# silicone tires



## sidejobjon (Jun 3, 2010)

I searched but i could not find, tread on making silicone tires. i remember a mold? Any body know how? Or know of link?
Thanks SJJ


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

http://www.outriggercanoe.com/mypics/2005_24.html

concept should be the same no matter the scale


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

http://www.oldweirdherald.com/scalestuff/onethreetwo/silicones/silicones.html

here is the search I used: there are few finds:



> making ho silicone "tire mold"


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## sidejobjon (Jun 3, 2010)

Always help on HT
Thanks SJJ


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## yellerstang (Feb 20, 2012)

*tires*

I too would like to see how tires are manufactured, not just home-brewed. 

I am looking to make a few silicone coated foam tires for my drag cars, thats not too hard and I did it before.

Molding a tire, however, is a different story.

Jess in Pa.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

jess, it could be as simple as laying some original tires on a baking sheet, spraying with PAM and pouring silicone rubber for resin casting or even urethane to make the mold. then pull all the originals out and pour silicone, like is available from Micromark.com, into the molds.
could be


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## yellerstang (Feb 20, 2012)

*tires*

Hi Al,

Yep, I am familiar with that process, I have made some resin bodies in the years past.

I am more interested in how someone makes quality, repeatable, close tolerance production tires. I have never seen a thread on that anywhere.

Jess


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

that's all in how the mold is made.

I have seen some that create a solid mold from different stuff, but based on what you have done in the past
some are machined.

the solid mold will use a release chem to easily remove the tire or other product.

I have not done it, but i have seen it done


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## tabcomary (Jun 2, 2010)

I make mine on a mill or lathe. If you machine the mold and mandrel out of Teflon, or other "slippery" engineering plastics, you don't need to use mold release. 

Unfortunately, if you machine your molds, it is difficult to create a tread pattern.


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

*I can Vouch for Tabcomary(Joe. C.)*



tabcomary said:


> I make mine on a mill or lathe. If you machine the mold and mandrel out of Teflon, or other "slippery" engineering plastics, you don't need to use mold release.
> 
> Unfortunately, if you machine your molds, it is difficult to create a tread pattern.


FWIW- The custom made silicone tires I've gotten from Tabcomary(Joe C.), are some of the finest and most PRECISE H.O. tires I've EVER SEEN ! I wish the other commercial tire makers would be as good as his...


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

you talking looks or handling or both??

I do not care about looks at all!
I want good handling!


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## tabcomary (Jun 2, 2010)

Ralph's words were very kind, but alas, I am just a "home-brew" tire maker. I expect to make 30 tires this week, all for home consumption. I do enjoy taking on the occasional challenge, like Ralph's oversize slicks, or the over-the-flange t-jet tires, or a replacement tire for my nephew's Mickey Mouse RC car, but I am just in it for the fun.

As the slotking said, there is much more to tires than just being round. I have only experimented with 5 or 6 tire compounds. I found one that I like, and that is what I have been using (Momentive, RTV11). The true pros are out there reinvesting their tire sales income on different compounds, looking for the best traction on each type of track, road surface and chassis. I admire their efforts on our behalf. 

My favorite tire mass production story is in one of the TycoPro history articles that are floating around the web. Tyco's White Boots, the first silicone tires that I ever saw, were made from molds machined into aluminum plates. There was no detail regarding center cores (mandrels), or mold release agent, but they did mention that the silicone compound was made by the German chemical company, Bayer. Fourty years later, the White Boots that I have are still going strong. That was some good stuff!!!


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

*Tabco Tires*



slotking said:


> you talking looks or handling or both??
> 
> I do not care about looks at all!
> I want good handling!


 Both ! Although "I" do care about looks- and I care about Joe building tires so precisely Round, that they require no truing. As for handling, well, Joe worked with my feedback to get the right compound for my type of racing, and I was glad to be a Beta tester for his X-tra Tall Tuffy tires....and also his superwide Hot Rod Tires.
PS to Joe: did ya ever get around to making any Pure Black(Grey) Superwide HotRods yet ?


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## tabcomary (Jun 2, 2010)

I forgot about those... I will get back to them next week!


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

*Cool !*



tabcomary said:


> I forgot about those... I will get back to them next week!


Thanks Joe :thumbsup:


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