Keeping spare bits.

[Neil Merryweather]

Compartmentalised storage is by far the best way to go. If you just throw everything into one box you will spend more time searching than modelling. Been there, got the T shirt so to speak.
Regarding storage of car and truck kit vinyl tyres. Do not store thrown in with Polystyrene parts. If left for a long time there will be a chemical reaction between the two plastics, ruining both!

I've experienced that myself, but it begs the question of how long before the reaction takes place on the model the vinyl tyres are intended for?

 

[Tim Marlow]

I thought that was more prevalent with older kits Neil. Newer vinyl tyres are supposed to be slightly different so it doesn’t happen. Begs the question though, why make them that way to start with. I would far prefer a kit to have hard plastic tyres that took paint properly to hard to clean up rubber tyres....

 

[rtfoe]

Storing them is one thing but seeing your vehicle sink from rims melting because of the reaction from the rubber tyres can be disheartening.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Tim Marlow]

Gloss varnish between the two components minimises the reaction. Still shouldn’t have to worry about it though.

 

[Jakko]

Begs the question though, why make them that way to start with. I would far prefer a kit to have hard plastic tyres that took paint properly to hard to clean up rubber tyres....

I suspect it’s because the soft material allows the manufacturer to mould the tread pattern just like on the real thing, and the colour is automatically right. The alternative is to make up the tire from a set of hard plastic rings that together make up the pattern, and that will require painting.

However, this seems to be far more of a concern for car modellers than military modellers (the two main categories of modeller who deal with wheeled vehicles, I’d think). On average, the latter tend to be far better and more thorough painters than most other kinds of vehicle modeller, is my observation.

 

[rtfoe]

Gloss varnish between the two components minimises the reaction. Still shouldn’t have to worry about it though.

If I was informed in advance of the reaction then it wouldn't be so unpleasant. Since then all varnished or replaced with resin molds. You're right, the compound is different now...less reaction, less worries.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Jakko]

Even then it’s entirely hit-and-miss with these kinds of tyre. I have two BRDM armoured cars, both by Dragon, though one is the Revell re-issue. I built them both 20–25 years ago and they have been sitting next to each other on a shelf since they were finished. All four tyres split on the Dragon model, while all four are intact on the Revell one …

 

[stillp]

I bought an 1/32 XK120 kit made by SME - Scale Model Engineering - when they stopped making models in the 60s to concentrate on high-end hi-fi equipment. There were turned brass wheels with beautifully moulded Dunlop tyres, with the correct sidewall markings and tread. I never finished building it, but a couple of years ago I had a look at it and found that three of the tyres had merged into a single shapeless blob.
Pete