Make your own wheel-balancing weights

[BigTallDad]

Things you need. Empty aluminum can, cutting mat, Xacto knife, steel straight edge, nibblers, fingernail clippers, and sandpaper. I bought my nibblers from ModelMark, but I’ve since seen them at Harbor Freight for about eight dollars. A word of caution: when you cut the aluminum with an Xacto knife, the aluminum will have a burr edge and can be quite sharp! Knock that edge down with sandpaper, lest the profanity prevail.

Insert the aluminum into the teeth of the nibbler; making sure the aluminum is square with the nibbler, take a bite; remove the chad (send it to Florida);

Insert the aluminum a bit farther, and take another bite.

Move the aluminum, allowing enough space for the part representing the clip, and repeat the previous processes.

Once you have reached the end of the aluminum, cut the weights off with the Xacto and straight edge.

When all is said and done, you should have a strip of Tees (the letters) all connected at the top. The top of the Tee is the weight and the leg of the Tee is the clip.

Using the nail clippers, cut off one Tee; the length of the top can (and does) vary, depending the weight requirement. At this point, you can mount the weight on the painted wheel. It is highly recommended that the weights be installed before mounting the tires. Place a dab of five minute epoxy on the wheel and cover it with the weight; while holding the weight in place, bend the clip over the wheel edge and epoxy the clip to the inside of the rim. Use a tiny clothespin or non-marring clamp to hold the assembly until the epoxy has set up.

EMBELLISHMENT. For those gonzo modelers requiring absolute perfection, you can further tweak the appearance by thickening the weight (but not the clip) with epoxy then painting it with lead colored paint. Obviously this is done before the weight is attached to the wheel. In addition, larger weights can be lightly sanded with a Dremel to give the curved effect seen on real weights.

The same approach can be used to create wire looms for plug wires. Just make the Tee a little bit larger.

Edited June 8, 2015 by BigTallDad

[slusher]

That is a really cool and neat tip Ray...

[Darren B]

wow have thought about adding them but not sure how this tip is off the hook thank you for sharing....

[Ace-Garageguy]

I just HATE it when my model car wheels get out of balance !!!

Nice tip.

[Longbox55]

Nice tip!

[crazyjim]

Very good, Ray. Thanks.

[vintagercr]

Another great tip!