What are tyres made of?

I remember there was a post by Hiroaki about this, but I can't find it for the love of me! I'd like to know what Tamiya / Fujimi use to make tyres. And what not to use (good example - tyres in the Italeri Ferrari 348tb kit - they are so bad that they tore when trying to put them on rims... :mad: )

I'm gonna be a bit vague, but most kit tires are made of vinyl (revell) or rubber (tamiya).

Originally posted by ales
I remember there was a post by Hiroaki about this, but I can't find it for the love of me! I'd like to know what Tamiya / Fujimi use to make tyres. And what not to use (good example - tyres in the Italeri Ferrari 348tb kit - they are so bad that they tore when trying to put them on rims... :mad: )

Depends: Monogram and AMT/Ertl often use vinyl (PVC) for the tires (smooth shiny surface);
Most japanese companies appear to use some rubber-like material;
Some other manufacturers (Revell Germany, Airfix, ESCI) tend to use softened polystyrene. This is the worst type to find as the softening agents will leak out and damage any other polystyrene parts over time. A good coat of laquer will protect parts from melting.

HTH,
-- Eric.

Thanks for the replies, this is already something. The reason I was asking is that I want to try (in the more or less near future) to make some tyres for my own use, so I need to know what materials to get. That rubber-like stuff Tamiya and Fujimi are using seems very good, but I'd settle for something similar with RTV qualities. Any suggestions?

Originally posted by ales
Thanks for the replies, this is already something. The reason I was asking is that I want to try (in the more or less near future) to make some tyres for my own use, so I need to know what materials to get. That rubber-like stuff Tamiya and Fujimi are using seems very good, but I'd settle for something similar with RTV qualities. Any suggestions?

Try to find black silicone sealant (the stuff that is used for sealing bathroom walls or windowpanes).
This is rather soft but if you make solid tires (not hollow) it should work nicely.

HTH,
-- Eric.

Originally posted by erix7
Try to find black silicone sealant (the stuff that is used for sealing bathroom walls or windowpanes).
This is rather soft but if you make solid tires (not hollow) it should work nicely.Hey! :) That's a decennt idea! I may try that myself! :D

Originally posted by jay@af
Hey! :) That's a decennt idea! I may try that myself! :D



Wouldnt urethane caulking (windshield glue/sealant) work better? Silicone would be very shiny, and tends to cracks easy when flexed.

IIRC, Tamiya uses a synthetic rubber for thier tires.

Best bet for scratchbuilding would be to try one of the "soft" resin products or simply use a hard resin.

www.smoothon.com is a nice place to start your search.
hth,
Bill
:bandit: