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Advice on painting and prepping wheels

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  • Member since
    January 2015
Advice on painting and prepping wheels
Posted by TheMongoose on Friday, September 27, 2019 6:57 PM

ok, I have this 1/72 B-2 Stealth Bomber from Revell. There are 10 wheels that need cleaned up and painted. They've got some simulated tread on them, and 2-3 attachment points each from the sprue. Could you guys give me some advice on how to prep these and then paint them to get the most realistic look I can out of a box wheel?

These are about 7/16" diameter to give you some scale.

The other question I just thought of was how to show some weight on the tires? How would you go about that?

Pics would be wonderful if anyone has done this kind of thing before. 

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Friday, September 27, 2019 9:33 PM

Those are a bit unique, being molded in pairs, from my experience for clean up, and finish. I’d clean up the attachment points and seam lines with sanding sticks and needle files for the tight areas. For painting, paint the hubs first, with one type of paint such as acrylic. Paint the tires in a dissimilar paint type such as enamel, so any overlap can be cleared up easily. Then do your weathering and washes as you prefer.

 

Weight on the tires is easily replicated by some minor flat spots sanded into the contact points. It’s a bit trickier on the pairs due to alignment issues, but not insurmountable. Don’t worry about bulged sidewalls as that just means air pressure in the tire is too low.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Close to Chicago
Posted by JohnnyK on Saturday, September 28, 2019 1:49 PM

Keep in mind that I only work on 1/48 scale aircraft. After cleaning the tires, I spray the tires and wheels with lacqure flat black. Next I spray them with clear flat to protect the black paint. Then I paint the wheels with an aluminum enamel paint. I used to use precut masks for painting the wheels, but I have steady hands so I stopped using masks. Don't put too much aluminum paint on the brush, this allows the inside of the wheel spokes to remain black in color. I then use a black wash to add highlights to the wheels. Finally I use a mud colored wash on the tire treads to highlight the tread pattern.. You can provide flat spots on the tires by sanding an area of the tire flat. This is a picture of tires on a P-38. I also use black and rust washees on the landing gear.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by keavdog on Saturday, September 28, 2019 2:17 PM

That wash looks great.  Oil paint or ?  I really like Gunze Sangyo H77 tire black for all things rubber.

Thanks,

John

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Close to Chicago
Posted by JohnnyK on Saturday, September 28, 2019 2:43 PM

keavdog

That wash looks great.  Oil paint or ?  I really like Gunze Sangyo H77 tire black for all things rubber.

 

This is the wash that I used:

This is a water based wash. It takes some getting used to. The product is the consistancy of BBQ sauce. It needs to be thined with water when using. It can be reactivated with water after it dries. Go here: 

https://www.wilder.su/ They have interesting tutorials.

 

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Land of Lakes
Posted by cbaltrin on Saturday, September 28, 2019 2:53 PM

just some basic advice here. Don't paint them black. Use dark grey and a lighter shade of dark grey for the area that contacts the ground. I chuck my in a drill press to paint the lighter grey, or alternatively , while in the drill press you can touch the tread area with a fine grit sanding sponge. HTH

On the Bench: Too Much

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, September 28, 2019 4:39 PM

Oooh awesome advice here. Will get started on these shortly and be back with results. hadn thought about not painting them black. Will try that as part of this as well.

 I’m confused about the dissimilar paint. can you guys expand on that?

edit - another question after rereading everything. Johnnyk how do you apply the wash and keep it out of the tread?

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Land of Lakes
Posted by cbaltrin on Saturday, September 28, 2019 4:56 PM

A picture is worth a thousand words. Check out these tires. The contact surface is dirty/dusty/chalky from dirt/dust or whatever it rolls over. The difference can be subtle or very noticable depending on the environment... 

On the Bench: Too Much

  • Member since
    June 2008
Posted by lewbud on Saturday, September 28, 2019 6:39 PM

For tires, I use Tamiya's Tire Black out of the rattle can. I also have some Vallejo Tire Black that I haven't tried yet. Back in the days when you couldn't get the Tamiya rattle can, I would mix up some Model Master Interior Black, Engine Gray, and some Red Brown until I got a shade I liked.  As for using dissimilar paint, the process allows you to use acrylics over enamels (or enamels over lacquers) and then use the acrylic thinner to clean up any mistakes because it won't affect the enamel base. I used acrylics over enamels because the acrylics are cooler chemically and won't attack the enamels. The same goes for enamels over lacquers. Most lacquers will attack and craze acrylics and enamels. I have used Tamyia's Haze Gray rattle can lacquer over an acrylic before (Polly Scale Deck Blue), but that line was virtually indestructable and no longer available, unfortunately.  As always, test before you try. Hope this helps.

Buddy- Those who say there are no stupid questions have never worked in customer service.

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, September 28, 2019 8:07 PM

Ah that helps for sure. Thanks lewbud.

just doing the basics now. Primered in lacquer, made some masks on my silhouette, painted the hubs white (Pics were good reference, but haven’t found any of the tires up close yet but sure i will).

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Close to Chicago
Posted by JohnnyK on Saturday, September 28, 2019 8:14 PM

Regarding painting the treads--I used very little paint on the brush to paint the treads. Kind of similar to drybrushing.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 10:26 PM

Tires are one of the only things I still paint with a brush.  First I spray hubs the appropriate color. Next I use Tamiya XF-24 Dark Grey which is a good rubber color to my eye. With some alcohol as a thinner, I use capillary action to carry paint around outside of rim and work my way outward. Then just paint the rest of the tire with XF-24 dipped in alcohol. I find the addition of the alcohol serves as a leveling agent and removes brush marks. For weathering I spray some XF-57 Buff in the treads. I like the effect. 

Just my take. Give it a shot. 

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Monday, October 14, 2019 9:50 PM

So I’ve struggled to find the treads lol. These are a bit flat. They appear to have tread but it’s so small nothing was sticking. Here I’ve tried Vallejo pigments held on with a mist of matt varnish. What do you think? If it were you, Would you redo them?

This one using the flash

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Tumwater, WA.
Posted by M. Brindos on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 1:17 AM

I've found that I like using Tamiya's NATO Black for tires dusted with Tamiya's weathering powders. Oil Stain is my go-to for normal dust on tires, but sometimes Dark or Light Sand works depending on the subject. Simple and effective.

- Mike Brindos "Lost Boy"

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 8:45 AM

I use both a very dark gray, and also flat black with a dust weathering powder.  The weathering powder I use is talcum powder from drug stores, available in several skin tones, and cheaper than produces made for scale modeling.  The dust weathering allows me to very the tone between treads and sidewalls, but the dark gray is quicker and easier, so it depends on aircraft and scale .

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Thursday, October 24, 2019 5:49 PM

Here we go, the final version. A little touchup needed around the rim under magnification. I went with Tamiya rubber black over a black primer. The rubber black gave it that softer gray hue. I went back over the tire with grimey black for oil type stains. I used Tamiya light gray panel line wash on the treads. Coated with flat clear. On the gear I used Citadel white primer covered with insignia white. Then went over the gear with a black and brown wash to show some wear.

 

Soooo, what do you think? Areas for improvement?

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Friday, October 25, 2019 9:08 AM

Ordinarily I hand paint.  However, the L-19 I am building has hub caps, which need to be body color.  Since the body color is one I have mixed myself, the thinned airbrushing paint will be what I have to use.  I hate to hand paint with thin paint, so decided to airbrush hubs. I first sprayed the whole wheel/tire parts flat black (I will weather tires by drybrushing).  I found one of my wider Tamiya tapes covers the hub and then a little more.  I cut a square of the tape and placed it over the wheel, centered on the hub.  I used a que tip to press it down as best I could, then a sharp pencil to mark around the hub/tire groove.  Then I used my scalpel to cut out the hub area.  Then I finished masking the rest of the tire.  It is all ready for airbrushing today.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

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