Fix A Flat

Just about every TimMee collector has encountered a broken wheel on an M48 tank. Well, there's an easy fix for this provided the wheel broke off where it's attached to the axle (which happens to be the most common spot). Since these tanks are made of polyethylene plastic, glue cannot be used to make any sort of proper or permanent repair, despite the claims of a few companies trying to push their latest snake oil. 

For this repair you'll need the soldering gun or iron of your choice, a drill, and a few drill bits. I'll be using the large one-piece black plastic wheel/axle combo of the M48 tank as an example.

Step 1: Make a small pilot hole through the wheel, making sure it's dead center. Since you'll be using a 1/8 drill bit (or metric equivalent) to make the final hole, use a smaller bit to drill the pilot hole.

Step 2: Drill the final hole with the 1/8 drill bit. You should probably wear a thick glove for this step.

Figure 1: Drilling the 1/8 hole

Figure 2: Completed hole

Step 3: Push the end of the axle into the hole until it's flush with wheel's surface on the other side. This will be a snug fit.

Step 4: Take your gun or iron and fuse the wheel surface and axle end together. You should start on a low heat setting and gradually increase it until you see that the plastic will melt with ease.The ultimate goal is to mix the plastic from both pieces together like interlocking fingers. This the only way to create a permanent bond.

Figure 3: Outer wheel solder

Step 5: Run the tip of the gun or iron lightly around the axle where it meets the inner wheel.

Figure 4: Inner wheel solder

You're done! Give the plastic several minutes to cool back down to room temperature before snapping it onto the tank. You may notice that the width of the axle is now slightly narrower. This will not interfere with the tank's ability to roll freely and will go unnoticed when displayed.

This repair will also work for the smaller one piece black plastic wheels. For the green one piece wheel/axle combo the procedure is slightly different. In this case you'll use a 5/32 drill bit which, if done correctly, will almost completely dislodge the nub from the outer part of the wheel. Simply cut it free with a hobby knife and continue the soldering procedures outlined above.

Figure 5: The dislodged nub

And there you have it. You can now fix your flats or know how to fix one if you should run into this problem in the future. Other repairs can also be made using a soldering iron or gun. These repairs require a bit of skill, patience, and the proper placement of the fusing for durability and esthetic purposes.

Now here's a "hot" tip: You can smooth out small rough areas and flash on any vehicle or soldier with a Bic lighter. Just be sure you get plenty of practice under your belt on some old beat up surplus before taking the flame to a keeper!

Semper Fi!