I used to spend a lot of time painting road wheels for armored vehicles that had separate tires, as found on most Allied and early World War II German armor. Now with my new system, once my primer coat is dry the entire process takes less than five minutes. You can use Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish, but hairspray from a can is so much easier and faster. Here are the steps:

1. Lay down a coat of black or NATO black primer. I use rattle-can black lacquer primer.

2. Give the wheels a good coat of hairspray from an aerosol can.

3. Once the hairspray has dried, airbrush the wheels using an acrylic paint. I use Vallejo Model Air paints. You don’t have to worry much about overspray.

4. Wet a cotton swab with water and rub off the overspray.

Done and done!

Tip submitted by:
Eric Christianson
Redmond, Wash.