I know this is normally not a good idea, but this kit has some really nice rubber tires. It also comes with the plastic ones, but I’m having hard time fighting the temptation of using the rubber ones. Has anyone come up with a way to prevent rubber tires from cracking and breaking over time? Armour All maybe?
Hey Dana
I don’t have an answer for keeping the rubber soft, but I was told long ago (like 20 yrs ago) that Armor All atually dries out rubber and plastic. I heard this from a friend who put vinyl tops on cars for dealerships.
Also, UV rays from sunlight cause rubber to deteriorate.
Wish I could help more, but I’ll be watching this thread myself for the answer.
stinger
Resist the temptation - go buy resin tires.
But the rubber tires are sooo relaistic looking…well, maybe because they are real. I never have tried the Resin Tires. I have looked for some for the 69’ Z-28 Camaro RS I’m buliding. i couldn’t find theright size.
Rubber and plastic don’t always go well together. Correct me if I’m wrong Swanny, but isn’t that why we throw out the tires on AMT’s F7F kit?
Take wise Swanny’sans advice, resist rubber grasshopper, and you shall find salvation in resin.
The trouble with ArmorAll is that it contains an alcohol component and that does indeed eventually dry out and crack rubber. Silicone sealants work well but do evaporate over time. Plus they are usually quite thick and gloopy and can make a bit of a mess. Formula 2001 works pretty well and doesn’t seem to dry out stuff.
There are also some UV sprays available that you may want to consider. I’d coat the tires with a liberal amount, let dry and repeat. From there, you could probably satin or flat coat them if they needed it. Rubber isn’t as durable as resin or styrene, but it does add realism. You may want to keep the rubber set available for competitions etc. and use the plastic/resin ones for normal display. Then you could keep the rubber sealed and out of sunlight in the meantime. Just a thought.
B~