Painting tread wear on resin tires for realism?

[atomicholiday]

You know how you can sand the treads on the rubber/vinyl tires supplied in most kits to get a used effect?

How can you get that same effect on resin tires?  Sanding would just remove paint.

I’ve got a set I’m getting ready to finish that I plan to base coat with Tamiya rubber black, but what’s the next step to make them look like they’ve seen a few miles?

[64SS350]

I would think you could lay a little extra paint ,and still lightly sand. Or mist a coat of gray, or dry brush??

[rattle can man]

I would sand the tread to lose the "new" look. Then follow 64SS350's advice of dry brush or mist coat.

If you want to experiment, how about a light coat of gray on a smooth surface and roll the tire through it (think of the tire as a paint roller tr and the surface as the paint tray)? A really light coat, so it only gets on the smooth surface and leaves black between the tread blocks. I haven't tried it, but if it works, it might save some time with the airbrush set-up and cleaning or dry brushing and any additional detailing with a black wash.

[Bainford]

About seven posts down in this thread, JayMacminn suggests using Tamiya Rubber Black for the tires, then applies Tamiya Oil Stain weathering pastels to the tread area. I haven't tried this myself, just passing along info, but his results look good.

 

[DJMar]

8 minutes ago, Bainford said:

About seven posts down in this thread, JayMacminn suggests using Tamiya Rubber Black for the tires, then applies Tamiya Oil Stain weathering pastels to the tread area. I haven't tried this myself, just passing along info, but his results look good.

Beat me to it! But yes, this seems like a really good solution. I have some Iceman tires I will (eventually) try it on.

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, rattle can man said:

I would sand the tread to lose the "new" look. Then follow 64SS350's advice of dry brush or mist coat.

If you want to experiment, how about a light coat of gray on a smooth surface and roll the tire through it (think of the tire as a paint roller tr and the surface as the paint tray)? A really light coat, so it only gets on the smooth surface and leaves black between the tread blocks. I haven't tried it, but if it works, it might save some time with the airbrush set-up and cleaning or dry brushing and any additional detailing with a black wash.

I think this is close to the hot setup.

The worn tread area of a tire is usually visibly lighter than the sidewall.

This is the best photo I could find in 30 seconds of intensive searching, but it illustrates the point nicely.

Edited August 26, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[yh70]

i use a lot of resin tires. i use Pastel's to get the worn - weathered look..

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

I use these powders to add some wear/dirt/highlighting to add a bit of realism in certain situations... -RRR

https://micromark.com/products/doc-obriens-weathering-powders-set-of-12-colors?variant=43891097927851&frt=14&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrL77046ViAMVnlN_AB2kYi4SEAQYASABEgLs8PD_BwE 

Edited August 27, 2024 by Rocking Rodney Rat

[atomicholiday]

I like the idea of the Tamiya pastels.  Looks like a good place to start experimenting.
Thank you, gents!?

[atomicholiday]

Just ordered this from Amazon.  Seems like a pretty decent deal for six different sets.

https://www.amazon.com/TAMIYA-Weathering-Master-6-Sets-Japan/dp/B00M66FM86/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1X01TMDP573DS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LieL-YkdqzsPcmqgABXTGIIkcpbm9WHTW4KivZACl69zdJRAczRaiN21zdv4Bu5zNvlqpRUJHAhH0yR9CBy2lhbAjVCOqYOko9KUlKj0sSUNatafK_roytW4A8envYPXc89BZl_dR2MDXJAUrgjRcFBTCrq88IaPA38jOGNnZqhzvDlRm90Gnnn7QaCQoZtsJ9ahfhm0ZE54ses3rKDdwQ.4wjOWBvcNCnnE50HWyTyYhHTIcGerRYBsr280nvDcOg&dib_tag=se&keywords=tamiya+weathering+powder+set&qid=1724776586&sprefix=%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-1