme upgrade!
This process is a bit of a beast (as anyone who’s ever customized a Shopify site knows), and while we’re aiming for a smooth transition, a few things might look or behave a little differently along the way.
🗓️ We expect to launch the updated site in late June, and while the overall design will remain familiar, you’ll likely notice some enhancements that make your shopping experience even better. Look forward to improvements like:
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🌍 Currency and language selectors
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⚡ Faster load times
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🛒 A streamlined checkout process
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📱 Better performance across all devices
Of course, with any major update, there’s always a chance something slips through the cracks—like a broken link, missing photo, or a “wait, where did that go?” moment.
👀 If you spot anything that doesn’t look quite right after the update, we’d be so grateful if you let us know right away. Your feedback helps us make sure everything’s running smoothly so you can find what you need without a hitch.
Thanks in advance for your patience - and your extra set of eyes!
➡️ Kit Masx Builders Hub
We’re building something new—a Kit Masx Facebook group just for our amazing community of modelers!
In this space, we’ll:
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Share new product releases as they go live
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Post helpful videos and tutorials
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Feature builds by Kit Masx customers
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And offer tips and tricks for using our masks
It’ll be a great place to connect with other modelers, swap ideas, and stay up to date on what we’re working on behind the scenes.
🎉 We expect to launch the group in late July—so stay tuned and get ready to join us in our new virtual hangar!
That’s a Wrap!
Thanks for hanging out with us for this update—we hope it gave you a clear view of what’s new and what’s coming down the pipeline. Whether you're patiently waiting for your favorite kit to hit our shelves, watching Martin’s tutorial, or spreading the word to your local hobby shop, we’re so grateful to have you along for the ride.
As always, if you have questions, feedback, or just want to say hello, don’t hesitate to reach out. We love hearing from you.
Until next time—happy masking and happy modeling!
— Kevin & Janelle