Model Builders' Warehouse 3D Printed Borrani Wire Wheels

[blunc]

Are there going to be some street rod type deep and regular offset wire wheels in the development queue?

[Randy D]

Hey Mike,

   We have been playing around with the larger wheel in some aftermarket wheel sets.  We did print up some 100 spoke Daytons in both 13" and 15" just to see if they would work. This kind of detail is where the 3D technology really excels....

 

 

 

[blunc]

Randy, those look great and there is surely a market for those.

I was thinking more of deep-dish model-A wire wheels similar to what monogram put in their '30 woody, or kelsey-hayes style suitable for caddy, t-bird, chrysler

 

[Flat32]

You're on a roll with no brakes or breaks.

[Bill J]

I would really like some Kelsey-Hayes style wire wheels. 15 inch in 1/25 scale would be perfect for all sorts of classic American cars. Chryslers, Hudsons, even Fords came with them on occasion. Beautiful and heavy wheels for big old iron cars

[Greg Myers]

How about some of these ?

[Greg Myers]

Or maybe something like these ?

[Ace-Garageguy]

Anything you make, I'll buy multiples of. Anything.

But please, PLEASE...make a good set of old-school dragster front wires.

I've tried everything on the market, even laced my own, and nothing comes close to what you can probably do.

[Flat32]

3 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Anything you make, I'll buy multiples of. Anything.

But please, PLEASE...make a good set of old-school dragster front wires.

I've tried everything on the market, even laced my own, and nothing comes close to what you can probably do.

There are currently practical limits to what can be done with 3D printing.  The long spokes are extremely difficult to print due to length and very much so due to the shallow angles of them relative to the axle axis. Hand lacing using a jig is not that difficult.  I can see where hubs and rims designed for hand lacing might be good. Randy is printing wheels that would be very difficult to hand lace, even with a jig. Ask me how I know, but please don't ask me.

[Ace-Garageguy]

44 minutes ago, Flat32 said:

There are currently practical limits to what can be done with 3D printing.  The long spokes are extremely difficult to print due to length and very much so due to the shallow angles of them relative to the axle axis. Hand lacing using a jig is not that difficult.  I can see where hubs and rims designed for hand lacing might be good. Randy is printing wheels that would be very difficult to hand lace, even with a jig. Ask me how I know, but please don't ask me.

OK. I'll accept that. Having seen your work up close, I know you know what you're talking about.

Pico Elgin has printed some vintage-car rims and hubs designed to be hand-laced, complete with printed in holes. They have ferrules or adjusting nuts, and look fantastic assembled...far better than anything using jigs and split rims, or the PE alternatives.

Nothing in old dragster-appropriate sizes though, and not commercially available anyway...as far as I know.

Possibly Randy could seriously consider rims and hubs. I'd buy a bunch.

 

[Flat32]

I have a gut feeling Randy's plate is quite full right now.

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Flat32

[Danno]

Stunning wheels.

[vamach1]

While going through some of my old 1/43 kits this caught my eye so I took a picture of one wheel.  Made by Provence Moulage in the 80's or maybe 90's.

[Flat32]

You have no idea how much I'd give to have one of those in my hands.

Edited April 14, 2020 by Flat32

[peteski]

Norm at RMCoM used to sell couple sizes of dragster (motrocycle) wheel kits.

 

KA models makes replacement wheels for Fujumi Ferrari 250GTO.  Those are on the left, with the original kit wheels on the right.

 

Both use photoetched spokes.  There are others too. Even Detail Master at some point in time made 1:24 scale photoetched wire wheels.  There are others too.  Just go to Google or eBay and search for 1:24 scale wire wheels.  Also check Hobby Link Japan site - Asian aftermarket companies make wire wheels too.

As for 1:43 scale wheels in the last post, if you do some Google searches, you'll probably find few different kind for sale.  Feeling43 (in France) used to sell a set of wire wheels, but they closed shop.  Tameo might have some too.  Both of those occasionally show up on eBay.

Edited April 14, 2020 by peteski

[Ace-Garageguy]

56 minutes ago, peteski said:

Norm at RMCoM used to sell couple sizes of dragster (motrocycle) wheel kits.

Yeah, "used to" is the operative phrase.

That pretty much covers it, other than the nice wheels from Curt Raitz.

Here's what was discussed about dragster fronts last time we went into it in depth...

 

[Roadrunner]

I'll be getting some of these, no question about it. They look just excellent.

[rickcaps55]

WOW ! those are awesome very nice.

[SfanGoch]

On 4/13/2020 at 11:42 PM, peteski said:

KA models makes replacement wheels for Fujumi Ferrari 250GTO. 

Those wire wheels are excellent, Pete. I have two KS00002 1/24 250GTO Deluxe Packs for the Protar/RoG kits. Who makes the tires in your picture? I'd like to get a few sets to replace the truck-like tires in the Protar and Revell kits.

[peteski]

3 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

Those wire wheels are excellent, Pete. I have two KS00002 1/24 250GTO Deluxe Packs for the Protar/RoG kits. Who makes the tires in your picture? I'd like to get a few sets to replace the truck-like tires in the Protar and Revell kits.

Good question Joe.  I saved that photo years ago, from the Internet. I agree that those are excellent looking tires, especially with all the lettering on the sidewalls.  I just looked into my Hasegawa Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa kit (I bought in 2008), and while its tires have good looking treads and nicely shaped sidewalls, there is no lettering.

That photo is comparing the KA Models wire wheels to the stock plastic Hasegawa wheels, but IIRC, the KA Models wheels do not include tires.  I also have the Hasagawa photoetched wire wheels for this models, they are not as nice as the KA Models set (the spokes are thicker).

Edited April 26, 2020 by peteski

[SfanGoch]

I hear you, Pete. It's a royal pain trying to find decent tires for the 250 GTO; and I'm not about to get a now overpriced Fujimi kit(s) just to use the rubber. The KA Models PE wire wheels are the best I've ever seen. The machined rims are second to none. I could see using them on a lot of other cars, they're that nice.

 

[Bill J]

Historic Racing Miniatures makes some Dunlap Racing tires for the Ferrari 250 GTO. They have lettering and tire sizes on the sidewalls and nicely done tread pattern. They're marked for the Fujimi 250 GTO 1:24 scale.

https://www.modelbuilderswh.com/collections/wheels-tires/products/ferrari-250-gto-tires-1-24th-scale

 

Edited April 27, 2020 by Bill J

[SfanGoch]

Perpetually sold out, unfortunately.

 

[Greg Wann]

WOW!!  3D printing is just amazing.  I have a set of Baronis from Modelhaus.  They are pretty nice too, but this is over the top detail.  What printer are you using?  I would like to have a printer but I have no idea about creating files and using it.

[peteski]

I just want to give a shout-out to Randy from Model Builders' Warehouse.

While I have no immediate need for his 3D printed wire wheels, they looked really good in the photos, and I really wanted to "fondle" them in-person.  So I ordered both sets.  The were shipped promptly, and well packed.  They look just as nice in-person.  However, upon close examination (wearing my Optivisor) I noticed couple of flaws (printing errors). I emailed photos of the problem to Randy and he immediately replied with an apology and promptly sent me replacement wheels.  They arrived just as fast as the first set, and were flawless!

While is preferred not to have to deal with problems, Model Builders' Warehouse has excellent customer service!  Thanks Randy!

And since now I have some spare wheels, I was not afraid to test the strength of those thin spokes.  They are very strong, just like the real spoked wheels.  No I didn't push hard enough to break them, but as hard as I pressed against them gave me confidence that they will safely support a model car.