Any way to stop melted wheels with 60's AMT tires?

[Carmak]

Does anyone have a time proven method to block the plasticizer migration from 60's AMT tires to the wheels? It goes right through thinner based paint, water based paint and the vacuum metalized "chrome" on wheels.

Thanks

Craig

 

[SfanGoch]

Just as there is no cure for acetate promos from warping, there are no "time proven" methods to stop what amounts to a chemical breakdown/decomposition of the plasticizer in the vinyl. Chuck'em and get new tires.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Wrapping a rim with BMF prior to assembly has been suggested, and seems likely to stop it, but I've never tried it myself.

I have painted a few rims with a high-strength epoxy that has very good chemical resistance, and have seen zero deterioration since 2011, but it's not a commonly available product.

 

[SfanGoch]

What you suggest will definitely protect the rims; however, it won't stop the plasticizer leaching from the tires. They're going to decompose regardless. It's the same thing that happens to rubber bands. As they age, they start turning into gooey, sticky messes.

[Bills72sj]

In a semi-related subject, a former co-work told me that when he worked on a fishing boat in Alaska, they were bringing in a load of supplies for their fishing village. Included were new car tires and cases of styrofoam cups in the forward hold. He said when they pulled into port and started unloading, the solvents from the new tires melted all the cups into goo.

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Resin cast copies or yourself is one option for the tires....

My question, if you have a very old stash, how do you know WHICH ones are more prone to this horrible characteristic?

[Snake45]

8 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Wrapping a rim with BMF prior to assembly has been suggested, and seems likely to stop it, but I've never tried it myself.

I have painted a few rims with a high-strength epoxy that has very good chemical resistance, and have seen zero deterioration since 2011, but it's not a commonly available product.

 

It works. I've also painted rims with water-based acrylics and they seem to be unaffected, unlike either bare styrene or enamel. 

[Mike999]

7 hours ago, Modelbuilder Mark said:

Resin cast copies or yourself is one option for the tires....

My question, if you have a very old stash, how do you know WHICH ones are more prone to this horrible characteristic?

I don't believe you can.  Assume they're all prone to it.

But I would dig into that very old stash, pull out the tires and seal them in small ZipLoc bags.  You can get big packs of different sized ZipLoc bags very cheap at Michael's or Hobby Lobby.

Several people I know finally found their Holy Grail kit from the 50's or 60s.  Then opened the kit to find a tire melted right thru the roof, the trunk or the glass.

Also be warned about old Heller kits.  Heller used to put the clear parts and tires in THE SAME sealed plastic bag. That's a disaster waiting to happen. I cut those bags open and put the tires in their own ZipLoc bag.

At least in some kits, like their Mercedes Gullwing, Heller tires are made from a really gooey kind of material that exudes a sticky black oil over time.  Some Revell-Germany kits had those same kind of tires.  Like their big European fire truck kits.

 

[64Comet404]

8 hours ago, Mike999 said:

At least in some kits, like their Mercedes Gullwing, Heller tires are made from a really gooey kind of material that exudes a sticky black oil over time.  Some Revell-Germany kits had those same kind of tires.  Like their big European fire truck kits.

I used to own one of those Revell truck kits (the Mercedes cabover), and the tires were intact at the time of purchase. A couple of years later, when I opened the box, it looked like someone had squirted black RTV silicone into the box. Very glad I had never opened the parts bags, and kept instructions and decals separate.

Edited March 26, 2020 by 64Comet404
photos added

[ChrisBcritter]

19 hours ago, Modelbuilder Mark said:

Resin cast copies or yourself is one option for the tires....

My question, if you have a very old stash, how do you know WHICH ones are more prone to this horrible characteristic?

About the only vintage tires that don't seem to melt rims are Monogram's. Modelhaus Tires has duplicates of all kinds of old kit tires in either soft or hard resin; time will tell how long they will last.

[Carmak]

What is interesting is that I have a few early kits built in the early 60's (All AMT or Johan) that have no tire melt at all while others from the same years/company have melted everything.

Also I have never seen an AMT tire go to dust or mush, they melt lots of stuff, but the tires always survive (except Turnpike tires but they are unique)

I will try the BMF method and some water-based acrylics. 

Thanks!!

Craig