messy60 Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 Okey dokey. I'm trying to figure out what the best color to paint the tires on landing gear is. If i just paint them semi gloss black, they look like they've just been armor-alled. If I paint them gray, then they look, well, grey, too gray. Obviously tires are going to look different depending on where they have been. A plane that was based in N. Africa, is probably going to look a little different than a plane based in Finland. What is the best way to paint and weather my tires? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
madmike Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 Normally I use Aeromaster Tyre Gray for tyres. However if you are doing a specific theatre plane, I would paint tyre black (gunze still makes a pot of this colour) dry brush with a lightened shade over the wearing surface and then weather according to the conditions of the theatre of ops... eg a desert fighter could be lightly sprayed with Tamiya flat earth or Tamiya buff a pacific or european based aircraft could be sprayed or brushed with a mixture of tamiya dark earth and dark brown(or any earth colour really) to represent mud. Remember though that ground crews would remove mud pretty quickly as the risk was that the main gear could foul as it either retracted or lowered, so if you went down the mud path, the mud would need to be sparingly applied.. Remember the old maxim that less is more and if it looks fine then do not continue! I generally just do the tyres in tyre gray and lightly drybrush with a lightened shade, that works fine for me. HTH :unsure: MikeJ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Arseny Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 Okey dokey. I'm trying to figure out what the best color to paint the tires on landing gear is. If i just paint them semi gloss black, they look like they've just been armor-alled. If I paint them gray, then they look, well, grey, too gray. Obviously tires are going to look different depending on where they have been. A plane that was based in N. Africa, is probably going to look a little different than a plane based in Finland. What is the best way to paint and weather my tires? Well, I guess first of all you should come to idea of the weather and climat you want you plane to perform. Then try to find maximum written and photo materials on the subject. I normally prefer to use pastels to weather tyres after they receive a matt coat. Hope this is somekind of advice :unsure: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
madmike Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 I use Aeromaster Tyre Black, it has been discontinued now but Gunze make a similar product. It is a very dark gray or off black, giving the tyre a weathered gray look. Worth it and they look good, the tyres that is. I generally base in tyre black and then dry brush a lighter shade to impart more wear, which looks good on the diamond tread of USAAF et al tyres. If need be, I spray a dusting of tamiya buff or flat earth over the tyre to grime it up a bit, but as said earlier, pastels work equally well if not better! :unsure: MikeJ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
madmike Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 oh dear I just answered this one earlier time for a beer ;) :unsure: sorry about that :D MikeJ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jbrundt Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 I've used Floquil's 'grimy black' before with good success. you may want to give that a try....... hth Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grey Ghost 531 Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 Use your references. In this case, look at tires all around you. Generally, the sidewall rubber appears a very dark gray with maybe a hint of brownish unless the tires are very new. The tread where it contacts pavement will be very close to black because any dirt will wear off. The grooves of the tread will be tinted with whatever the material of the environment provides; mud, dust... The sidewalls of modern jets won't have any dirt or dust on them but those of aircraft operating from dirt strips will, but not so much as a truck or jeep. Snow will cake in the tread and recesses of wheels where it can but should probably be limited to diorama use. I have noticed that the part of a tire where it is widest, where the bulge of the sidewall is greatest between the rim and the tread is often cleaner than the sidewall near the tread or rim. Sort of a clean band all around the circumference. Don't know if that's cause by rubbing or maybe dirt gets removed by the flexing of the rubber... In my book, rule #1 of weathering is "Less is More". Be careful to not over-do it unless you have a picture of an incredibly weathered aircraft you want to use as inspiration. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steven Lu Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 I use Gunze Sangyo H77 Tire Black. Happy Modelling. Steven Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul T Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 Poly scale Grimy black # 505204 ,works a treat ! Paul T Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ricardo Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 A slightly lightened black should do that. Ricardo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ricardo Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 A slightly lightened black should do that. Ricardo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bytepilot Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 I use a spray can of Matt Black, and it's worked pretty well for me. I first mask off the hubs using Scotch tape, and spray away. Later while removing the mask, if some of the paint comes off because of tearing :wacko: , then I prepare a 80-20 Black acrylic-water wash, and gently dab to the gap b/w rim and tyre. This draws off the paint around the rim, and so I get perfectly masked hubs and tyres. : :wacko: Cheers, BP. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
neu Posted September 30, 2003 Share Posted September 30, 2003 I would prefer this: Mix some black + gunship gray + raw umber. Make a dark mixture, almost black. Use it with flat+some semigloss finish for the base (it should be 10-15% gloss). After that you can mix that colors again, but with more brown, and lighter. It would go to the "rolling surface" (sorry I don't tknow the exact term for that in english). This time you should make a flat finish to this area. Hope this helps! Greetings, neu Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Robert S Posted September 30, 2003 Share Posted September 30, 2003 I tend to use either Testors Interior Black or Pollys Scale Black (whichever is closer on the bench at the time) They are both pretty much a very dark grey and look better (to me anyway) then staight flat black HTH Robert :wacko: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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