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[titoneri]

My RTR Tug Southampton has 20 plus rubber tyres tied around the hull and after 5 years they have started to go a gooey tar substance like they are melting I have seen this before with sticky rubber feet. The model is always stored in a cool place so its not a heat thing.

Can anyone tell me why this is happening.

Can it be stopped or prevented.

Does any one sell similar scale better material tyres to replace them.

[derekwarner]

titoneri ... if the rubber material is degrading, I suspect the tyres are actually a natural rubber compound [rubber sap from rubber trees] which certainly does have a shelf life...unless it is mixed with synthetic additives during the component manufacturing stage

Modern technology & chemical nitrile elastomers [NBR] do not suffer the same fate.......depending on the scale of your vessel, a call to the local model/hobby shop should provide a source of model car or truck tyres as replacements ....Derek

[portside II]

if you get stuck ,try your local model center that sells model wagons (edie stobart type) and get a set of tyres for one of their trailers .
I think there are 12 in a bag for less than a fiver, thats what i used on my big tug Brakengarth.

the group are held together with a bbq stick and the ones at the rear are on swivells and snap links clipped on the towing guide.
daz
Oh these are well over five years old and still looking good

[longshanks]

Hi

Try http://www.shgmodels.com/acatalog/    page 38/39

Don't know about the quality but you could ring them as they do two kinds.

[alan colson]

Have a look at MAC's Mouldings, Martin does at least 3 different sizes of tyre. He is doing many shows this year or you can order through his web site.
Alan

[meechingman]

That's odd. My Southampton is around the same age, has had a fair bit of use in both fresh and brackish water. No degradation at all, and I have 20 more of the same Graupner tyres on my Smit Neddy. They're now over two years old and all fine. I wonder if you were just unlucky enough to get some from a bad batch?

[Prophet]

as a suggestion to fixing the issue with the rubber tires if you are able to try to make a mould of the tire shape maybe use a tire you have that's still in reasonable nick .. once you have made a mould (suggestion plaster mould for quick 24 hour job or epox resin mould either works ) get some of that black silicon the real smelly stuff and carefully fill the mould to make your own rubber tires.

appreciated one side will probably be flat but if that's the side that's sits on the hull then no biggy no one sees it!

might help, i have used this method of making bumpers for other boats and had little issues with it

give it a try ya never know !

[ZZ56]

you can also buy individual Lego tyres from a variety of different sites. 
http://www.bricklink.com/storeDetail.asp?b=-1372734&h=46770&itemIDseq=1817  I have some of these on a tug, they are soft rubber unlike the hard stuff most Lego tyres are made of. 

[Guy Bagley]

or just ask someone nicely who happens to have thousands of lego tyres lying around gathering dust !