1:35 U.S. M-24 Chaffee - Bronco

M24 Chaffee wheel masking set in 1:35 scale (Quickwheel)

This item is neither a kit nor a set of replacement wheels, but a sheet of shaped self-adhesive masks. It serves to keep the rubber tire band separated from the rim while spraying, so that the border between them is sharp all the way around. The masks match the wheels from the M24 Chaffee light tank kit by Bronco.

How the rim of a truck and of a combat vehicle differ

On cargo and off-road vehicles the wheel is usually simple: a rim, a tire with a pronounced tread pattern and a single circular border between them. The road wheel of a tracked vehicle is a different case — the rubber tire band is fitted onto a metal rim with lightening holes, the hub projects forward, and a narrow metal lip often runs between the rubber and the rim as well. A mask therefore copies not just one circle but holds the shape of the whole wheel, cutouts included, where the rim is meant to stay visible. It is precisely this difference that makes lining by hand so tedious on tracked equipment.

Procedure and tips

• Leave the wheels on the sprue until you have sprayed them — they are easier to hold and leave no fingerprints.
• Spray the base rubber shade and let it cure properly.
• Apply the mask exactly concentrically; any offset is spotted at once on the finished wheel.
• Lay the rim color on square to the surface, not at a slant under the edge of the mask.
• Once the mask is off, go over the border with a magnifier and level any small overruns with a fine brush.

Who the set is for

• Builders of American Second World War equipment in 1:35 scale.
• Modelers for whom lining wheels by hand takes the pleasure out of a build.
• Those who want the same result on the left and the right side of the running gear.

The package contains masks only. The kit, paints and thinners are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.