Flyingfortress Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Is there a certain method to painting vinyl tires with acrylics? I slapped some paint on with a brush and when I tried to put the tire onto the rim,the paint flaked off. Did I not let the paint dry long enough (it was only an hour or so) or does some kind of prep work need to be done? TIA!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
B-17 guy Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 My opinion is that you cant make it stick, ever, especially if you have to stretch them to fit them to the hub. I would get resin wheels (if available) and be done with it. Or, try to paint them already on the hub so to not stretch the vinyl. What are you working on fort? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 I would say stretch them onto the rim before you paint them. Only thing that might help would be to perhaps clearcoat the tire with flat first before painting them, but I'm not entirely sure which flat will do the job (perhaps a lacquer). Scuffing the painted surface could also help as it provides more surface area for the paint to potentially lock in with. If you are trying to put white letters on them, you could always use liquid paper, which does have a little flex built in. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Old Blind Dog Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 I paint vinyl tires on model cars all the time, though it's probably a harder type of rubber than you find in a/c or armor kits. Certain types of acrylic paint are formulated to "flex" sufficiently with softer surfaces; Polly Scale is (was?) excellent in this regard, so was Accu-Flex (remember that brand? Thought not). An observation (and perhaps our resident paint maven, Triarus can confirm or correct me on this); paints with alcohol-based carriers (Tamiya, Gunze) seem to have far less "flex" to them than other types. cheers Old Blind Dog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phantom ordie Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 How about just lightly sanding them with 1000 or 1200 grit to take the shine off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phoenix 54 Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Pre-prep with a solution of PVA / 'White glue' / Elmers? (i'm a Brit!) Let dry, then finish with the paint of your choice. Above much loved by painters of Airfix figures (back in the day! ) Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Voltaire Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Make it easy with... vinyl paint! Won't crack, peel or chip and yes, flat black is available. Vinyl paint Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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