Aircraft Tire Tutorial

**Gil** · #1 07-03-2008, 03:27 AM

Aircraft Tire Tutorial

This is a tutorial for making paper model aircraft tires using open petal style geometry. Use of 0.5 mm cardboard stock is used to construct realistic looking model tires.

Begin by gluing the cutout template to the 0.5 mm cardboard with Duco or similar cement. The cardboard should be soaked with thinned Duco or similar cement prior to applying the cutout template. Leave tabs on both ends, it gives you something to hold while cutting it out.

Make sure that the cut extends all the way into the crevice. Use a sharp thin blade to insure that it extends all the way.

Use a suitable diameter rod to shape the petals into a "C" section. Wet the cement soaked cardboard with a small amount of solvent to relax it so that it is easier to form. Allow it to dry after forming.

Apply a narrow strip of low tack masking tape to the "spine" of the group of formed "C" sections.

Form the "C" section group into a circular shape. This is somewhat difficult to do. Go slow and work methodically to obtain the shape. Apply a drop of CA to the spine where the two ends meet.

A dapple block and a roll-up form are used to force the petals together. Wooden dapple blocks will work just as well as brass or steel ones. Apply PVA glue around the inside of the tire petals with a small paint brush.

Start by forming in the smallest hemisphere hole that the tire blank will into. Use the roll-up form to gently force the tire into the hemisphere rocking it back and forth as the tire is rotated in the dapple cup.

Flip the tire over and form the opposite side. Move the forming process from the smallest hemisphere to successively larger diameters as the petals close together on the tire. The roughed out tire blank should appear somewhat similar to that pictured below.

Coat the outside petals and the inside with PVA using a paint brush. Let the part dry thoroughly.

I use a rubber sanding arbor to mount the tire blank to a mandrel for sanding. Be careful to not burst the seams of the tire petal joints through over tightening. Sand at low speed using successively finer grit sandpaper or nail files till the surface is smooth. You may want to give it a coat of thinned nitrate dope or lacquer sanding sealer to improve the sandability. The sanded tire blank should look similar to that shown below.

Brush a coat or two of flat black tempera poster paint. It's the closest look to rubber that I've found.

This method will take a bit of practice to gain proficiency. But once mastered it's not that difficult.

That's it!

+Gil

**Leif Ohlsson** · #2 07-03-2008, 04:08 AM

The method, and the tools used, are as beautiful as the result!

Dapple block, roll-up forms - quite an impressive addition to the modeller's arsenal.

How do we go about getting these tutorials into the article section, I wonder. Seems increasingly desirable!

Leif

**Lex** · #3 07-03-2008, 04:50 AM

To me this is unheard of! Ingenious idea Gil!

**dansls1** · #4 07-03-2008, 05:39 AM

Very nice!

As far as tire color, I picked up some Polly S 'Engine Black' and it gives a decent 'flat' tire black.

**pahorace** · #5 07-03-2008, 08:37 AM

Hi Gil,
Ok!
You have explained very well your idea.
It is also much easier than I thought.
Thanks!

Orazio

**rickstef** · #6 07-03-2008, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leif Ohlsson

How do we go about getting these tutorials into the article section, I wonder. Seems increasingly desirable!

Leif

Leif,

The Articles section is our version of a wiki, so anyone can go in and add the information

if you have ever edited Wikipedia, this will be the same

Rick

**outersketcher** · #7 07-03-2008, 12:44 PM

....whoa.... this is cool.

My biggest thought through reading your thread was... "What on earth is a dapping block?"

Found some great info online.

Here's one source of all kinds of dapping blocks and punchs...
http://www.progresstool.com/cat_dapping_blocks.cfm

Testors makes a color called "rubber" that I like to use to paint my tires. It's a very dark brown actually, almost black, but not quite. Very realistic.

**birder** · #8 07-03-2008, 12:45 PM

Gil this is amazing. Simple and elegant.

**SCEtoAUX** · #9 07-03-2008, 01:53 PM

That is a good technique to have around for shaping aircraft tires.

Harbor Freight has what they call a doming block and punch set for $29.99 USD.
Harbor Freight Doming Block

**pahorace** · #10 07-03-2008, 02:16 PM

Hi Gil,
I have done, for me, a tutorial pdf!
This is the first file with two pages, everything is six pages.
Can I put two other files, if I have permission.

Orazio