Global Scale Modeller

Hi all,
I was wondering how the rubber -vinyl-ds or similar products actually stack up given a bit of time. Does it all perish split or rot away and really better off replacing with some aftermarket items if I want to keep them for any period of time.

digger303 wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 3:31 am Hi all,
I was wondering how the rubber -vinyl-ds or similar products actually stack up given a bit of time. Does it all perish split or rot away and really better off replacing with some aftermarket items if I want to keep them for any period of time.

I’ve not seen older rubber tracks deteriorate. For me the problem is the use of rubber tyres on larger aircraft kits. They seem like a good idea on paper but they tend to come with a central seam, which is a horror to remove. They’re also not weighted so the kit doesn’t sit right either.

Tamiya’s otherwise excellent 1/32 WW2 series come with rubbers and they’re best replaced with after market resin. Only their Mossie comes with weighted plastic wheels and they look stunning.

Stokesy44 wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:06 am

digger303 wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 3:31 am Hi all,
I was wondering how the rubber -vinyl-ds or similar products actually stack up given a bit of time. Does it all perish split or rot away and really better off replacing with some aftermarket items if I want to keep them for any period of time.

I’ve not seen older rubber tracks deteriorate. For me the problem is the use of rubber tyres on larger aircraft kits. They seem like a good idea on paper but they tend to come with a central seam, which is a horror to remove. They’re also not weighted so the kit doesn’t sit right either.

Tamiya’s otherwise excellent 1/32 WW2 series come with rubbers and they’re best replaced with after market resin. Only their Mossie comes with weighted plastic wheels and they look stunning.

rubber tyres can be made weighted by screwing in a small screw so that the screw pulls the tyre into a flattened state. Yeah I know that seam is a absolute bugger....I have an idea on that and how to easily remove it. But I am yet to try it. If successful I shall pass it on.

digger303 wrote: Sat Feb 10, 2018 6:54 am rubber tyres can be made weighted by screwing in a small screw so that the screw pulls the tyre into a flattened state. Yeah I know that seam is a absolute bugger....I have an idea on that and how to easily remove it. But I am yet to try it. If successful I shall pass it on.

Interesting, I assume the screw method (ooh err missus) works on hollow tyres?

Stokesy44 wrote: Sat Feb 10, 2018 9:12 am

digger303 wrote: Sat Feb 10, 2018 6:54 am rubber tyres can be made weighted by screwing in a small screw so that the screw pulls the tyre into a flattened state. Yeah I know that seam is a absolute bugger....I have an idea on that and how to easily remove it. But I am yet to try it. If successful I shall pass it on.

Interesting, I assume the screw method (ooh err missus) works on hollow tyres?

the missus has her own look that needs no help from me
Yep hollow tyres.

I was going to post into a new topic , but due to an error message that ain't going to happen.

I have found using a dental polishing burr ( I may have misnamed it ) in a rotary tool does a very quick job of removing the prominent seam line on vinyl /rubber tyres. Setting it at 20,000 rpm removed copious amounts of rubber as this pic shows very quickly.



Reducing the speed to a more controllable 8000 rpm gives a good result
this pic needs a bit more off

Comparing before and after.


Using a small still brush all that left over gunk easily sweeps out and the tyre actually looks sharper and more real. Camera certainly makes it look worse than it appears to me.


And the tool I was using


It doesn't appear perfect straight off, but certainly gets rid of any raised seam lines. I may try a little fine sand paper to take off the small amount of left over bur.