Now the question is, what are you going to build with these new wheel combos?
I am so glad you asked. Not that I was looking forward to providing an explanation but I suppose it is for the better that I reveal some of the things I have in mind for these modified wheels and tires.
I realized there was a need for some decent looking wheels/tires for the Scale-O-Rama Glencoe Models M274 Mechanical Mule. I wanted to make the Glencoe Mule 1/35th scale and in doing so it needs a better set of tires and rims. Sizing the M274 down or is that up to 1/35th scale means you have a larger cargo platform with a much greater payload. The actual M274 could carry a 1-ton load on hard surfaces and about half that when traveling overland. So a 1/15th scale M274 scaled to 1/35th scale all of a sudden becomes a 2.5-ton cargo platform. While the tires in the Glencoe Mule kit look to be appropriate in size for a 2.5-ton truck the rims are rather out of place with only five lug nuts per wheel, something more appropriate for a regular size automobile or light truck, definitely not for a 2.5-ton truck. So a casual search through the spare parts bins and discovering that I was a bit skint on decent size truck tires and wheels left me with two options; make my own or outsource from one of the on-line stores that offer resin replacements which are getting to be stupid expensive. Since I am not going for exact details, I felt no pressing need to spend more money when I had the resources at home. Thus began the first attempt as mentioned above where I bored out the centers of the Glencoe Mule wheels a bit too much and had to set it all aside to give me time to get my head back in the game. Measure twice, cut once instead of charging through and failing again. While this Scale-O-Rama M274 Mechanical Mule is only in the initial stages of construction it was really bothering me with the wheel issue so I see this as a step forward with that project.
Another project that is in need of some better wheels is a the
Great Wall Hobby K44 12.8cm Towed AT Gun. I recall seeing something very similar to the K44 at a Russian artillery test center many years ago on imagery that was called the "Perm Gun" (temporary name given for reporting purposes before formal designation was assigned). While not quite an exact match it was close enough to the 12.8cm K44 to get the imagineering juices flowing. The Great Wall Hobby K44 kit comes with the usual and very ugly wagon wheels that many of the WW2 German artillery pieces were fitted with. I had to get rid of those wheels and felt no remorse in doing so. This however, left me with a pressing need for replacement wheels. So if luck is on my side, I may find a way to get some new shoes for the K44 that do not require purchasing some resin replacement wheels from some on-line store. Fingers crossed that it works out.
I have some other injected plastic wheels from an ancient Trumpeter VAB 6X6 clone that are absolutely horrible looking but they have that clunky/thick appearance that I am hoping will work out for the K44 project to turn it into a "Perm Gun" wannabee.