I have no experience whatsoever with these things.
How do you guys go about weathering vinyl wheels? Will they take paint? If yes, what kind (enamel, acryl)?
I am looking for that dusty look. How best to achieve that, wash, pastels? Pastel wash?

Thanks and Cheers,

CDT Reimund Manneck
U.S. Army ROTC

Off course they will Bombshell.
Once upon a time i made for my "famo"s front wheels.
I directly apllied a wash with Humbrol enamels, and it worked. It wasn't different at all than the other wheels.

HTH, cheers

Weathering powders work wonders!!!

I use Model Masters paint and real dirt.

Bombshell,

First thing I do is sand the sidewalls with fine sand paper or sanding sticks. This gives the tires that used, aged rubber look of real tires. Then you can do like the others said above. I prefer to do like SFC StJohn and use pastels (weathering powders) to dirty-up my tires, for three reasons: chalk pastels will not react with the vinyl, if you don't like the look you can wash them off, and they look like real dirt!

Jeff

Wheels... my method.
Spray flat enamel black from a hobby primer tin.
Mask hub with some blue tack .... stuff teachers use in school to hang pictures on the wall. Just shape around the hub rim.
Spray hub along with rest of vehicle. weather the hub.
Remove the blue tack.
Wash in and around treads with some earth/dust colour pastels and isoproponyol (rubbing alcohol).
Then place wheel in dremel to spin.
With my finger add black pastels to the peaks of the treads and tyre sides.
Finished!
Ive used this same method for 2 years now and its easy, and give consistently good results for a nicely weathered wheel. Might give you some ideas!
Below is a picture of the results.

8)

Plasticbattle,

I presume you seal your lovely tyre effect with a future floor polish/matt finish after all is said and done?

Thanks

NO! This is the final finish. I just blow on them so any loose stuff gets blown away. You can dampen the pastels slightly with isoproponyol ... it wont come off unless you handle it.