It is very import to understand how to prepare the best looking resin tires for your car. I personally prefer resin tires over any gummy rubbery kit tires which are usually the wrong color and a challenge to put any kind of decal on. Another problem with rubbery kit tires is they rot over time.
With Classic Racing Resins, black resin tires they are way more friendly to use. They give you the opportunity to make your tires look real. I cast my resin tires using black resin, the reason for this is to make it easier for the model builder to prepare the tire surface. With black resin, especially on treaded tires, is you don’t necessarily have to worry about getting the paint to flow into the tread and cover the surface like on a normal tan colored resin. With Classic Racing Resin black resin tires, they don’t even need primer because they are already black.
Its important to follow these following steps to create realistic looking tires….
Step 1
Sand outside of tires with file. Then use a Scotch-Brite Scour Pad to scuff up the surface so the paint can adhere to the surface without flaking off over time. Then wash with Dawn dish washing soap to decrease any possible contaminant on the surface of the resin tire, its important to do this on any plastic or resin model.
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Step 2
Use Tamiya TS-82 Black Rubber lacquer Spray paint, which you can find on HERE Amazon or Ebay. Its IMPORTANT to use Tamiya TS-82 Black Rubber, because unlike traditional Flat Black paint, this has that hue of actual rubber. For so many years modelers have used regular flat black, and that is just not realistic at all!
Tamiya TS-82 Black Rubber AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
Step 3
Purchase Indycals tire decals. Indycals has a huge selection of tire decals in all scales, years, and brands. Cut out the decals and use Walters Solvaset Decal solution, I’ve personally found this solutions works the best on Indycals.
Walthers Solvaset Decal Solution Available on AMAZON
Step 4
After the decals have dried I recommend using Tamiya X-19 SMOKE washed down with Tamiya Acrylic X-20A thinner. Apply that with a brush over the whites of the tires logos to create a more realistic weathered look, because I have never seen perfectly clean white letter tires on a race car, they always have a bit of dirtiness to them. I feel if the white letters on the tires are too white and perfect then it looks “toyish” and fake an not real.
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Step 5
Use Tamiya Flat clear and give the tires a good spray down to make sure that dull rubber sheen is persevered for the most realistic looking tires you can make for a model car.
Tamiya TS-80 Flat Clear AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
