Another white wall method

[Lownslow]

I know mostly everyone is pretty much set in their ways with the circle template but i cant because i get picky about the black to white ratio on the tires. Too much whitewall is Kustom and not enough whitewall might as well be a decal"  Ideally i wouldve printed my own with a separate whitewall insert but i wanted to keep the build box stock. the Dspiae cutter isnt it but it helps when you want to make the tape holder.  I prefer the Olfa compas cutter because i use it as a caliper on the tire to measure how much whitewall i want on the tire since all tires vary in size. having both tools isnt neccessary you can do both with the Olfa.

[Khils]

THX!   Helpful tips/trick I'll need with current build.😎

[meechum68]

That is a nice clean white wall! 

I like that trick!!

 

[crazyjim]

What paint are you using for the sidewalls?

[peteski]

Looks like you still have to center the mask by-eye. That is usually the trickiest part of this process.

Is that Tamiya tape?  I didn't realize it was available that wide.

[Lownslow]

25 minutes ago, crazyjim said:

What paint are you using for the sidewalls?

Tamiya white primer, im switching to a white with a slight tint eventually so it looks like a driven tire. 

[Lownslow]

38 minutes ago, peteski said:

Looks like you still have to center the mask by-eye. That is usually the trickiest part of this process.

Is that Tamiya tape?  I didn't realize it was available that wide.

Yeah but having the tape not be all over the place helps these are more center than the original attempt, its similar to tamiya i got it from a local paint an body supply what you want to look for specifically is Crepe masking tape

Edited June 22 by Lownslow

[peteski]

Thanks for the info Frank.  I've seen Washi tape (in craft stores) which is also similar to Tamiya tape, but Crepe masking tape is a new one on me.

[Lownslow]

6 hours ago, peteski said:

Thanks for the info Frank.  I've seen Washi tape (in craft stores) which is also similar to Tamiya tape, but Crepe masking tape is a new one on me.

about the same but crepe is what tamiya is based on eventually im switching to Kapton tape because it has better adhesion and curve but does cost more

[Chris V]

For those seeking an even nicer compass cutter, I can strongly recommend DSPIAE's premium version!

[Mike 1017]

19 hours ago, Lownslow said:

I know mostly everyone is pretty much set in their ways with the circle template but i cant because i get picky about the black to white ratio on the tires. Too much whitewall is Kustom and not enough whitewall might as well be a decal"  Ideally i wouldve printed my own with a separate whitewall insert but i wanted to keep the build box stock. the Dspiae cutter isnt it but it helps when you want to make the tape holder.  I prefer the Olfa compas cutter because i use it as a caliper on the tire to measure how much whitewall i want on the tire since all tires vary in size. having both tools isnt neccessary you can do both with the Olfa.

What is the smallest size circle that can be cut with that cutter?

[peteski]

7 hours ago, Lownslow said:

about the same but crepe is what tamiya is based on eventually im switching to Kapton tape because it has better adhesion and curve but does cost more

Interesting.  I use Kapton tape (the transparent amber colored tape used in electronic industry) in my other hobby (model railroading), and while it is flexible and has a good adhesive it's not stretchy, so I'm not sure how well it will conform to the curvature of the tire's sidewall.  The Washi-type tape (like Tamiya or I guess Crepe) is capable of stretching/compressing to conform to curved surfaces.  I wonder if the Kapton tape you are mentioning is somehow different than the stuff I use.

[Rick L]

Kamoi tape 40mm

[Chris V]

4 hours ago, Mike 1017 said:

What is the smallest size circle that can be cut with that cutter?

<1mm

[Lownslow]

6 hours ago, Mike 1017 said:

What is the smallest size circle that can be cut with that cutter?

The red one gets pretty small

[Lownslow]

6 hours ago, peteski said:

Interesting.  I use Kapton tape (the transparent amber colored tape used in electronic industry) in my other hobby (model railroading), and while it is flexible and has a good adhesive it's not stretchy, so I'm not sure how well it will conform to the curvature of the tire's sidewall.  The Washi-type tape (like Tamiya or I guess Crepe) is capable of stretching/compressing to conform to curved surfaces.  I wonder if the Kapton tape you are mentioning is somehow different than the stuff I use.

the stuff i used had a bit of give to it. the way i mount this avoid forming the tape on the tire.

[Bugatti Fan]

The posted methods described are good solutions to the white wall painting dilemma of the model tyres have no raised sections to work up to.

If a model tyre has a raised section that can act as an edge to paint up to, so much the better. I have used a Posca Acrylic White fine line marker to draw the circle by the raised section that will be the outer edge of the white walled area. The fine line marker being rigid is much easier than a paint brush to use for this type of application. Once the circles have been drawn as a guide the rest of the white wall on each can be brush painted with artists acrylic titanium white.

[Mike 1017]

20 hours ago, Chris V said:

<1mm

Thank you 

[NOBLNG]

I just got these “leather” punches today. 1-25 mm in 1mm increments, then 5mm increments up to 55mm. They should be fine for masking tape and thin styrene sheet. I just recently hand painted some whitewalls because none of my existing punches were the right size. Sadly, the sizes are not marked on them.😕

Edited Friday at 09:51 PM by NOBLNG

[Mark W]

I like the idea of these leather punches. Didn’t know they existed.

[slusher]

I could use some small punches for decals..

[Perspect Scale Modelworks]

On 6/23/2025 at 8:41 AM, Mike 1017 said:

What is the smallest size circle that can be cut with that cutter?

The OLFA Compass Circle Cutter is 1 cm to 15 cm (10 mm to 150 mm).