Casting rubber tires
 

Hello. I was wondering if any of you have cast your own tires (say for scale planes if you cannot find the right size and pattern of tires available). I don't have any questions/problems with the mold-making itself but I am stumped as to what to use for the rubber? Some sort of RTV? What do the r/c car manufacturers use for their tires?

I am also concerned about the wear properties of the tires once done. I'd like something that can have some life to it and take a fair amount of taxying and landings and take-offs of a heavy bird. Thanks.

RE: Casting rubber tires
 

Try the dental supply sources?

enjoy,

Jim

RE: Casting rubber tires
 

There has been some discussion of this in the RC Scale forum. You might search there.

Les

RE: Casting rubber tires
 

Les, I did search there but couldn't find anything. Perhaps I used the wrong keywords. :(

RE: Casting rubber tires
 

I know that Abufletcher did some experimenting and posted his results, but I don't remember the details.
You might try contacting him directly.

Les

RE: Casting rubber tires
 

Thanks Les. I'll try PM'ing him.

RE: Casting rubber tires
 

I was also wondering about casting tires. I was thinking that casting with one of the RTVs would be the way to go. I figured that wear would not be my biggest concern if I had a reusable mold. More of a concern would be making a constant thickness hollow tire with a reasonable weight and bounce.
Any tips would be appreciated.

Scott

RE: Casting rubber tires
 

Scott, I was thinking of having solid tires (easier to cast than trying to make them hollow). Also I think you'd almost have to use some sort or 2 part RTV to set (where air is not required) because if you use a mold where the air supply is closed off the thing might not want to cure.

RE: Casting rubber tires
 

You might want to try the forum on http://www.alumilite.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi

I was looking at a casting a rigid part, but remember some posts on rubber tires for model cars. I don't know if they were only for show...

RE: Casting rubber tires
 

Dear Meowy84:

The PIPE here once again...and what I've spoken of in the thread, here at RCU at http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_26...tm.htm#2693952 has MUCH more than just spoked WW I wire wheel RIMS mentioned...if you check pages 2 and 3 of the forum thread you'll find that I've mentioned the HOW TO MAKE WHEELS AND TIRES article in a successive pair of LONG ago AMA magazine issues, which was authored by one Harry Shoaf...and by checking the AMA Digital Archive, and using an "author" search for the word Shoaf, I FOUND the articles ANY AMA member-that's currently a member...can PRINT OUT for themselves from the February and March 1980 issues of Model Aviation...and that I've been sending out to people over the Internet, for quite some time now!

Even someone in MEXICO asked me for this article...they've got it now, too...and I just thought I'd mention WHERE Harry Shoaf's two-part article IS still viewable...and PRINTABLE...for ANY of us AMA members!

Hope this helps...

Yours Sincerely,

The PIPE! ;)

RE: Casting rubber tires
 

Here are the links to two different threads on tire making.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_21...tm.htm#3067971

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_19...tm.htm#1910499

RE: Casting rubber tires
 

Thanks guys, will do some research with the links you provided and will see what I can come up with. In the meantime if anyone else has any links or ideas, by all means fill me in. Remember, the main two things I'm struggling with/am unsure of is finding a rubber compound that has good wear qualities and also the curing aspect of the whole thing since I'll be casting my tires in one piece in a mould where the rubber won't have too much air to cure with.