I really got sick of unbranded kit tires and tried something

[Lownslow]

It was something thats been nagging me for weeks since i started working on the Porsche but now i dont have to worry about it since i now can detail the sidewalls with my laser engraver. the process was insanely quick about 2 for the pass shown, the downsides are Fiber Lasers are stupid expensive, its incredibly difficult to center, it wont be black, and not all kit tires will react the same way to being shot at with lasers.

[Bainford]

Well now, that's very interesting. Looks much better than a featureless sidewall.

I hate undetailed sidewalls, too. A lot. I hoard branded tires when I find them, and will buy built-ups and even older issues of kits just to get the branded tires. I am surprised and somewhat disappointed that the model manufactures haven't come up with some sort of creative solution to this shortcoming. Perhaps less common brands with cheaper licensing or brands no longer in production. Even fictitious brand names would be better than nothing. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

That, sir, is really really cool.

[stavanzer]

Yeah, That is awesome!

[FoMoCo66]

Holy cow 🐄! That is amazing, what engraver did you use?

[Bugatti Fan]

You can blame the tyre and car company bean counters for a number of things affecting scale models these days.

Die casts might be another source for branded tyres on knocked about toys etc.

[Lownslow]

14 hours ago, Bainford said:

Well now, that's very interesting. Looks much better than a featureless sidewall.

I hate undetailed sidewalls, too. A lot. I hoard branded tires when I find them, and will buy built-ups and even older issues of kits just to get the branded tires. I am surprised and somewhat disappointed that the model manufactures haven't come up with some sort of creative solution to this shortcoming. Perhaps less common brands with cheaper licensing or brands no longer in production. Even fictitious brand names would be better than nothing. 

Thats the plan is to come up with a tire brand for myself, i dont see myself marketing this as a side gig for myself

[Perspect Scale Modelworks]

That's really cool. It appears upside-down though. 

[SpeedAndViolence]

Yeah.... That is seriously cool... 

[Lownslow]

On 9/12/2025 at 3:33 PM, FoMoCo66 said:

Holy cow 🐄! That is amazing, what engraver did you use?

40w Chinese fiber laser

[Lownslow]

Made an actual attempt on a set these are the tires on the Revell Porsche Targa it brought life to the tires 

[bobthehobbyguy]

An absolutely brilliant idea. 

[Monty]

On 9/13/2025 at 6:48 PM, Lownslow said:

40w Chinese fiber laser

Can you elaborate a little more on the product(s) and processes used to achieve this?  I know a number of people (non-board members) who'd be elated to be able to do this kind of thing.  

[stavanzer]

Yeah. And pay for it, too.

[Lownslow]

5 hours ago, Monty said:

Can you elaborate a little more on the product(s) and processes used to achieve this?  I know a number of people (non-board members) who'd be elated to be able to do this kind of thing.  

Theres a few products on the market now the most user friendly is Gweike, the process was simple low power/fast speed i cant say exactly because no two tires engrave the same like soft foose tires dont engrave well at all even at the lowest settings.

 

this is the lowest cost machine i found that should do the job

https://www.gweikecloud.com/products/g2-fiber-laser-marking-machine?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20510607347&gbraid=0AAAAABdYeuo0gD57OuLpMAvIO3IY3zyvv&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuKnGBhD5ARIsAD19RsZwCSzwxr87tzBNPor0HBxjgi1dZVGZhNbco75QhXfgqpdOVVSnpygaAl8OEALw_wcB

[peteski]

I love it. On most kit tires where the sidewall detail is present, the lettering protrudes from the sidewall much more than it should. It is way out of scale.  These laser-etched examples look perfect. Not overstated at all (since they are actually depressed into the sidewall).

 

Actually I looked at the Continental tires on my car and the lettering is not raised  but debossed, just like what is done with the laser etching, so for some brands or types of tire this would actually be accurate.

[BKF]

That's pretty cool. Is there any smell when engraving the tires?

[vincen47]

2 hours ago, peteski said:

I love it. On most kit tires where the sidewall detail is present, the lettering protrudes from the sidewall much more than it should. It is way out of scale.  These laser-etched examples look perfect. Not overstated at all (since they are actually depressed into the sidewall).

 

Actually I looked at the Continental tires on my car and the lettering is not raised  but debossed, just like what is done with the laser etching, so for some brands or types of tire this would actually be accurate.

Exactly. When they are branded, the lettering is often raised out of scale, and/or raised when it should be recessed.

[Lownslow]

On 9/17/2025 at 6:24 AM, BKF said:

That's pretty cool. Is there any smell when engraving the tires?

Smoke and smell, even with a decent exhaust system. 

[Lownslow]

On 9/17/2025 at 5:21 AM, peteski said:

I love it. On most kit tires where the sidewall detail is present, the lettering protrudes from the sidewall much more than it should. It is way out of scale.  These laser-etched examples look perfect. Not overstated at all (since they are actually depressed into the sidewall).

 

Actually I looked at the Continental tires on my car and the lettering is not raised  but debossed, just like what is done with the laser etching, so for some brands or types of tire this would actually be accurate.

Yeah thats what i went for i wanted the letters to stay smooth like on my 1:1 tires and most of the sidewall is textured thats a lot harder to do on scale vinyl and rubber but i think i nailed the attempt on these. i wanna say i shaved roughly .0005 of the tires surface at the laser speed i set it at which for my machine was around 50000mms

 

[Deathgoblin]

These look great!    Good idea!

[peteski]

9 hours ago, Lownslow said:

Yeah thats what i went for i wanted the letters to stay smooth like on my 1:1 tires and most of the sidewall is textured thats a lot harder to do on scale vinyl and rubber but i think i nailed the attempt on these. i wanna say i shaved roughly .0005 of the tires surface at the laser speed i set it at which for my machine was around 50000mms

 

I don't have a laser  cutter/engraver but I'm always curious how things are done.  Did you create the digital artwork for engraving from scratch, or did you use some existing vector images for the logos?  How about all the other small lettering?
What graphic software did you use? Something that came with the laser unit or some other graphic program?

Also, did you mean 50,000 mm/sec?  That seems awfully fast.  That would be 50 m/sec or roughly 50 yards/sec.

[Lownslow]

5 hours ago, peteski said:

I don't have a laser  cutter/engraver but I'm always curious how things are done.  Did you create the digital artwork for engraving from scratch, or did you use some existing vector images for the logos?  How about all the other small lettering?
What graphic software did you use? Something that came with the laser unit or some other graphic program?

Also, did you mean 50,000 mm/sec?  That seems awfully fast.  That would be 50 m/sec or roughly 50 yards/sec.

its modified from the good year artwork then adjusted for scale, itll do small lettering if i slow it down but that also causes the material to burn or melt so i had to make due with middle of the road for now, All the artwork was done through the software i use which is Lightburn a third party laser program, most lasers come with their own software but i wanted something universal so i spent the 200+ to get it. 50k is fast but you have to keep in mind that with this style engraving, speed and power=heat so you have to really know your materials otherwise it will catch on fire, too fast you loose details, too slow it will catch fire or melt the material

[stavanzer]

Thanks for sharing those details.