View Full Version : Can You Shrink sili tire's?


copperhead71
04-25-2009, 09:43 AM
:wave:IS there(what is)the best way or fastest way to Slightly shrink OR exspand silicone tire's?

LDThomas
04-25-2009, 11:46 AM
You can shrink silicone tires by soaking them in Coleman lantern fuel. They will swell up when soaked and then shrink down to less than new after they have 'cured' at room temperature for a couple of days.

You can play with the time of soaking. A short soak of an hour or so will give a small change. A 2 hour soak will give a different change. Etc. Play around and have some fun!

Hornet
04-26-2009, 08:34 AM
Add a coat of silicone if you want them bigger:thumbsup:

GoodwrenchIntim
04-26-2009, 08:45 AM
You can shrink silicone tires by soaking them in Coleman lantern fuel. They will swell up when soaked and then shrink down to less than new after they have 'cured' at room temperature for a couple of days.

You can play with the time of soaking. A short soak of an hour or so will give a small change. A 2 hour soak will give a different change. Etc. Play around and have some fun!

Would this work on molding rubber as well???

copperhead71
04-29-2009, 10:45 AM
Thank's guy's!

Bill Hall
04-29-2009, 01:11 PM
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f30/modelmurdering/DSC04461.jpg

Remember that while tires are puffed up using the solvent trick, they can be made to fit rims that would ordinarily tear or distort them.

Shown above are some t-jet skinnys on a set of baby Ansens. They were puffed using MEK. While they were in a cooperative state I slipped them on to the correct sized truing mandrel. Once cured they were buzzed true and refit to the larger rim.

Looks like an old school "pie crust" skinny...sorta ;)