Avoiding chemical reaction of tyres with plastic wheels

[chaves pah]

It is the second time I found that the tyre I did put on its wheel to see how it matched with when I first opened the kit box ( ESCI Porsche 934, and REVELL Jaguar XKSS), when I opened it again to start the building a few years later, a nasty chemical reaction did hapen, melting the plastic of the wheel, which remains soft for ever...

[Casey]

Someone mentioned a solution to this problem before, and I believe what they did was paint around the outside of the wheel where it contacts the tire. I think any type of paint which also works as a sealer would stop the reaction, so even a clear acrylic paint might be worth trying. The only problem is you won't know if it works until a few months or years later.

[Art Anderson]

Someone mentioned a solution to this problem before, and I believe what they did was paint around the outside of the wheel where it contacts the tire. I think any type of paint which also works as a sealer would stop the reaction, so even a clear acrylic paint might be worth trying. The only problem is you won't know if it works until a few months or years later.

The chemical in the particular PVC tires that is causing the styrene to melt will also do the same thing to almost every paint we modelers are likely to use (from sad personal experience!).

Two things that do work however: A thin layer of epoxy will put a barrier between tire and rim, just mix and spread a very thin layer on the rim where the tire will contact it, let cure completely, mount the tire. A second method would be to use either Bare Metal Foil or Aluminum foil with a metal foil adhesive. That nasty plasticizer won't penetrate or harm even thin foil.

Art

[Steven Zimmerman]

What am I doing right ?...i have been building for over 50 years, and I have never run into this.....'Z'

[chaves pah]

Well, thank you all three friends specially Art, as his method seems to be "the best solution" for now...I had been thinking for a while on using that teflon tape used on plumbing, but as it does not glue on the wheel, probably when puting the tyre it would sleep and uncover the plastic again...(would it glue to plastic with white glue?)

Steven, you are a lucky guy! Well, you probably make only american made kits, and probably tyre and kit materials do "combine" with each other; Till now with me it hapenned with ESCI (Italian made) and with REVELL (Germany)...

Thank you all for now

[Deathgoblin]

I've never had this problem with tires eating into plastic/clear parts. Thanks for the warning, though.

[Mike Kucaba]

Does anyone clean the tires as religiously as the plastic/resin bodies. I'm wondering if maybe soaking the tires in Super Clean or some cleaner would remove some foreign matter. As an aside,I have a metal foil tape I think I'll try as a test.

[Art Anderson]

What am I doing right ?...i have been building for over 50 years, and I have never run into this.....'Z'

Obviously, you never built any Revell kits out of the 1960's! The problem spurring this thread was called "Revell Tire Disease" way back in ancient times, the 1960's.

Art

[Edsel-Dan]

Yea, I believe that.

I have an Original 1962 issue 57 Chevy and the rims are shot due to the reaction!!

But, I also have AMT & MPC kits that have done that too

I too would think BMF or other form of metallic foil would be the best option.

Remember, Old Testor's enamil White would Never dry on the tire letters!

Paint would more likely speed up the reaction here.

[MikeMc]

Donn Yost found this problem on the current revell 48 ford's whitewalls BMF will work