So, I have been using black Ink for my wheels (the kind people paint those little warhammer figures with), It works well, but it almost gives the tires a little bit of a shine, and those of you that have seen my stuff, I don’t really like the whole out of the factory look…it’s got to look worn. I ran out of the ink yesterday while I was doing the tires for my 234/2 Puma.
This has probably been asked a million times already…but I can’t find it.
Question is…What is a really good color to use to match used tires, if I was to go with Tamiya, or MM from the LHS?
I use flat black for the whole tire for a factory fresh look or maybe just one tire that has been replaced and I haven’t shaved the tread down any. You can leave the mold seam and it will look like new.
For worn or used tires I get a color from the model railroading section called Grimy Black, it is flat and has a grey cast to it like oxidized rubber and the raised part of the tread is painted flat black to show freashly worn rubber.
Now you can apply dirt/dust/mud/snow to the tire, but remember that a movinf vehicle will wear that off of the tread and sling some up into the wheel wells/fenders and frame.
If you are going for a restored vehicle you can spray some semi gloss clear coat on the flat black tires like the museums paint their tires to protect them from rotting.
hi abastyr,I stimbled upon what I think is the perfect paint for weathered rubber.It’sFloquil railroad enamel “weathered black” item #f110017.Try it,you’ll be hooked. semper fi,rudedog
Hello Abastyr. All of the replies to your query offer excellent solutions to the question you pose. I like to use model master ‘Eurogray’, to replicate the colour of ‘experienced’ tires and/or the rubber portion of tracked vehicle road wheels. It is a very dark gray which, after the appropriate weathering is applied, provides a realistic result.
For the tires on the road wheels of tanks, I use a mixture of Tamiya Flat Black with Royal Blue. It gives a kind of deep sheen to the tires that I don’t get from using Flat Black on its own.
I use Tamiya NATO Black. Has that natural greyish tint to it, although not as nicely represented as CPT Caveman’s deuce. But weathering really does help it out.
I use a semi-gloss black paint, and rub flat black over parts of it so it looks semi-worn. If the tire is really old I cut chips into the rubber and use only flat black, with a hint of grey.
Lots of different possibilities here so I’ll throw mine into the ring just for kicks. [:D] I use MM enamel Gunmetal (not the metalizer kind, the regular paint kind) thinned down and applied with a brush. It’s already got a grayish cast to it and I like the look of it by itself or weathered depending on your preference.
These are some good suggestions, I’m glad I came across this thread when I did, I will be doing the wheels on my ZIL-157 in the near future and have been contemplating what colors to use to get a realistic look.
I’ll ditto the timliness of the thread! I’ve started working on a braille scale SdKfz. 251 and was trying to remember what paint I used on my Pz IV (which I really liked). I couldn’t remember until I read the above. Then I realized it was Floquil Weatherd Black! It really looks great as a lightly weathered rubber. Grimy Black is just a little too green for my tastes, but it does look good also!
Okay, I got home and much to my surprise (or not!!), I was WRONG!
The paint I used for the road wheels on my PzIV J that I really like is…Scale Black made by Poly Scale. I had a bit of trouble finding it, but finally did at the local model train store. It brushes very smoothly and airbrushes fantastically.
Sorry for the confusion above (but those would work well, too).
