Gold Wheel Centers..

Anybody got any good ideas on how to paint the centers of satin wheels gold. I am about to build Tamiya Taisan GT2 and I want to do the wheel centers gold.
Is the best way to mask the outside edge and then use clear yellow for the centers?

Any help or advice appreciated...

Last ones I did, I just carefully brush painted the gold with X-12, came out pretty nice in my opinion.

very very carefully hand painted

True, they are so thin (spokes) that you can't ruine them with hand painting, I like MM (Testors), just delute the gold 1:1 with thiner an even if you go on the lip you can easily wipe down with Q-stick dipped in thiner.

Thanks guys, sounds like hand painting is the way to go. I'll probably use Tamiyas X12.
I used clear yellow over Chrome wheels on the D&W Tamiya Capri and it came out very nice, but way too yellow looking to be accurate. I want this one to be more representative of the real thing.

Thanks guys, sounds like hand painting is the way to go. I'll probably use Tamiyas X12.
I used clear yellow over Chrome wheels on the D&W Tamiya Capri and it came out very nice, but way too yellow looking to be accurate. I want this one to be more representative of the real thing.

Try clear orange instead. If thats too orange then just mix a bit of yellow. As nice a colour as X-12 is, the flakes really are quite big, especially the acrylic version.

A gold enamel is your best bet.

Cheers

Farrokh

I took another way around on my Taisan Porsche, masked the rims with Tamiya tape and sprayed the spokes with Humbrol gold. Worked excellent.

Niclas

http://images1.fotopic.net/?iid=y25lfl&outx=600&oq=0

I've never tried painting wheels like that, it always looked like a total bastard to do! Congrats to those who have taken the plunge and come up trumps. :)

I like Tamiya X-31, titanium gold. Not as bright gold or flaky as X-12 and looks kind of natural. See my recently finished GT2:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=350164

Some good ref.pics:
http://www.carclassic.com/html/DS27.htm
http://www.carclassic.com/html/DT32.htm
(Actually seems a bit more gold in these pics than on my GT2-build.)

I did mine with X-12. IT works good enough. I did mine freehand.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/73957DSC06457a-med.JPG

Anybody got any good ideas on how to paint the centers of satin wheels gold. I am about to build Tamiya Taisan GT2 and I want to do the wheel centers gold.
Is the best way to mask the outside edge and then use clear yellow for the centers?

Any help or advice appreciated...

I use Micro-Sol's blue masking liquid and Model Master non-buffing Brass for all my gold-spoked BBS mesh rims (Porsche GT1-2-3). Brush on the liquid masking material. Let Dry. Airbrush the MM brass. Remove the maksing material with a toothpick. QED.

hth,
Bill

Just thin down some X12 and apply 2-3 thin coats with a brush...works fine.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/1PMan/Dscf3461.jpg