1:35 T-55A - Tamiya

1:35 T-55A wheel masking set (Quickwheel, for the Tamiya kit)

A sheet of masking templates for painting the road wheels of the T-55A tank in 1:35 scale. This is neither a kit nor a replacement part, but an accessory that marks out the rubber tire band and separates it from the rim. The cutouts are cut for the wheels from the Tamiya kit.

Masking when you paint from the inside out

A road wheel is easiest to paint working from the center out to the rim edge. The primer goes on the whole wheel first, then the color of the rim, the part that lies inside. Only once the rim has dried does the mask come, covering the inner area, and only at the very end is the dark tire band sprayed around the circumference. This direction has two advantages. First, you mask a smaller area than you would the other way round, because you are covering the center, not a ring. Second, the dark tire color covers better than the lighter rim color, so a small overrun inwards disappears under the following coat, whereas a light color pulled over dark rubber would show through and would have to be repaired. If you are building a vehicle whose rim is meant to be markedly lighter than the tire band, it pays to keep to this direction especially strictly. It is a good idea to unmask before you fit the wheels into the running gear.

Further tips

Remove the molding seams and degrease the surface before you apply the mask. Lay the paint on in several thin coats, because one generous coat will bleed under reliably. Once the masks are off, a light deposit of dust pigments blends the transition and hides small inaccuracies at the same time.

Who the set is for

• Builders of the T-55A tank in 1:35 scale
• Modelers who paint wheels with an airbrush
• Those who want a consistent look across the whole running gear
• Anyone for whom lining tire bands by hand takes up too much time

A painting accessory, not a kit. Paints and thinners are not included in the package.