Wheel painting problem

[TonyBv9]

I'm making progress on my 1/72 F86F Sabre, but the rear wheels are a problem. Unlike the nose wheel, there is no ridge or line separating the tyre from the hub, so accurate painting is proving really difficult. The hub also sticks out from the tyre, so masking the hub seems impossible. This leaves me the option of brush-painting the tyre, then masking the tyre so when I spray the plane silver (with a rattle can) I can do the wheel hubs too.

I need a way of cutting a circle from the tape so it covers the tyres, or a way of applying tape in a circle.

Does anyone have an idea about how I can mask off the tyres, or have any other suggestions?

Thanks

Tony

 

[Ian M]

Hmm. I tend to put the wheels on after the aircraft is painted. The wheels being painted separately, I brush paint the tyres with the wheel stopped onto a bit of sprue or tooth pick. Hold the brush still and turn the wheel.

Not a lot of help but I hope its some help-

Ian M

 

[TonyBv9]

Hmm. I tend to put the wheels on after the aircraft is painted

I didn't explain very well, the wheels are still on the sprue, I just meant to spray them at the same time as the plane, then fit later.

The wheels being painted separately, I brush paint the tyres with the wheel stopped onto a bit of sprue or tooth pick. Hold the brush still and turn the wheel.

Thanks Ian, I'll try that, but my concern is the lack of a ridge or line between rim and tyre. The front wheel was relatively easy. Maybe I need a stiff drink to steady my hand.

 

[yak face]

HMMM? Very awkward tony. I know the shape of the wheel hub youre on about and its NOT an easy one to mask. Heres a suggestion that may or may not work , how about getting hold of as many different sized drinking straws as you can (mc donalds , burger king , drinks cartons etc) and trying to find one thats the right diameter to cover the wheel hub up when placed over it . When you get one thats about right ,cut off a small section (about 3 or 4 mm) and put it over the hub, then put a blob of blu tack in the open end to hold it in place and mask the exposed face of the hub. Then just spray or carefully paint the tyre. Might be worth a shot , cheers tony

 

[backonthecase]

Genius Tony, very good shout !!!

Right, off to a fast food crawl i go

 

[TonyBv9]

HMMM? Very awkward tony. I know the shape of the wheel hub youre on about and its NOT an easy one to mask. Heres a suggestion that may or may not work , how about getting hold of as many different sized drinking straws as you can (mc donalds , burger king , drinks cartons etc) and trying to find one thats the right diameter to cover the wheel hub up when placed over it . When you get one thats about right ,cut off a small section (about 3 or 4 mm) and put it over the hub, then put a blob of blu tack in the open end to hold it in place and mask the exposed face of the hub. Then just spray or carefully paint the tyre. Might be worth a shot , cheers tony

Good thinking Tony. I was thinking kind of the same thing, but rather of something circular that's the same diameter as the hub - drill bit end, pencil etc. If I can cut around it on masking tape, I can create a hub-sized hole. Apply the tape to wheel, and it should protect the tyre.

My search begins.

Tony

 

[CDW]

I use plastecene, its totally pliable and can be shaped exactly with a scalpel, it works with spraying or painting with a hairy stick. i find that it'll last quite a while before any paint thats stuck on it (and gets moulded into it) becomes a problem.

 

[HAWKERHUNTER]

Hi Tony. If the hub sticks out from the tyre I would paint the hub first and then use a black permanent marker to just run it around where the hub meets the tyre. This will give you a perfect circle that you can then paint up to. Try and cover as much of the line as possible with paint, you will find it gives a good crisp edge. Obviously if you have no ridge or join to use as a guide for the pen then this wont work for you but this is how I do all my tyres where the tyre and hub are part of a single piece.

 

[Deisenaut]

I would personally go with bluetac or plasticine - over the wheel hub, then go around it with a toothpick to get all the bluetac in the right place - incidentally, paint the hub first to save on the reverse masking!

 

[TonyBv9]

Thanks everyone. A lot of food for thought there.

 

[backonthecase]

Mike and others - the plasticine is also a great idea... A lot less elastic than blue tak so is likely to behave better when forced into certain shapes.

Sorry to invade guys, but this thread has also helped me loads. Thanks

Stuart

 

[stona]

Or try a compass cutter,also useful for roundels etc. For something small punches can work.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Gomer Pyle]

I do various things apart for the one mentioned above with the straw/tube masking. Depending on the mask size, for some I use a punch for cutting a fitting hole/roundel in the masking tape, or I use the round scribing templates for cutting the mask with a No.11 blade. On my ever growing shopping list I have a circle-cutter listed for acquisition, that might also come in handy.

/Daniel

 

[Gern]

If it's got a hole for the axle you could try putting the wheel into a drill. As it spins, you only have to touch your brush to it and you'll get a nice even line. You might find your drill is too fast even at the slowest speed though, and just spins the paint straight off again - so don't try it in the kitchen unless you're planning on redecorating! :lol

Gern

 

[backonthecase]

A standard hole punch has to be the right size for at least one size of wheel....

 

[TonyBv9]

A standard hole punch has to be the right size for at least one size of wheel....

A standard holepunch turns out to be near-enough perfect. Thanks for that suggestion, I'll get cracking on it.

 

[sharowjohn]

Hi,

Just had a slight struggle masking the hubs of my Boomerang too small for the Olfa compass cutter always a bit dodgy, then had brain ripple most stationers stock various sticky backed for anyone who can remember Blue Peter shapes just happened to have some circular ones to suit. The adhesive doesn't seem to have affected Velejo paint other types well?

Cheers sharowjohn.

Oh and if anyone else has already suggested this sorry for standing on your toes.

 

[seasprite]

If it's got a hole for the axle you could try putting the wheel into a drill. As it spins, you only have to touch your brush to it and you'll get a nice even line. You might find your drill is too fast even at the slowest speed though, and just spins the paint straight off again - so don't try it in the kitchen unless you're planning on redecorating! :lolGern

I built a turntable based on that. I used the rotating video record head(?) thing from inside an old VCR mounted onto a small old wood display box with one of the VCR's motors to drive it, and 3volts battery to keep the rpm down. just bluetac the wheel to the centre of the top of the rotating drum, start the motor and paint with a fine brush. I did the 1:35 sas landrover wheels using it and a 1/72 phantom, near perfect tyres everytime.

 

[wbk666]

I would personally go with bluetac or plasticine - over the wheel hub, then go around it with a toothpick to get all the bluetac in the right place - incidentally, paint the hub first to save on the reverse masking!

I would agree, these make a great flexible mask