German Aircraft Tire Experiment

[Gil]

Hi Leif,

I tried using the roll-up molds on both sides and had varying degrees of success. Part of the process is to wet the cardboard with PVA followed by working the petals together by pressing one side at a time into a steel dapple block (which is just a steel block with varying size hemispheres milled out of it). I use the roll-up mold to press the tire into the dapple block trying to keep it from sticking to the PVA covered tire surface. It works better than my explanation so you'll just have to take my word for it till I can put the process into pictures and a tutorial. Essentially you're right though. The major breakthrough was preforming the curved petals before bending them into the circular tire.

As a Piper Cub fan you'll also notice that the tire produced by this method is, surprise!, a balloon tire suitable for just such an application. Gee, imagine that!...,

+Gil

[pahorace]

Hi Gil,
your work is excellent and does not fold.
Thanks for the idea illuminating.

But I do not know if I will be able to find a brass tube and bending it in circular shape, especially at that small diameter.
I believe that you have proper tools for this job.

For me, this is my little problem to solve.
I believe that solve it this way:
1 - take a wire, possibly copper wire, diameter of about 0.5 to 0.8 mm;
2 - this wire wrapped around a drill bit of adequate diameter and will create a sort of spring;
3 - with this spring I will be easier to create a torus of adequate diameter for the formation of the tyre;

and then follow your procedure.

Orazio

[Gil]

Originally Posted by pahorace

But I do not know if I will be able to find a brass tube and bending it in circular shape, especially at that small diameter.
I believe that you have proper tools for this job.

For me, this is my little problem to solve.
I believe that solve it this way:
1 - take a wire, possibly copper wire, diameter of about 0.5 to 0.8 mm;
2 - this wire wrapped around a drill bit of adequate diameter and will create a sort of spring;
3 - with this spring I will be easier to create a torus of adequate diameter for the formation of the tyre;

and then follow your procedure.

Orazio

Hi Orazio,

The brass tube is NOT bent into a circle (too difficult!). It is only used to form the petals into a "C" shape. If you wait a little longer, I"ll post the method in a tutorial making it clear.
Your idea of rolling the wire into a spring isn't such a bad idea and may work even better. As usual the way to a solution follows many paths but water always find the path of least resistance...,

+Gil

[pahorace]

Gil,
Oops! Then I had misunderstood!
It is now clearer!
However await completion your tutorial.

Orazio

[ARMORMAN]

Interesting......

[Gil]

First attempt at putting a tread on (fifth attempt at cutting out the pattern). It needs more work (as usual).

The effect is nice but pattern isn't quite right.


+Gil

[pahorace]

Hi Gil,
We see that other!
I'm ready for the PDF Tutorial! :D
- However it seems to me that you have added above the tyre, another "open petal style geometry" but with petals shortened!-
Not so?

Orazio

[Gil]

Hi Orazio,

The answer is "sort of"..., Each tread was cut out separately. The seams blended together at the apex of the tire which makes it look like a continuous piece instead. That's part of the "needs work" statement...,

+Gil

[Gil]

This tire was nearly tossed out due to a thin spot after sanding. Decided to try something that I've been thinking about in the way of diamond style treads. Need to tone down the gloss a bit but it didn't turn out too bad...,

I've continued to perfect the forming technique and have a few changes that improves and simplifies the building process...,

+Gil

[pahorace]

Gil,
really nice, judging by what I see, this style diamond, is very convincing too!
What, in my personal opinion, I do not find convincing is the brilliance of tyres.
For my part, I think, that the tyres must submit a color rather mat.

Orazio