Post by jimrichards on Jan 3, 2015 1:14:57 GMT -5
I wrote an article for Car Modeler, (November 1992,issue #16,page 13) about sandblasting model car tires. I have been using this technique since 1975. I spent most of my life as a custom car/MC painter, and I discovered this technique by accident. While I was trying out a new sandblast gun I inadvertently sprayed some of the rubber weatherstrip. I immediately ran from my shop to my office and grabbed some model car tires, and sandblasted them. The look is great and an added benefit is it seems to neutralize that plasticizer (spl?) effect the Rubber/vinyl has on the plastic rims. I have models over thirty years old that the tires haven't eaten the rims. ( I also learned to sandblast glass (by accident, haha) at the same time that happened, and have done hundreds of glass etchings since). I have blasted hundreds of model tires this way. (I used to do a lot for my friends who didn't have the equipment).
At first I used one of those sandblast siphon type cup guns. Where you put the sand in the cup, much like a paint gun. After that gun died I bought the type of gun that has the hose and you blast out of a bucket of sand. This actually worked better, because you wouldn't have to stop and refill the cup, if you were doing several or big scale tires. I used to use Silica sand, and I wore a face shield and welding gloves, and a dust mask. It was a nice clean white sand, but our Gov. has all but banned it in most places. Now days I use the finest grit sand I can get at the lumber store, but I have to sift it through a strainer to get the bigger chunks out because it will clog the gun. A 100 pound bag is about $8.00 and it will last a lifetime if you recycle it. I use a brand new large plastic trash can, I place the tire on the end of about a two foot long dowel rod and blast inside the can, still wearing the appropriate safety gear. Since I am not removing any paint or rust, like you would blasting car parts, the sand is clean and reusable. I just dump it back in the 5 gallon bucket I blast out of.
After I sandblast the tires I wash them thoroughly with soap and water, and you have a finish that will last forever. I will usually do several sets at a time since it is messy and I do it outside, of course. If you get finger oils on them during assembly, you just wash them off again.
You want to have your tires trimmed to fit, because if you trim them after blasting, the trimmed area will be shiny again.
I have used an air eraser, but one jar is about enough to do about 1 and 1/2 1/25 scale tires, so you have to refill the bottle constantly. And the abrasive is kind of pricey, so you want to make sure you have a catch container to recycle it. It also breaks down more than the sand but that'a not a big problem because you end up with a little more product. I personally think it is even more toxic than the silica sand was, so always use a good respirator and work in a well ventilated area.
I have never had good luck with dull coating them, I just did a set of slicks for my young American Dragster and while I mounted the rims they cracked. So I blasted off the paint, some people have good luck doing it that way and that's great.
Another thing I will sandblast is engine blocks, it gives a nice cast look.
As far as air pressure I just turn it up enough to make the gun spray steady, you don't need a lot, but you want to make sure you have a good water trap.
Sorry to be so long winded, I hope this info helps some, because I have learned a lot from all the great modelers on this site. And enjoy looking at all your models.
This is the equipment I use: Bucket with fine sand, a trash can with a plastic liner so I can recover unused sand, sandblast gun, and tire mounted on the end of a dowel rod
A stock unblasted tire on the left and a sandblasted tire on the right
The photo looks like it removes the detail, but it doesn't
I am going to get one of these sandblast booths from Harbor Freight soon. You load the sand in the bottom of the booth, and it come with the gun, then just hook up an air hose and a shop vac for exhausting the dust. They are about $200
Then I won't have to bundle up like this anymore, haha
Hope you were able to make sense of all this dribble
Thanks for reading this
Your Friend
Jim
At first I used one of those sandblast siphon type cup guns. Where you put the sand in the cup, much like a paint gun. After that gun died I bought the type of gun that has the hose and you blast out of a bucket of sand. This actually worked better, because you wouldn't have to stop and refill the cup, if you were doing several or big scale tires. I used to use Silica sand, and I wore a face shield and welding gloves, and a dust mask. It was a nice clean white sand, but our Gov. has all but banned it in most places. Now days I use the finest grit sand I can get at the lumber store, but I have to sift it through a strainer to get the bigger chunks out because it will clog the gun. A 100 pound bag is about $8.00 and it will last a lifetime if you recycle it. I use a brand new large plastic trash can, I place the tire on the end of about a two foot long dowel rod and blast inside the can, still wearing the appropriate safety gear. Since I am not removing any paint or rust, like you would blasting car parts, the sand is clean and reusable. I just dump it back in the 5 gallon bucket I blast out of.
After I sandblast the tires I wash them thoroughly with soap and water, and you have a finish that will last forever. I will usually do several sets at a time since it is messy and I do it outside, of course. If you get finger oils on them during assembly, you just wash them off again.
You want to have your tires trimmed to fit, because if you trim them after blasting, the trimmed area will be shiny again.
I have used an air eraser, but one jar is about enough to do about 1 and 1/2 1/25 scale tires, so you have to refill the bottle constantly. And the abrasive is kind of pricey, so you want to make sure you have a catch container to recycle it. It also breaks down more than the sand but that'a not a big problem because you end up with a little more product. I personally think it is even more toxic than the silica sand was, so always use a good respirator and work in a well ventilated area.
I have never had good luck with dull coating them, I just did a set of slicks for my young American Dragster and while I mounted the rims they cracked. So I blasted off the paint, some people have good luck doing it that way and that's great.
Another thing I will sandblast is engine blocks, it gives a nice cast look.
As far as air pressure I just turn it up enough to make the gun spray steady, you don't need a lot, but you want to make sure you have a good water trap.
Sorry to be so long winded, I hope this info helps some, because I have learned a lot from all the great modelers on this site. And enjoy looking at all your models.
This is the equipment I use: Bucket with fine sand, a trash can with a plastic liner so I can recover unused sand, sandblast gun, and tire mounted on the end of a dowel rod
A stock unblasted tire on the left and a sandblasted tire on the right
The photo looks like it removes the detail, but it doesn't
I am going to get one of these sandblast booths from Harbor Freight soon. You load the sand in the bottom of the booth, and it come with the gun, then just hook up an air hose and a shop vac for exhausting the dust. They are about $200
Then I won't have to bundle up like this anymore, haha
Hope you were able to make sense of all this dribble
Thanks for reading this
Your Friend
Jim
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