Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

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Philip Hall
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Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

Postby Philip Hall » Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:13 am

I was talking to David Rogers the other day and he mentioned that Ultrascale are now offering bespoke wheel tyres (for a very reasonable price). There is a range of options with dimensions; you just specify what you want and he will turn them up for you. Particularly interesting is that the width of the tyre is variable, from 1.4mm to 2.0mm, and the diameter can be anything you want within limits. I gather the minimum and maximum size limits relate to the size of bar stock that he normally keeps. The inner face of the tyre does not have a recess as with (say) a Gibson tyre, the hole goes straight through.
They can be found as the top item on the Products page.

Also I noticed that the order lead time has now fallen to four months.

Philip

David Bigcheeseplant
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Re: Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

Postby David Bigcheeseplant » Wed Oct 30, 2019 2:35 pm

This is good news, I can print the inserts if people want the wheels although, new wheel production from another angle is being worked on!

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Horsetan
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Re: Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

Postby Horsetan » Wed Oct 30, 2019 3:23 pm

Excellent!

Could be an opening for P87 tyres....
That would be an ecumenical matter.

nberrington
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Re: Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

Postby nberrington » Wed Oct 30, 2019 5:10 pm

How tricky is it to remove the centres from new RTR locos? I've never tried, but some recent offerings look quite good - seems a shame to chuck 'em out.
Just thinking about it, it might be tricky for a hack like me to ensure concentric wheels in the end.....

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Horsetan
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Re: Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

Postby Horsetan » Wed Oct 30, 2019 6:26 pm

nberrington wrote:How tricky is it to remove the centres from new RTR locos? I've never tried, but some recent offerings look quite good - seems a shame to chuck 'em out.....


I think "Porcy Mane" has done this on plastic-centred Hattons/Heljan diesel shunters, but for him it's second nature. Someone else turned down the existing tyres on a Hornby J15. And of course there was the Bachmann 9F which was done for John Darch.

Half the problem, of course, is actually getting wheelsets as spares if you don't have the RTR engine to start with but want to use the RTR centres with your kit, because the correct wheel is not available from AGW or Ultrascale. Hornby, for example, has absolutely no spares available for the J15.
That would be an ecumenical matter.

Philip Hall
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Re: Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

Postby Philip Hall » Wed Oct 30, 2019 6:52 pm

Taking the tyres off a Hornby engine, for example, is difficult without a lathe because they are moulded in an incredibly tough kind of plastic which has, in the past, given me problems even with a piecing saw blade. They look to be moulded into the tyres, because the tyres have little spikes inside, so the centres are just like Ultrascale, there for life. The only option is to turn them off. Ditto Bachmann, because they are cast centres and tyres that seem to be one piece with an insulating bush on one side. The 9F wheels referred to also had the tyres turned off.

That said, availability of tyres is a useful addition to the intrepid RTR converter’s armoury of methods!

Philip
Last edited by Philip Hall on Thu Oct 31, 2019 1:21 am, edited 2 times in total.

David Knight
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Re: Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

Postby David Knight » Wed Oct 30, 2019 8:02 pm

David Bigcheeseplant wrote:This is good news, I can print the inserts if people want the wheels although, new wheel production from another angle is being worked on!


Given the need for wheels for the conversion of two models of Pecketts, the B2 and W4 plus the 14” & 16” Barclays Thai sounds very promising. I shall be watching this very carefully. :geek:

Cheers,

David

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45609
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Re: Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

Postby 45609 » Wed Oct 30, 2019 8:50 pm

Horsetan wrote:And of course there was the Bachmann 9F which was done for John Darch.


Ahem...with some assistance

fit tyre 7.jpg


A rather involved job to be honest and not for the faint hearted. I’m currently doing the same sort of thing to Hornby BR standard 4MT 4-6-0 wheels. This is a bit easier because insulation is assured with plastic centres but lathe skills are a pre-requisite for any RTR retyring work.

Cheers...Morgan
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PeteT
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Re: Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

Postby PeteT » Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:21 pm

Interesting, with the London Road Models B16/1 now available without a 100% accurate wheel it could be the time to try... else use a K3 wheel.

I think in motion the throw is more noticeable/important than number of spokes, but spokes come into play when trying to sort out the balance weights.

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johndarch
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Re: Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

Postby johndarch » Fri Nov 01, 2019 2:32 pm

Ooh Morgan. He did say 'for' me not by me!

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45609
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Re: Ultrascale Bespoke tyres

Postby 45609 » Fri Nov 01, 2019 4:23 pm

johndarch wrote:Ooh Morgan. He did say 'for' me not by me!


Yes, indeed. Duly noted and apologies offered. Obvs mis-read it


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