Tips for painting wheels/hubs?

[dneid]

Hey, All,
ok, a couple of questions for you all wrt wheels and hubs painting:
1) What color or mixes do you use for tires?
2) Any tips for painting those one piece wheel and hubs? I usually paint the hub and then try to gain a steady hand and hand brush the tire. Any other ideas?

Thanks,
Dale

 

[stona]

I can only speak for myself.
1) Grey. I usually mix an unscientific part of white with my black paint. I don't want the tyres on all my aircraft to be the same.I sometimes make something like a tailwheel slightly different to the mainwheels too.
2)I paint the hub first. I then run a thinned version of the tyre colour around the rim with a fine long brush. It will usually run around the edge by a sort of capillary action. Then paint the rest of the tyre.
Cheers
Steve

 

[meatloaf109]

Thats how I do it also. If you can stick the wheel to a toothpick or something through the hub, it helps too. You rotate the tyre and hold the brush steady, old AFV trick.

 

[Crimea_River]

I do it like Paul and my tires are never pure black, just varying tones of dark grays. If I'm lucky enough to get a hub that matches the diameter of my punches, I may cut a circular mask and spray the tire.

 

[Airframes]

Yep, same as the guys. As for the colour of the tyres, this depends on the era, type of aircraft, and the local conditions at the time/place depicted by the model.
Like the guys, I use a varied mix of black, white and also add a touch of brown (Dark Earth is normally the nearest tin to hand!).
The latter colour provides that 'rubber look', and is added, if required, until it 'looks right'. However, as mentioned, this can depend on the factors above, as certain types of aircraft, in certain periods, may have had tyres which looked more grey, or more black, depending on the type of rubber used, real or synthetic.
Once the wheel/tyre combination is painted, any dirt/mud/wet/snow/dust/ice/sand etc etc is added if or as required.

 

[Wayne Little]

All sounds familiar....

 

[stona]

However, as mentioned, this can depend on the factors above, as certain types of aircraft, in certain periods, may have had tyres which looked more grey, or more black, depending on the type of rubber used, real or synthetic.

Absolutely. I understand that some WW1 era aircraft (I think German) had tyres which were a pale pink colour!

Cheers

Steve

 

[Airframes]

They were the ones flown by Herman, before he put the weight on - matched the pink boots he wore later ..... with a pale blue uniform.

 

[Rogi]

I usually paint it black, then use either oils or a mix of pastel and watered down hues to weather the tire. I usually don't add too much grey or whichever other colors to the tire in the original painting unless shes going to be weathered a tad.

First the black then the silver or whatever the other color would be.

 

[destrozas]

I use as a base for foreign tires, Gunze H77 black tires and tread the Humbrol 112 on these as the ground or whatever is not just represent a day of heavy rain, a day it has rained recently, if land, grassland, asphalt or concrete

 

[fubar57]

My color of choice is RLM66 using a fine brush and steady hand to go around the rim. Then I paint the rest of the tire.

Geo

 

[dneid]

Hey, Guys,
Thanks for all the answers. Looks like it is time to mix some paint. Now that the decals are in, I should be finishing the Gentile P-51B the next few days with the Dora on hold for that.
Dale