cobraman Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 I just ordered a model kit of a 1912 Henderson motorcycle on ebay. The kit comes with black rubber/vinyl tires. I think I want to do white tires like some were back in the day but don't know how best to do that. Looking for a procedure that will dry and not crack when I mount them to the wheels. Any suggestions ? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Relic_Models Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 I think the safest solution is to cast a new set in resin. Even if someone has a method for coloring the rubber it might not necessarily work your particular vinyl blend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Anderson Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 I just ordered a model kit of a 1912 Henderson motorcycle on ebay. The kit comes with black rubber/vinyl tires. I think I want to do white tires like some were back in the day but don't know how best to do that. Looking for a procedure that will dry and not crack when I mount them to the wheels. Any suggestions ? Thanks FWIW, car and motorcycle tires weren't actually white back then--they only appear that way in photographs due to the still primitive camera's and film of the day. Rubber tires were originally made with gum rubber (you know, the kind that comes from trees on rubber plantations) which is a creamy color when dry, and turns a buff color when vulcanized (think the buff colored sidewalls on 10-spd bicycle tires). Just a thought for your accuracy. Art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooOld Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 After detailing my tires I always spray them with DullCote to give them a nice satin finish . It dries quickly and doesn't seem to rub off , so I bet you could spray another color on top of it ! I've never done this but it might be worth a try on an old tire to see if it works . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 There used to be an interior vinyl spray. I don't know if it would work on tires. It worked very well on an interior (1:1) I did once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Anderson Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 PVC (vinyl) can be very successfully painted with any of the water-borne acrylic paints sold by Folk Art or Apple Barrel, as unlike enamels, they will dry readily on PVC, and unlike lacquers, they tend to stick to soft PVC pretty well. With narrow tires such as motorcycle tires, I'd suggest mounting the tires on the wheels first (a thin band of CA glue works for me on this), then painting the tires your desired color. Art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 Thank you all for your ideas and suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 (edited) There used to be an interior vinyl spray. I don't know if it would work on tires. It worked very well on an interior (1:1) I did once. Yup. Used to be called MarHyde, among other names. Duplicolor, PlastiKote and VHT make similar vinyl-dye rattlecan products still. Incredibly easy stuff to use. Works great on sneakers, too. Edited May 1, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 Thanks Bill. ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pharoah Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Artist's acylic paint. You can probably get the color you want in a small bottle or tube. Clean the tires first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwrass Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Ray, Any type of automotive adhesion promoter will work, Most paint manufactures have this product in their line. I use a product by the name of Bullfrog, Many uses for this product. Rubber, Plastic, Vinyl, Leather............. Scuff part, Apply Bullfrog, Paint Jimmy "RASS" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 Thanks guys. I will let you know how it works out when this kit gets worked on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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