tires for all these wheels

[michael1969]

I, like most, have a lot of rims that are left from my builds. I need tires for them. Sooo...my idea is to mold them from their originals. I could use ideas on how to mold them and keep their shape. More specifically, the inner lips on some of them? I figure a two piece mold but am stumped on where the break should be. Also what would be closest to the material the manufacturers use?

[Casey]

I, like most, have a lot of rims that are left from my builds. I need tires for them. Sooo...my idea is to mold them from their originals. I could use ideas on how to mold them and keep their shape. More specifically, the inner lips on some of them? I figure a two piece mold but am stumped on where the break should be. Also what would be closest to the material the manufacturers use?

You could resin-cast copies of them, but it's a lot of work and semi-expensive ($50+) just to buy the materials and there's you time...and so on.

Unless they're rare or hard to find tires, I suggest you list your wants in the Wanted section and I'm sure someone will have them. I usually have a bunch of extra tires in my parts stash and I'm sure a lot of other folks do too. Posting a pic of the wheels you plan to use or listing the kit(s) in which the wheels and tires you want orignally were included in would be very helpful, too.

[Guest Davkin]

When I used to cast tires I used Smooth-on Reoflex urethane rubber;

http://www.smooth-on.com/Urethane-Rubber-a...1143/index.html

It's natural color is kinda brownish so you need to add some black dye. IMO the urethane rubber it nicer and more realistic than the kit vinyl tires. I was casting the tires solid. I'd fill the originals with Scupley clay before molding them. The parting line is a big issue, it's hard to get a clean parting line in a place that wouldn't ruin detail. I usually made the parting line at the "corner" of the tread on one side, basically between the edge of the tire and where the tread detail starts. I used Dow HSII silicone rubber for my molds sourced from Alumilite. Like Casey says, this isn't a cheap, (or simple) proposition.). In fact, to insure bubble free results you need to cast the urethane under pressure, it's thick stuff.

David

[Mustang fan]

I have cast a few dozen tires and have learned a lot along the way. I use hard resin, it works well with plastic rims, all you need to fit them is sometimes trim the lip with a file, other than that they are perfectly usable. The benefit I find from using resin, as opposed to rubber, is that you can paint the tires the shade of black you want (I like to paint them a very dark gray, no tire is perfectly black). I n addition, it is very easy to file a "flat" on one side of the tread to simulate the "weight" of the car, this gives a very realistic look and lowers the stance by an inch or so.

But it is true that casting is not cheap, and it takes some effort and experience to yield acceptable results, especially without pressure equipment to get bubble-free castings like professional casters use. However I like to duplicate parts instead of nuying kits just to raid the tires, and I cast a lot of parts with clear resin to substitute the ugly chromed headlight and backup lights especially (also taillights, using clear resin with added red dye).

I have invested $100 for resin casting my parts, and have produced about 10 tire sets, 20 rim sets and a few dozen other parts (rearview mirrors, bumpers...), so all in all I think it is lees expensive than buying the corresponding number of kits.