# making silifoam tires



## joegri

thought i,d throw this one at ya. get some foam blanks from slade brown and a chunk of axel material. then chuck that axel in the dremmel. i put a lil glue on the rim to keeper the foams in place.next get you some different grit sand paper and start sanding down the foams till you get the size yer lookin for. this set is kinda large like .490 give or take. these will used on a future scratch build cuz they need to be a bit bigger than what i normally run.as you grind,em down i go back and check,em with the caliper. next is the easiest part. just rub in some of the silicone and spin the dremmel for a sec. you,ll see the excess fly off...first coat done! i set the axel in a drilled hole to dry for a few hours then repeat the coating process again. for me 2 coats is fine but you could add more coats if you like. for the second coat i dangle the rim/axel set-up from a magnet to get the silicone to even out the layer. i also this morning peeled off some beat up silifoams and recoated them to see how this works. at 10.00 a pair i can recoat/reuse em for many more laps! also round here i like the permitex flowable windshield stuff. can be gotten in just about any store for next to nothing! i have made tires before and turns out these go really good on my trak. i encourage you to try this you,ll be quite surprise how nice the work!


----------



## TeamMadMarsupial

Glad you brought up this topic. I had been thinking of asking if anybody tried this and what success they had??

I tried this last year with very limited success. I also used the flowable silicone, but I tried to dip the entire wheel using toothpicks in the axle hole. 

Did you cut the silicone with anything? Also, did I read right, you just rubbed a little silicone on the sponge? Wow, no wonder mine got a little thick.

My next attempt was going to involve thinning the silicone or trying to keep it just slightly heated to see if either of those would help.

I have a few dozen of these tire rim sets that I would love to re use!


----------



## joegri

*just a dab i,ll do ya*

marsupial for me i just take some sili on my finger n thumb and just kinda rub it on then hit the switch jus for a second. you,ll see a bunch come flyin off. go ahead and get some on ya! i just 2nd coated this mornins set and hanging by the magnet now drying. what i,m getting at is this stuff will sag some so thats why i let,em dry in 2 different directions. go n get after those worn out sets and post a pic...we love pics!:thumbsup:


----------



## TeamMadMarsupial

Got an early 3am start tomorrow for the Black Friday shoppers. I'll heat up the workshop and give it a try tomorrow evening.

One last question....what sorta speed did you run the dremel?

Getit on ya speed, or get it on the ceiling speed?

I'll let you know my results.


----------



## blubyu

You could also use your fav color Solo cup and cover the tire before you spin it up.


----------



## eastside johnny

blubyu said:


> You could also use your fav color Solo cup and cover the tire before you spin it up.



or an empty paper towel/toilet paper roll..........


----------



## joegri

marsupial i jus run the dremmel on slower speed. and it,s cool to see blubyu too! i remember you made and posted some pics of the sili,s you make! very good if i remember correctly? i prefer red solo cups... thats a great idea.:wave:


----------



## 15807brett

What's a good glue for foam to rim and is there another silicone people had luck with.


----------



## Boosted-Z71

I will throw my .02 worth in on making your own silifoams. 

I have a modified Hudy tire truer that I use to make any size you need and they are perfectly round after grinding. I have had very good luck with the permatex brand flowable silicone, I have had some of the material become less flow-able after the tube has been opened, in between tire sets, but you can thin it with a couple drops of lacquer thinner if needed. 

I have used Dow Corning with good results, its white, I prefer clear. 

An issue I had with a high HP car, is grinding / tearing the silicone off while racing, It will roll off like little pebbles on the track. I played around with adding small amounts of silicone adhesive to the flowable silicone and doing at least 3 layers but no more than 5. That is where I saw the best results. 

As for gluing the donut to the rim, I use any contact style cement, our local dollar general has a Duro brand that seems to work pretty well & is $2.00 per tube, which will glue 70+ tires 

I also apply the silicone and then sling it off with the dremel tool, it takes just a little trial & error to put the right amount on & then the correct RPM & time on the dremel tool to get what you want, lighter coats, but fully covered including edges, after spinning seem to work the best for me. I have tried, running it on wet glass to smooth the silicone but spinning it in the cup works better for me. Also on the first layer I press the silicone into the sponge really well, again make sure to cover the edges.

I have also played with different donut foam compounds and for the most part settled on 2 different materials, softer for slower cars, stiffer for the magnet modifieds, either get the same amount of silicone, usually about a .004-.006 layer when its all said and done. 

Sure you can buy good tires, but with a little patience & Practice you can make exactly what you need, for a bargain. I have made several sets for t-jets & indy cars where a special size is needed, either for looks or racing needs. 

Boosted


----------



## joegri

very well said boosted ya hit it right on the head. i,m gonna go ahead n repair some of the burnt out pairs and get mo miles out of ,em. great to see ya on the board boosted what ya buildin these days? and i hope you retired that gran national... alls i saw was tail lights!!:thumbsup:


----------



## Boosted-Z71

Hey Joe, been really busy with life & work, As for slots the time I have had I have been working on the dyno a bit along with making a 4 lane intersection from Aurora track for a 4 lane figure eight. The intersection turned out great, have everything ready to mount to a board, then onto the table.

The GN, has mostly been on the lift, It has demolished a few inlines, mainly just waiting for the right race, Ha ha.

Boosted


----------



## slotking

1st, I have no experience with this process.
but I did stay at a holiday inn!!

I heard the same thing from 2 guys that sold sili/foam tires.
both have said that they thin their silicone so that the 1st layer can partially soak into the sponge to give the silicone grip to the sponge


----------



## Boosted-Z71

Thanks for confirming that SlotKing, I found out by trial and error, cant tell you how many sets of tires I spun the silicone off of. 

It really helps to press the first thin coat of the silicone into the rubber, as much as you can.

Boosted


----------



## Hornet

Only downside to Laquer Thinner,is getting it to mix with the flowable silicone.
I used to mount a tire and use it in my Dremel on low speed to mix the 2.
If you thin the first coat till it's like water,it helps it absorb into the tire,but Boosted's idea of squeezing it in,is really good too:thumbsup:.
Helps if cure them with heat too,they seem to last longer.
I used a hairdyer and an old cardboard box to create a drying room for them after they were coated.
160F to 180F on the cure,sure speeded up the process,and seemed to make the coating less prone to pebbling on high horsepower cars
Rick


----------



## jobobvideo

don't know if this would help, but guys wrapping fishing rods use a low speed motor to turn the rods so the coating on the rod wrapping dries evenly...maybe modify a BBQ rotisserie motor...


----------



## joegri

wow it,s funny you mentioned that jobob i have wrapped 10 or more surfcasting rods in the past and i was lookin at my drying rig that would work perfectly. its made from a bbq rotisserie motor. the only thing that is stopping me is how to get a chuck to work on the shaft. humm may have to work on that. this process would make the silicone "lay out" very nice and make a fine tire! :thumbsup:all you guys have added some really cool insight to this topic.


----------



## oldfellow

How about trying this. Use your barbecue rotisserie, mount 20 or 30 tires and rims to axles, coat them all and than use magnets to attach them all to rotisserie. This would probably work best if you cook bacon on the barbie first, because everything is better with bacon.


----------



## slotking

> because everything is better with bacon.


lets not Joke about bacon!!
I find bacon to be a very serious matter!!

I am kind of like the dog in the bacon bits commercial


----------



## slotking

ps

one reason I love breakfast at golden coral!!
all the bacon i can eat!

Then i go race slot cars (keeping it on topic)


----------



## rdm95

I read somewhere to spin the tires on an ice cube to smooth the silicone.. 

2¢


----------



## LDThomas

Pliobond is the adhesive of choice by those who make these things for the masses.


----------



## brownie374

Ever try super tires ?


----------



## Hornet

That doesn't appear to be what the thread is about Brownie.
i'm pretty sure JoeG knows about Nick's SuperTires
Got anything to add about re-building tires,i think that's more the direction of the thread:thumbsup:


----------



## brownie374

Glad you can talk for Joe,its just that the recent improvements in slip on tires makes one wonder why all the trouble making silly foams.


----------



## rdm95

brownie374 said:


> Glad you can talk for Joe,its just that the recent improvements in slip on tires makes one wonder why all the trouble making silly foams.


Some prefer the satisfaction of doing things themselves, even if its not the easiest or cheapest way.. nothing wrong with that, is there?


----------



## slotking

I love super tires
I have been using them on my cars to compete with sili/foam tires.

That being said.

1>I do run into tracks where the super tires have little traction. on those tracks you way better off running sili/foams.

2>in general the black super tires seem to work best, and even so, my slottech sili/foams provide better lap times. 

But I am racing for fun, so I am only racing with super tires on(unless the track is really bad), if I win with super tires on my cars sweet.


----------



## Hornet

rdm95 said:


> Some prefer the satisfaction of doing things themselves, even if its not the easiest or cheapest way.. nothing wrong with that, is there?


:thumbsup::thumbsup:.

Sorry Brownie,but lets keep it on track.

Why don't you start a thread asking who's tried SuperTires instead,that way you don't de-rail this one.

BTW:i only run SuperTires


----------



## brownie374

And people wonder why there a less and less posts on this board ,I apologize for being such a pest.


----------



## rdm95

brownie374 said:


> And people wonder why there a less and less posts onI this board ,I apologize for being such a pest.


It was a legitimate question brother, and I dont think yr wrong in asking it..


----------



## Hornet

Maybe it was a legimate question,but it looked like an attempt to de-rail the post.:wave:

Why didn't you ask the question in a seperate thread?

Have you got anything to add to the thread,or are you just gonna whine and snivel about being picked on

If it'll make you feel better,i'll start a thread for you asking who uses SuperTires:wave:


----------



## joegri

i started this thread just to see how and if anybody could repair the wornout silifoams. and was glad to see all of yer replies. round here its all about getting the chassis to stick and turn the fastest lap and be predictable/consistant every time around. i did dig around the cave lastnite n found my bbq motor and was lookin to see what type of jig/rig i would have to make for drying the foams. i dont mind at all questions bout have i tried this brand or that style. its all part of the hobby and we all need a place to bounce stuff off of. i dont know bout you guys but, i wrench on slotcars to get away from me and the everyday hassels...kinda like dreamland in my basement! just enjoy the hobby... now wheres that rd easy button? lol.


----------



## slotking

joegri

get good at it and it may become an income source for you.

That's how others got into the tire making business.

they started of repairing old tires


----------



## brownie374

Hornet said:


> Maybe it was a legimate question,but it looked like an attempt to de-rail the post.:wave:
> 
> Why didn't you ask the question in a seperate thread?
> 
> Have you got anything to add to the thread,or are you just gonna whine and snivel about being picked on
> 
> If it'll make you feel better,i'll start a thread for you asking who uses SuperTires:wave:


The only one whining and sniveling is you I was simply stating facts.


----------



## slotking

time to stop now.

no point in going for a tit for tat to have the last word.

lets just keep it on subject PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TY


----------



## Hornet

Good point Mike,i agree.:thumbsup:


----------



## Gerome

I just want to say Merry Christmas to all!

Hope nobody is offended.


----------



## usdra

Hornet said:


> Only downside to Laquer Thinner,is getting it to mix with the flowable silicone.
> I used to mount a tire and use it in my Dremel on low speed to mix the 2.
> If you thin the first coat till it's like water,it helps it absorb into the tire,but Boosted's idea of squeezing it in,is really good too:thumbsup:.
> Helps if cure them with heat too,they seem to last longer.
> I used a hairdyer and an old cardboard box to create a drying room for them after they were coated.
> 160F to 180F on the cure,sure speeded up the process,and seemed to make the coating less prone to pebbling on high horsepower cars
> Rick


I use odorless mineral spirits to thin the silicone for the first coat. Smells better than lacquer thinner


----------



## Hornet

LOL,yea but there's no giggling :thumbsup:.

I was always gonna look for a better median to thin the silicone,just never got around to it.
I had access to cheap/free Laquer Thinner so that's basically why i used it,

Mineral Spirits are probably a better thinning agent.

I haven't done tires in years but if anybody is doing them,and you try both mixing agents,let us know how it pans out.
Rick


----------



## TeamMadMarsupial

So, after reading through all the tips and suggestions on doiung this, I picked up another tube of the Permatex 81730 Flowable Silicone to try re treading the old silifoam tires I have had stored in a box for some years.

With the K.I.S.S. theory of manufacturing in mind I tried the simple method of lightly rubbing a little silicone into or onto the old sponge tires. I just press fitted each wheel on a tooth-pick and proceeded. My initial attempt to then put it in a dremel and slowly turn it met with less than stellar results, meaning I still don't know where that wheel and tire landed??

After that, I simply rubbed in a wee bit of silicone, slowly turned it by hand a few times and inserted the other end of the whole shebang into a piece of foam to dry.

I'll say about 80% of this first attempt came out pretty good. In fact I have been using them to race the past few events with good results, winning our last two T-Jet features running my "Possum Hollow Re-Treads," Think I'll start calling them "Possum Paws"?????

Now heres the weird part, when doing these tires I got one of those, "Oh what the HE**" thoughts. I had a pair of the stock silver tires that AW put on their red X-Traction chassis just laying there collecting dust. So I picked them up and proceeded to put a coat of silicone on them too. Heres where it gets weird, I won our AFX Non-Mag feature using these tires this past weekend. 

Next time I make up some more sili-foams, I'm gonna coat a couple more pair of stock tires and see if it was just a fluke or if there is someting to it.

So thanks for the advice guys, this is gonna save me a ton of money!


----------



## Hornet

I used to coat slip-ons,:wave:.

If you haven't found this old post.
There's some of my old experiments here,including my slip-on coating experiences.
Just bare in mind,my experiments are a good dozen years old now,but not much has changed it seems like

http://ho-tips.net/showthread.php?tid=562


----------



## joegri

team mad marsupial i,m glad to hear of yer good results. i have experienced much the same here at ghetto speed.seems the ones i recoated are better than fresh out of the bag tires. one of my fav pan cars just threw off the original coating from the factory(prolly wizard type) now i find myself jazzed to do the retread treatment but, i,ts gonna have to wait a lil while cuz it,s just too cold to go into the cave.plus there are alot of other projects that need attention first.


----------



## slotking

> Next time I make up some more sili-foams, I'm gonna coat a couple more pair of stock tires and see if it was just a fluke or if there is someting to it.


that why the greenbrier challenge does not allow coating the stock tires.

Also some folks coat their skinny slip on silicone tires


----------



## GoodwrenchIntim

Here are some re-coats I did today. I have made my own silly foams for a few years now. I use the permtex flowable silicone. First coat i massage into the rubber then add a couple coats (after each dry) to get proper size. I have found my re-coats last longer than the originals


----------



## slotking

wow

looks real good


----------



## GoodwrenchIntim

Mike if you have some that need re-coated I'll do some for ya


----------

