Frequently Asked Questions...Answered!
PO Box 505 WB
Roy, Utah 84067-3508
e-mail: retiring@tirecrafting.com
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
NOT COVERED PREVIOUSLY
1. Where can I get tires?
First, you must know whether your project requires steel belted or
non-steel belted tires. Our book gives this information.
Non-steel belted tires take more imagination to find. They are still being made for auto spares and for trailers with odd size wheels. Tires for off road vehicles such as, race cars, farm implement, all terrain vehicles and golf carts, are all non steel belted. Once in a while auto tire dealers get them in. If you request, some managers will set them aside for you. Other sources include auto race tracks, farm implement and ATV tire dealers, salvage yards, old tire storage stacks, vacant lots, around farm and silage pits, etc. Do not trespass. Asking permission will yield a greater harvest.
When searching a large tire stack for non steel belted tires, it is easy to miss them. Patty Shores of Redding California solved this problem with a cheap metal detector. Every tread that causes a beep is steel belted. The ones that do not, are not.
2. How do you keep from getting black when riding tire swings?
Most of the black that rubs off is road grime. Once it is thoroughly scrubbed clean, the black no longer comes off. Black does rub off of a very few weathered tires because of oxidation. To insure against this, and to give the tire a new look, brush on 50% black semi-gloss exterior acrylic latex house paint and 50% water.
3. Is it possible for me to make the horse swing?
You will have to judge. The horse is the most difficult project in the book to make. However, the horse swing plans are one of the top three reasons our kit is so popular. This horse is now internationally famous as people are making and selling them throughout the world. One testimony is from a 78-year old widow that has made a horse swing for each of her five grandchildren. We include, with the kit, a full size horse swing pattern, which is a significant help.
4. Are tires toxic?
This question is asked often. We are not chemists, but from our extensive and on going research since 1983, which includes OSHA, EPA, USDA, “TOXICS A to Z”, Material Safety Data Sheets, and others, we are convinced that nothing leaches from a clean tire while in it’s solid form.
If you would like a free copy of the research that brought us to this conclusion, just ask, and include a self addressed, stamped envelope.
If you have any facts concerning tire toxicity, we and our readers would appreciate this information.
5. Are tires hazardous?
Scavenging for tires is always hazardous, as you never know what is, on, or around them. Always wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt, heavy-soled shoes and leather gloves when hunting and transporting tires. Avoid all tires with wire showing. From the tires you accept, dump out the water and then rub an old terry cloth around the inside of the tire. It will hang up on any impaled object. Pull it out with pliers. Scrub the tires, inside and out with soap, a disinfectant and water. You don’t know where they’ve been.
Fire is always a danger. Tires are not easy to ignite, but once started, burn extremely hot, and are difficult to extinguish. Many chemicals that are not toxic in their solid state become so when burned. Tires are more likely to catch fire while being stored than are the finished products. Use caution and respect fire codes in every aspect of tire crafting.
6. What about tire pollution?
Used tires provide an ideal haven and nursery for a variety of vermin, including mice, rats, snakes, spiders, wasps and mosquitoes. Keep on hand only as many tires as you can craft within a month. If you must store them, re-stack them and dump any accumulated water, at least twice a month.
Visual pollution is another problem. Few things look trashier than used tires scattered or heaped around a place. This also reflects on the character of the people who live there. All tire projects can be made functional while still looking like junk. The more common examples are seen in landscaping and gardening. These projects were either poorly thought out, or aesthetics were thought impossible, to difficult, or never considered. These prevalent examples are why tire crafting sometimes has a bad reputation.
Well planned, useful tire projects, skillfully and attractively crafted, displayed in pleasing surroundings, will inspire all who see them and will convert the skeptics as well. Tire crafting benefits far outweigh any easily preventable risk factors.
7. What name do you go by?
We have several names:
“RE-TIRING” is our business name.
“TIRE RECYCLING IS FUN” is the title of our book.
“BASIC TIRECRAFTING” is the title of Video #1.
“TIRECRAFTING” is our blanket name and covers all of the above, what we teach, and is our web site www.tirecrafting.com
All of these titles are registered and all instructional materials under these titles are copyrighted.
RE-TIRING
P.O. Box 505 WB
Roy, UT 84067
Phone: (801) 731-2490
E-mail:
retiring@tirecrafting.com
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