ORIGINAL: bolar
ORIGINAL: Gremlin Castle
How long does it take for the deterioration to affect the air holding capabilities of the tires?
I have been inflating the same set since 1996 and am yet to see the problems in using lung power.
I use the ends of Robart hinge points as plugs rather than twisting the inflation tubes as they suggest. The tires do get punctured by sand burrs but a touch of thin ca on the puncture seems to do the trick. If you fly from wet grass or get the wooden hubs wet they will expand and clamp down on the axles until they dry out.
They are fun to use and have a unique appearence but they are one step ahead of the wagon wheel as far as technology goes.
I have a few Bee's and use the Trexlers. The Robart hinges work well for the mains, but for the tail wheel I have to fill it a few times a day to keep it inflated. My wheels are old and starting to crack, I guess I should have put some Armor-All on them at some time
. As far as durability, I have flown off grass, and pavement and they are still rolling, no problems.
I like the look of the Trexlers but I would rather have a foam wheel with the same look. I have been thinking of getting some foam wheels and gluing them together then sanding them down to look like Trexlers. I might do this when my Trexlers finally give in.
Bolar, did you ever try glueing foam wheels together and sanding them? What glue would work well on this type of foam.
I think putting a foam insert in Trexlers would defeat the function of them being able to absorb rough fields.
I got some of the round polyethylene foam filler from the hardware store to try to make a lite wheel with the balloon tire look, but it's not easy to glue together and needs a special glue. I thot about trying to melt the ends together, but need to make some kind of flat plat to mount on a soldering gun, so you can melt the ends when you slide the heated plate out.
I wonder why Trexler doens't update thier wheels with better rubber and a lite plastic hub. Trexlers would be the perfect rough field wheel if they had puncture proof rubber. They have the look and functionality. They will bounce of you over inflate them. The trick is to get a larger size wheel and inflate it less. I saw where someone took them off the rim, peeled them open and narrowed the center and glued it back together. He made a new plastic styrene tube hub, which is lighter and works better. I wonder if you peeled them open and put a thin layer of that rubber coating you use for dipping tool handles would work. Just make sure you don't get the inflation tube clogged. You might be able to permanantly seal with rubber cement after you inflate them, but you would have to make sure they won't get leaks first.