JimRice Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 I need some help on how to paint the wheels/tires on my 1/32 Boeing F4B-4. I've tried freehand, taping and cutting out center and even a stencil I made and cut using a circle template. None have produced an acceptable result.Freehand, well we all know how that typically turns out. Bad.Masking and cutting...there isn't sufficient hard edge between the tire/wheel to get a good consistent cut. The poster board stencil gave best results, but the edge was just a bit too soft as the stencil was slightly proud (standing above when resting on tire) of the wheel. It was also a pain to get centered properly and held in place to shoot the paint.My next plan of attack is using wide masking tape and circle template on a piece of flat glass to custom make my own mask which I could then lift off the glass and apply to the wheel/tire, which would be painted entirely black and hopefully get the wheel/wheel cover painted with a distinct line. My only reservation is how do I get the mask placed in the center. So far, I'm not able to get it aligned well.Surely someone here has figured out a good way to do it. I can tell I haven't worked on anything recently. I don't recall having had this problem in the past...or maybe my expectations are just a bit higher than they used to be. Rick Griewski 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Sounds like you have a good plan with the tape and circle cutter. Let us know how it works out. Have one in the stash.....Harv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Griewski Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 I slice the cut circle once from the center out to the edge (one half of a pie slice). I then place the circle starting at the cut up against the edge of the tire. I then lay the circle along the tire. The cut alows my fingers to hold the tape out of the way and feed it along against the tire. The method reveals right away when the tape is starting out on the wrong path. The tape will lay down smoothly over a non-flat hub. Add another part of a circle if you run out of tape on he hub. HTH, Rick MikeMaben and JimRice 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRice Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 Rick, that's good info. I had to read through it twice, before it clicked. I'll be trying that method, likely this evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbk57 Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 (edited) If there is a groove around the tire as it relates to the wheel hub I sometimes paint the center the required color, say white, then use thinned black paint to flow paint into the low point up against the hub and build up the paint transitioning away from the hub. I usually get good results that way without masking. This could take several coats depending on how thin you go but this way paint goes to the low spot and not onto the wheel hub. Edited October 20, 2017 by cbk57 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRice Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 cbk57, thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately, on this particular kit there is a rather soft line between the tire/wheel portion which is causing the problem for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Griewski Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Rick, that's good info. I had to read through it twice, before it clicked. I'll be trying that method, likely this evening. A picture would help I bet. Melt me know how it goes. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 If you have a circle template, you can often use it directly on the wheel. I do this all the time. Find the circle that fits your wheel's hub, mask out those around it, and then either hold or tape the wheel to the exposed hole while you airbrush the hub colour in. This requires painting the tyre first, of course. I usually run a wash of black paint around the hub afterwards, but this does require a reasonably well-defined rim to work effectively. Kev Rick Griewski 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony T Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Recently, while tackling some ill defined tyre/hub demarcations on ground equipment, I found turning the wheels on a cocktail stick in one hand while applying a gundam/sharpie fine point in the other gives a very respecable result. You then paint up to the black inked circle to fill in the tyre colour, and it works just as well with dark grey tyres. If only all kits came with separate tyres and hubs. Gimme vinyl rubber any day, precisely because of this issue. Lovely and neat every time. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phasephantomphixer Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 (edited) And can you make a more defined groove (to assist painting) with a blade or needle tipped compass? Afterward, fill center hole from Compass. or use a circle template? Edited October 21, 2017 by phasephantomphixer Rick Griewski 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1to1scale Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I use white tack, or you can use silly putty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 This may sound a bit off, but I have been able to do nearly all of mine this way and it's fast and easy. I paint the hub first, let it dry completely. Then find a short length of tubing that is the exact size of the hub. Hold it place, shoot the tire, wait until dry, turn it over and shoot the other side. All done. I bought a bag of end cuts of tubing in all shapes and sizes on ebay years ago. I will never run out. Rick Griewski, Out2gtcha and JimRice 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClumsyDude Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I'd try cutting concentric circles in Tamiya tape, then make one cut through the circle. You've now got a circular strip of tape which is more or less the same size as the tyre demarcation (it doesn't have to be exact). You lay it down over the wheel and can adjust the size by overlapping the ends of the strip. Works for me - there are some awesome suggestions on the thread so far so I'm sure you'll be right. Jim Rick Griewski and Harold 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thierry laurent Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 This thread should be pinned in the tips section! Harold 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pascal Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Remember those rulers that have different sized holes in them ? Paint the tire first, then put the ruler over the wheel untill you've got the right sized hole over the rim and spray paint the rim. Harold 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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