Masking Aircraft Wheels

Howdy TT,

I'm no expert buy here's how I do it and my hubs come out pretty good.

I first paint the whole tire/hub ass'y my tire black ( acrylic of my own mixing )  and let it dry thoroughly, at least over night.

I cut a mask for the tires using drafting tape, or Tamiya tape with a circle template and a new xacto blade. Good quality low tack tape does make a differance.

it's important to first stick the tape to a very hard surface like glass when cutting the holes for the hubs because your purpose is to get a very clean edge on the tape.  This step will take some practice. i suggest that if you need 4 masks, cut at least 8, then you can chose the best ones.

The most time consuming step is this one...Carefully align the mask around the hub and burnish it with a wooden tool  (like a toothpick or skewer cut or sanded on an angle like this   /  .)    This helps to minimize ,or eliminate if you're lucky ,the paint bleed under.  Then lightly spray the hubs with your chosen thinned color.  This also takes practice to get the right paint consistantcy even when brushing it on .

good luck and keep practicing,  You'll get it.

If the edge of the rim is raised out from the tire, you can use a circle template, and not need any tape. If the rim is recessed alot, then you need to cut your own mask or use a mask set from Eduard or the like.

I got this tip either here in the Forums or from an article in FSM, and find it works better than masking unless the rim is recessed.

If the rim is raised  paint the wheel color first. Like Nathan, I use a circle template as a quick mask for my airbrush, but you can use a brush if you prefer. It's fine if the color goes beyond the edge of the rim. Let the paint dry completely.

Next step is to thin a bit of the tire color until it flows well, and using a small amount on a fine brush, just touch the tire a little outside of the rim. The paint will be drawn around the rim perfectly. Allow to dry, then fill in the rest of the tire color at "normal" strength.

Hope this helps!

Mike

I normally paint my wheel first, although I do it either way, and then the tire. I use a template to cut low tack painters tape to fit the wheel and mask it and burnish it down, then paint tire black on the tire and pull the tape the next day. I've never had any issues with this method but the ones listed above are just as good or better. It's a matter of what you like to do.

The method I use involves painting the wheel first then using a thin sharpie I outline the wheel.  That gives a bit of a buffer which I use to brush paint thinned tire-black.  It also helps if the paint is thinned a bit so it will flow around the wheel

I've used a circle template or very carefully hand painted the rubber color after spraying the hub.

I cut a tapered toothpick or other rod/stick that will stick into the hole or depression for the axle.  This allows me to rotate the wheel with my left hand.  I then use a small paintbrush in my right hand (being right handed) and find with the wheel rotating at the proper speed (determined by practice/experience) I can put down a pretty good line at the tire/wheel interface. I do the wheel before I try the tire, then use the twirling stick to do the tire.

Ditto on the search function.  Haven't mastered it yet.

Hubs first then I use the toothpick method with bleeding flat  black onto the tire but touch up the tread area with Nato Black.  

Here's a trick I read about years ago and have been using ever since.....capillary action does the work and there is no masking needed.  Start by paint the wheel hub the appropriate color then do as follows:  

1.  Grab a paint palette (plastic dimpled thingy) or whatever you use for paint containment.  

2.  Take your black of choice, and put it in one of the palette dimples. I use XF-24 Tamiya Dark Grey to simulate rubber.

3.  Fill another dimple with the appropriate thinner.  In my case Tamiya X-20.  

4.  Next, utilizing the fine detail paint brush of your choice, load it with heavily thinned paint (mixed up on the palette) and touch the "tire" where it meets the rim.  If thinned properly, capillary action with carry the paint around the rim.  Repeat until the line is thick enough to where you can paint the rest of the tire with appropriately thickened paint.  It will be like "dragging" the paint away from the rim onto the rest of the tire. 

Done....

Tires are one of the only things I still hand paint.  As I indicated, its all about proper thinning.  If thinned properly, there will be no brush marks.  I have normally prefered enamels, specifically Floquil Grimy Black for tires, but I ran out and they stopped making it.  That stuff was fantastic.  Now I'm stuck using Tamiya XF-24 Dark Grey.  I can still work with it though.  Perhaps I'll stumble upon an enamel I like better eventually.  I have heard Vallejo brushes nice so I may look into that.  Anyways, as a final weather touch, load up XF-57 Buff in your airbrush and dust the treads to give them a used dirty look.  

Hope this helps,

Joe              

I paint my tires just like Joe described in the above post when I have a good, distinct wheel rim to work with.  I have also used circle templates when there was a real good raised rim to place the circle around.   I've settled on Humbrol 32 dark gray enamel for the tire color:

If you really want Grimy Black, MicroMark sells an acrylic paint (MicroLux) that is formulated by Vallejo.  They copied the PollyScale RR colors, which is the same company that Floquil was part of.

www.micromark.com/microlux-acrylic-paint-grimy-black-2-ounces,11282.html

Vallejo's Panzer line has both a Dark and Light Rubber color.  Good enough for me.

FYI

Mitch

Funny how similar much of this advice is,  and it's all similar to what I've figured out through many years of trial and error (especially the error!)

But I would agree with saying the key tools are a circle template, good masking tape (Tamiya) on a glass surface, a new X-Acto blade (or circle cutting knife if you have one), then burnish down with  toothpick.

I would also agree with those who mention it doesn't really matter if you do wheel or hub first, I often switch it up based on the specific contour of the wheel.

A black wash afterwards can make a big difference on fixing any little flaws.