TOPIC:

Had new Group C rims lying around already, plus a non Tamiya set of foam tyres I got with one of the (now sold) C11s.
Double sided tape a Dutch forum member sent me has a perfect width for the front rims :



Don't think the tyres have the exact inner diameter...
That and the 'slick' sidewall having dried out a bit, makes them look crackly :



Put some paraffin on them (not the tread itself of course), even if it's just a cosmetic issue. They are in nice shape for the rest.
Just found out WD-40 is a good (cheap) alternative cleaner/gripper for foams so that's interesting news.
They are currently being treated.

Some repair and detailing done on the shell (and sticker removal)...
I think I'll keep the sparkly paint job for now even though I like the Marlboro colours best :





Used direct drive shells are much like boxers. They usually get their nose punched at some point.
As did this one. That and a combination of not so accurate wheel arch cutting added up to some flaws :



Any rips or cracks were reinforced with Frog tape :



Contemplating on how to improve further (I may just cut a bit extra and repaint later).

Reading up on foam tyre treatment (and truing), I realised these babies can be sanded.
So that would be a much better approach to smoothen the cracks in the side wall :



Not too shabby. Could do a bit more but as it's quite labour intensive I'll see if I can find a mechanised way with the drill tower.

Just if somebody else wonders,

Duck tape



Frog tape

very efficient!

Some provisional but efficient tyre truing going on here!
A Grasshopper steering knuckle, ridden of its plastic and a couple of washers :



To mount the wheel on :



And put it in the drill :



Then turn it on and keep a putty knife with sandpaper on top of it along the edge - result... pretty awesome!



Smells like a tropical island here now! Burned WD-40 drenched rubber, similar to coconut.

yeahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
Nice Edou. I remind that I paid a very expensive price for a foam treatment for my Trinity street spec. It destroyed the paint on my body and the tires were more sleepy than before..........

Like it!
If you got cunning, you could tape some sandpaper to the drill stand base, then just pull the lever to true the sidewalls.
Does the drill-head pivot on its pivot? - if so, you could fasten a block with sandpaper on its side to the base, then rotate the drill head to meet it, to true the tread

eddrick wrote:

If you got cunning, you could tape some sandpaper to the drill stand base, then just pull the lever to true the sidewalls.

Interesting idea! I could use a block of wood as well and put some sandpaper on that.
Working on a better setup than the Grasshopper axle. Gonna try with some 3mm threaded rod, a lock nut on each side and wider washers with a rubber ring glued to it, that'll protect the rim as well.
Same washers I use for supporting the front of the F40 shell.
Anyway, that'll make it easier to center the rim (I can prefasten it). Before I had to do that while it was on the drill already.

eddrick wrote:

Does the drill-head pivot on its pivot?

Cannot change the angle of the drill though...
Maybe a steady hand on another contraption could do the same.
A Hudy truer would be most awesome of course (I'll inform Santa).

Found another set of bashed rear wheels that will undergo the same treatment.
Plus a set of front rims - just a couple of front foams away from having a second pair of tyres to run.



Edit - did the rears as well. Messed up one side a bit (not sure what happened) so that needs some more work.
Not to bad though, I'm a nitpicker. Generally they look great.

eddrick wrote:

Like it!
If you got cunning...

Edou wrote:

Interesting idea! ...

I don't know, I'd be careful about adopting that sort of attitude, cunning is the sort of thing that can stay with you. Months or even years from now you could be walking down the street, minding you own business, and bam! You realise you're still cunning.

That's right: cunning lingers.