Hey gang,
I know there are some AM resin kits for compressed / flattened tires (tires that look like they have pressure on them) and I know about sanding the bottoms of tires flat, but I was thinking about another method.
Has anyone tried assembling the tires and then holding them over a flame until the plastic has softened slightly and then compressing them? In theory, it should work, but I was wondering if anyone had actually tried it.
Thanks,
Fred
I don’t know anyone who has used a flame, and I can’t say I recommend it. There’s simply too great a chance of melting the plastic (not to mention burning your fingers!). However, many people have had success pressing the tire against a warm iron until it’s flattened to the extent they desire. I’ve not tried it yet, but this method would be my first choice if I didn’t use aftermarket.
Mark
that’s exactly what I do (the flame method, a candle to be exact) and I think it works quite well if you don’t ever do it, it seems to give the right amount of bulge and it’s cheaper than the after market alternative (I say again, don’t over do it, some of the planes I did when I was little look like they have 37 ton bombloads on board, not too good)
I think the hot iron would be the easiest. The heat would soften the tires and the pressure would create a bulge. Ive used it on a few models. A flame seems too uncontrolable, so you’d have to be very careful with it.
Be a little careful with the hot iron method. If you get a blob of plastic on the bottom, it is very hard to get off. The lady of the house might bounce the iron off of your head a few times. I take an old screw driver and heat the flat part of the blade over a candle and then press the tire onto that. Actually the “sanding a flat spot” will give the most authentic look. It is not as noticeable as really splayed out on the bottom, but better. Real airplanes, even fully loaded, barely compress the tire to any noticeable degree.
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
Thanks for the replies and tips guys!
I never though of using a hot iron. I think I might still have my old cheapy one from back in my college days. If I can’t find it anywhere (it has been over 10 yrs), I’ll try heating up the screwdriver blade.
My only problem with the flat sanding method is that if there is a flat spot on the bottom, that rubber would have to be displaced somewhere and the most likely place would be a slight outward bulge.
I’ll give it a go over the next couple of days and see how it works out.
Thanks,
Fred
If you use the hot iron…it’s advisable to lay wax paper between the hot surface and the plastic tire. No sticking or mess.
Jerry