dragster wire wheels

[noname]

Has anybody ever started making aftermarket PE wire wheels for dragsters yet?  I've been out of the loop for a while. Thanks

[Ace-Garageguy]

Edited December 1, 2020 by Ace-Garageguy

[curt raitz]

I currently sell them on ebay (search TruWire wheels) and thru Ted's Modeling Marketplace.https://www.tedsmodelingmarketplace.com

I have 4 sizes, 3 in 1/25th with .710", .074" and .079" OD. and one in 1/16th  with a 1.10" OD. They come with O-Ring tires, but are designed to use the tires in the kit. The slot Car guys like the O-Rings.

Bernards photo is of one of the first I made...I've gotten much better.

My only guarantee is that they are much better than the "kit-supplied" wheels.

check'em out...

[Jantrix]

I've seen Curt's wheels at GSL. They are top notch.

Edited December 1, 2020 by Jantrix

[Bainford]

3 hours ago, curt raitz said:

They come with O-Ring tires, but are designed to use the tires in the kit.

check'em out...

Thanks for this statement. I have seen them on Ted's Marketplace and they look great, but didn't want to lay down bucks without knowing if kit tires would fit. Cheers.

[peteski]

For years RMCoM (Replicas and  Miniatures Co. of Maryland) used to have several sizes available.  They had photoetched spokes, resin hub, rims, and tires.  It also included a resin jig for shaping the spokes.

This is one of the sets I assembled and sent  out to be "chromed".

 

Unfortunately those are out of production, but you might find them on eBay, or maybe some members here have a spare set.

[Nacho Z]

Here is a picture of one of Curt’s wheels vs. the kit wheel from the AMT Dragula kit.

Here it is on the model.

[Misha]

I’ll chime in to say Curt’s wheels are top notch. Picked up a couple of different sizes at the DSC in Phoenix from him, still trying to drcide which build to use them on. John “Nacho Z” your Dragula looks great with them.

Cheers Misha

[Straightliner59]

13 hours ago, curt raitz said:

I currently sell them on ebay (search TruWire wheels) and thru Ted's Modeling Marketplace.https://www.tedsmodelingmarketplace.com

I have 4 sizes, 3 in 1/25th with .710", .074" and .079" OD. and one in 1/16th  with a 1.10" OD. They come with O-Ring tires, but are designed to use the tires in the kit. The slot Car guys like the O-Rings.

Bernards photo is of one of the first I made...I've gotten much better.

My only guarantee is that they are much better than the "kit-supplied" wheels.

check'em out...

If I didn't make my own, yours are what I would buy. Simply the best built aftermarket wires around. I have never liked photoetched wire wheels, because I hate flat spokes! Your TruWires are excellent!

[peteski]

13 hours ago, curt raitz said:

I currently sell them on ebay (search TruWire wheels) and thru Ted's Modeling Marketplace.https://www.tedsmodelingmarketplace.com

I have 4 sizes, 3 in 1/25th with .710", .074" and .079" OD. and one in 1/16th  with a 1.10" OD. They come with O-Ring tires, but are designed to use the tires in the kit. The slot Car guys like the O-Rings.

Bernards photo is of one of the first I made...I've gotten much better.

My only guarantee is that they are much better than the "kit-supplied" wheels.

check'em out...

Curt,

I went to Teds Marketplace website and only found 2 listings for 1:25 and 1:25 scale wheels.  One (in stock) is for 18" wheel, and the other listing gives a choice of 18" or 20" wheel, but neither is in stock.  Neither listing gives the width of the wheel. Too bad that those dimensions are not provided on Ted's site, so one would know which one to buy.

Here they are:
https://www.tedsmodelingmarketplace.com/dragster-wire-wheels-1-24/
https://www.tedsmodelingmarketplace.com/dragster-wire-wheels-1-25/
 

[curt raitz]

9 hours ago, peteski said:

Curt,

I went to Teds Marketplace website and only found 2 listings for 1:25 and 1:25 scale wheels.  One (in stock) is for 18" wheel, and the other listing gives a choice of 18" or 20" wheel, but neither is in stock.  Neither listing gives the width of the wheel. Too bad that those dimensions are not provided on Ted's site, so one would know which one to buy.

Here they are:
https://www.tedsmodelingmarketplace.com/dragster-wire-wheels-1-24/
https://www.tedsmodelingmarketplace.com/dragster-wire-wheels-1-25/
 

Looks like Ted needs to order more wheels.

All my 1/25th scale wheels are roughly 1/8" wide

I can sell these to you directly if you have a PayPal account. Just send me an email at ceraitz@gmail.com, tell me want you want and I will send a PayPal invoice.

Here's photos of the wheels in 1/25th scale:

hope to hear from you.

[Danno]

I'd buy those just for the photo on the label!   ?

 

??

 

[peteski]

Thanks for those better photos Curt.  Those show the wheels much clearer. While the nicely laced thin-wire spokes look very realistic, there is another feature that IMO greatly detracts from the realism: It is the shape of the rim.

If you look at the 1:1 wheels of this type, RMCoM resin wheels, and surprisingly even the kit's stock wheels, the rim has a stepped-U cross section.  Your rims seem to have flat sides, and more of a rectangular cross section.  To me that seemingly small inaccuracy makes huge difference in the wheel's appearance.

 

Roughly drawn cross section of the prototype wheel (left) and yours (right).

I'm wondering why you went through great lengths to lace the wheels with thin wire, but didn't machine the rims to have a more prototypical shape?  Is this a limitation of your machining process? I would love to purchase few sets of your wheels, but the shape of their rims is holding me back.

[curt raitz]

15 hours ago, peteski said:

Thanks for those better photos Curt.  Those show the wheels much clearer. While the nicely laced thin-wire spokes look very realistic, there is another feature that IMO greatly detracts from the realism: It is the shape of the rim.

If you look at the 1:1 wheels of this type, RMCoM resin wheels, and surprisingly even the kit's stock wheels, the rim has a stepped-U cross section.  Your rims seem to have flat sides, and more of a rectangular cross section.  To me that seemingly small inaccuracy makes huge difference in the wheel's appearance.

 

Roughly drawn cross section of the prototype wheel (left) and yours (right).

I'm wondering why you went through great lengths to lace the wheels with thin wire, but didn't machine the rims to have a more prototypical shape?  Is this a limitation of your machining process? I would love to purchase few sets of your wheels, but the shape of their rims is holding me back.

I agree on the the shape of the rims. It's due to my limitations as a machinist. I've tried to step them, but it isn't pretty and very time consuming.

 

[peteski]

Thanks for the explanation Curt.  And as other's hinted: great job on the packaging art (and the name)!

Edited December 3, 2020 by peteski

[curt raitz]

On 12/3/2020 at 3:20 PM, peteski said:

Thanks for the explanation Curt.  And as other's hinted: great job on the packaging art (and the name)!

As my skills increase, I will try and do the rims right. When that happens I'll be happy to send you a set for your critique.

[noname]

Thanks guys for your response.  Curt's wheels look great.  Flat spokes (PE) are not super realistic.  The kit wheels are not even a possibility to me. I've thought about using guitar strings before.

[peteski]

3 hours ago, curt raitz said:

As my skills increase, I will try and do the rims right. When that happens I'll be happy to send you a set for your critique.

Thanks Curt!  I'm still planning on getting a set of the current ones - I just have to dig out the kit to see what size I need.

 

3 hours ago, noname said:

I've thought about using guitar strings before.

If you do make sure to use stainless steel strings (if they exist), or stainless steel wire.  You don't want to have your model spokes to rust after few years.   Rust is a problem, especially in humid climates.

[curt raitz]

On 12/5/2020 at 1:35 PM, peteski said:

Thanks Curt!  I'm still planning on getting a set of the current ones - I just have to dig out the kit to see what size I need.

 

If you do make sure to use stainless steel strings (if they exist), or stainless steel wire.  You don't want to have your model spokes to rust after few years.   Rust is a problem, especially in humid climates.

I use stainless wire for the spokes.

[Mr. Potvin-Head the 72nd]

Hey Curt, what lathe/machine you using, I have the information you might need in order to machine that stepped-tire-grabber-thingy* prototypical down in scale as my pal is an amazing machinist of 40+ years. I asked him what he would do and he's currently machining me a set of spokes and magnesium rims as we speak and said he'd pass you his witchcraft on it asap, even a video to help you. Just give me a lil time bud. I gotcha sir!

"A**, gass or grass. I'm taken, I don't smoke but that '55 Gasser sure looks sweet..." - Dirty Mike 

 

[Straightliner59]

I recently purchased a set for my Junior Fueler. I liked the ones I'd made, but one of them began to come apart. I always thought these looked best of the aftermarket wheels, so...

[curt raitz]

11 hours ago, Mr. Potvin-Head the 72nd said:

Hey Curt, what lathe/machine you using, I have the information you might need in order to machine that stepped-tire-grabber-thingy* prototypical down in scale as my pal is an amazing machinist of 40+ years. I asked him what he would do and he's currently machining me a set of spokes and magnesium rims as we speak and said he'd pass you his witchcraft on it asap, even a video to help you. Just give me a lil time bud. I gotcha sir!

"A**, gass or grass. I'm taken, I don't smoke but that '55 Gasser sure looks sweet..." - Dirty Mike 

 

Alas, I found a machine shop in my hometown and they machine my rims for me. a Big-Big time saver, plus every rim is consistent.

[peteski]

That's a good news. Will the new rims have more accurate cross-section profile (like I mentioned in my earlier post), or just straight beveled, like what's shown in the recent photos from Daniel?

[curt raitz]

I went with the straight bevel as in Daniels photographs. I went to a lot nostalgia drag races and almost all the the rims had a straight bevel.

[Mr. Potvin-Head the 72nd]

That is tittys n beer cool brother! Hell I bet you're sitting pretty right now with news like that. I'm good with anything but round, which in either of my hobbies is definitely some insight in God's sadistic humor at play. But seriously I'm glad to hear and Ill definitely be buying some sets from you in the very near future as I have at least 5 Gassers and one early era Altered Deuce (suicide front end style) and imma need them badly. Cheers Sir!