There was a thread here a while back that suggested using Floquil Weathered black to get a realistic looking used tire, so I got me a jar and painted all the tires for my ZIL-157 with this paint, I have no complaints about the color, the tires look great.
The tires in this kit are rubber, it has been a whole day since I painted them and they are still far too tacky to work with, how long will it take for the paint to dry and is there some way to speed up the process?
Also, if anyone knows the answer, why is it taking the paint so much longer to dry on the rubber tires than on plastic parts?
I was hoping to come home today and assemble the wheels for this truck, but the way the tires feel, it might not even be possible over the weekend, that will suck!
Sounds like the paint is reacting with the rubber tires. I think it will eventually cure but I don’t know how long it will take. Here is an idea. Ever heard the expression “baked on enamel”. Yup, stick them in the oven [:0] Lowest setting your oven can go. Between 90-120 degrees. Do not leave the room!!! Others will see this post and say DON"T DO IT and even I say just put them on a shelf and wait a few days.Try it at your own risk. I have done this on occasion with sucess but only with painted styrene not painted rubber.
Edit: If you decide to bake the paint it may feel dry after only a few minutes but what is actually happening is only a thin layer is curing on the very ouside so keep that in mind.
I will assume you used Floquil enamel.
That said, it’s well-documented that enamels will sometimes never properly cure when applied to certain soft vinyl materials. Something to do with the agents in the vinyl that allows them to remain plyable. I use MM enamels exclusively and once found that my Tamiya vinyl tank tracks were still tacky after nearly two weeks. After doing some research, I found out that enamels and vinyl do not always like each other. Now, I always prime soft vinyl parts with a cheap acrylic paint before applying enamel washes or overcoats.
I know this doesn’t help now and really have no suggestion for correcting the situation at this point. You could just try to wait it out and see if the enamel cures more. Your other option would be to remove the enamel, prime with an acrylic, and try again. However, the thinners needed to remove the enamel may - I stress may - affect the vinyl tires in nasty ways.
Sorry I can’t be of more help. Chalk this up to a learning experience…
I recently had the same problem , and they had been painted for almost a month. Since what I was building was going to be weathered alot I jsut went ahead and put some acrylic over it and let it dry. Worked well enough to get them on at least.
Well, they feel a little better this morning, maybe by the time I get home tonight they will be dry enough to work with or spray with laquer anyway.
I wonder if I set them in front of a fan for the day maybe that would speed things up a bit?