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How to make flat tires?

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  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Vancouver, the "wet coast"
How to make flat tires?
Posted by castelnuovo on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 12:24 AM

I bought Tamiya's Ford Mutt in 1:35 that I plan to make into a rusty wreck. To make a convincing wreck, the tires should be flat. The tires are made of plastic, this is not the rubber tire with plastic middle, the whole wheel is one piece plastic. I don't have anything to practice on in my spare box so please suggest something more or less idiotproof Smile

Many thanks

  • Member since
    August 2014
  • From: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posted by goldhammer on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 12:37 AM

How about cutting off the bottom then gluing on wider pieces of styrene.  Then shape the edges to show the bulges of a flat.  Painted and stuck in the ground and weeds should be convincing enough.

  • Member since
    April 2004
  • From: UK
Posted by Jon_a_its on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 3:00 AM
model it with the wheels off?

East Mids Model Club 32nd Annual Show 2nd April 2023

 http://www.eastmidsmodelclub.co.uk/

Don't feed the CM!

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 8:45 AM

I have used a sealing iron. It has a teflon coating so the plastic does not stick to iron.  It takes some experimenting to get the right temperature setting.  But when you do, you press the wheel down against the hot iron till it squishes the desired amount.

Many hobby shops carry these for use applying the stick-on covering material on RC planes.  I bought mine mail order from Tower Hobbies while I was still into RC, but found, with the right setting, that it was great for melting and softening styrene.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    August 2014
  • From: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posted by goldhammer on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 9:56 AM

I was worried about getting the rim part too hot and having it change shape on him.

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Northeast WA State
Posted by armornut on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 1:22 PM

  Cut the lower piece of tire off leave the rim intact of course, then with some model clay sculpt the desired shape of a flat tire. You can practice sculpting before making ant cuts. Just my 2cents.

    I was gonna say let the air out of them but I'm not sure the humor would be seen.

   Good luck, given what you have accomplished before I'm sure this will be a snap.

we're modelers it's what we do

  • Member since
    June 2014
  • From: New Braunfels , Texas
Posted by Tanker - Builder on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 2:28 PM

Hmm'

    This is the Wheel/Tire type that is two piece plastic. Right? Bets thing you can do is try to find solid tyres and wheels and then Put the thing in Boiling water. Use safe procedures . Then press it down on a piece of glass . You get that flat tyre pooch and the rim will be unaffected if you don't press to hard.

  • Member since
    July 2012
  • From: Douglas AZ
Posted by littletimmy on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 3:59 PM

I usually just throw a sanding drum onto my Dremel, and sand the bottom of the tire flat. The sanding drum will heat up the tire a little and I just "squish" the now exposed edge's of the tire down.

 Dont worry about the thumbprint, paint it Rust , and call it "Battle Damage"

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Vancouver, the "wet coast"
Posted by castelnuovo on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 4:02 PM

Thank you all. The hot iron may work, will give it a try. Tanker, it is a one piece plastic wheel, both the tire and the center of the wheel are one piece. 

 

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.
Posted by disastermaster on Thursday, November 14, 2019 1:10 AM

Here 'ya go.

6 pictures say it all.

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a0/e1/9c/a0e19ca7f12153953c4e63edad636b38.jpg

 

 https://i.imgur.com/LjRRaV1.png

 

 

 
  • Member since
    June 2012
Posted by Compressorman on Thursday, November 14, 2019 9:08 AM

I would cut the bottom off and then sculpt the bulges with some epoxy putty

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