Request for help on turning tire blanks 1/6th Indy Car

[tedk]

Hi – Just discovered this site; but I’ve been building models for 45 years (they just get bigger, and some actually get completed!). The 1/8th scale Ford GT humbles me – my skills are not in that league. But, one current project is a 1/12 scale tube frame Porsche 914 – bashed up from a Tamiya 935 – the body is almost ready for prime and I will post pics. The rest of the 100’s of parts are coming together, including a twin turbo V8.

The other project is a 1/6th scale Indy Car, circa 1976; while not specific, it looks like a Lightning, Vollstedt, or Parnelli. This era cracked 200 at Indy. Before the Cosworths started to dominate in 1978, the Offenhauser was the engine to beat (apart from the Ford-Foyt V8 on occasion). This project was inspired by the GMP diecast Offy turbo – that was about 30% of the car almost completed right there. The monocoque and body I have scratch built and are basically done; the wings are relatively easy, and I’ve collected most other parts. These cars were basically angular aluminum boxes, and at this scale it's close to working with the real thing so everything is quite do-able.

The big tires: a friend graciously machined some magnificent 6-spoke wheels for me out of aluminum, but he’s not around to ask him again to turn the tires. I need two blanks; one front and one rear; I already have the adhesive tire lettering in Goodyear font to apply to the sidewalls for raised lettering, and will cast them in blue/black/black resin .

Is there someone that can help lathe these blanks? The rears would be about 4.5 inches diameter and 2.5 inches wide (like a bagel!); the fronts are 4 and 3/16th diameter and 1 ¾ wide at the wheel. The wheel diameter is 2.5 inches. (I can provide the exact measurements and the sidewall profiles). These should be relatively simple, and I can pay a fair price, but I’ve just lost a lot of time trying to find some help - I don't have a lathe.

Any replies welcome, and I’ll post some pics. Thanks . . .

tk

[kmeaders@q.com]

I'm sorry I can't help you but I would love to see that Indy car. Can you post pictures of it? That might help draw more interest and I'm a race car freak and would enjoy your scratch built model. Good luck. Ken

[gbritnell]

tk,
I'm not quite sure what you need. Are you asking to have the tires turned up or have a 2 piece mold made so you can cast them?
George

[tedk]

Hi George -

Wow, that was quick. I just discovered this site yesterday.

I'm not making the molds, that would be done by the guy that shoots stuff in resin for me. The 'blanks' would be solid - kind of like big suspension bushings or donuts - then have the adhesive lettering added to get the raised white letter 'Good Year' (w/the winged foot logo). These blanks (one front, one rear) would then be replicated in solid resin - the guy who has done stuff for me before uses a blue/black/black resin that looks very convincing as a tire, even though it is rock solid. I would flat spot on side of each tire to get it to lie flat, and probably sand the road surface as well as dull the sheen on the sidewalls with kind of abrasive.

Maybe there are other ways to do this; this was the path I was trying to take. I could make 4 blanks, add the lettering, and paint them, but I don't think that would look convincing.

thanks, I'll try to get some picks to post.

Ted K.

[jfonticobal]

Hello TK. I can make you for free the 4 tires in black if you provide me the materials and the exact mesurements.

The material I always use for this job is a machinable nylon. In Mexico ( I live in Mexico) this material is named Nylamid. It is a machinable and solid nylon bar.

Here a picture of the last tires and wire wheels I made.

[tedk]

Estimado Javier,

Thanks for your reply. No puedo hablar Espanol muy bien, pero trabajo por una empresa Espana, y yo he trabajado en Mexico en proyectos de energia renovable y cambio climatico. Es un paise muy interesante y bonita (si un poquito pelagrosa in algunas partes; lo siento). Vivo en Virginia ahora.

Your idea on the machinable nylon is a great one; I have seen stuff like this and it can be quite similar to rubber; at least in appearance. How did you do the Pirelli lettering on the example photo? a decal ? The wish for raised sidewall lettering is what led me to thinking of adding adhesive lettering to a plastic blank, but maybe just a decal would work.

Please let me know how/where I can get this material, and maybe we can work something out. I think the shapes are pretty easy; the tire shape are similar to the '70's Tamiya F1 kits; just not quite as ballooned in shaped and slightly smaller in scale.

I really appreciate the responses; like I said I just discovered this site yesterday and am so impressed with what people are doing and the skills, materials, and technologies available - I feel like a primitive that has just been introduced to fire. Will try to get some pics up - the Indy car will measure out to 3 feet long when complete (and the 914 is a pretty hefty piece of plastic too).

thanks,

tk

[Rick]

Your projects sound interesting Ted. How about some pictures.

[jfonticobal]

Hello TK

You speak a very good spanish.

I made the tire lettering with a process named serigraph; a print made using a stencil process in which an image or design is superimposed on a very fine mesh screen and printing ink is squeegeed onto the printing surface through the area of the screen that is not covered by the stencil. If you made this process two or three times over the same area, you will obtain the raised effect you want.

Regards,

Javier

[tedk]

Hi Javier,

Thanks very much for your offer to turn these tires (and your ideas on lettering, too; I have a lot to learn, but this all seems do-able). I'd like to take you up on your offer.

The basic dimensions are already in this thread; I will triple-check them and add some more data points or a schematic (i.e. the tire at the rim is obviously the same as the width of the rim; it bulges outward and then back inwards, and the actual tire surface is slightly narrower than the width of the rim. I have some final sketches/profiles at home.

The next question is how to best get the stock material to you, how much you need, etc. I looked on the web at the nylon material (you're right, it's a Mexican name as most of the site hits were in Spanish!) I think it's commonly used in suspension bushings for race cars, among other things. Or, if you have it/know where you can get it locally, it might be simpler to cover your costs directly.

Let me know how it would work best for you; I can give you an email so we can follow up off-forum.

Thanks; this project was on the shelf for a while as it was tough to finalize the suspension dimensions without actually having the tires on the wheels. Pics coming this weekend hopefully.

Many thanks!

Ted K.

[jfonticobal]

Please send me a Private message. I think I can help you.

[tedk]

Hi Javier,

I sent you a private message with my email address (or at least I think I did - maybe there is something about the system I don't understand.

I appreciate your offer; let's get in touch so we can figure out how to get materials to you. thanks. tk

[jfonticobal]

I am sorry, my mistake.

I have a few Nylamid. I can´t charge you any money, just send me the wheels you have because I will need them; for me is neccesary to check the exact widith and diameter. I will amke for you one front tire and one rear tire. You can make silicone moulds with this tires.

I will send you by PM my address.

[tedk]

Javier,

That would be excellent - I already have the vinyl adhesive lettering in the Goodyear font and did a test by putting several of the letters on a big luggage wheel (some kind of hard rubber material). I put a layer of primer on it, which filled in some of the edges of the lettering and also left a very very faint texture on the sidewall - it really looks like raised lettering and I think it will mold well .

Look forward to hearing from you.

ted