# How to flatten warped plastic kit pieces?



## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

I am assembling a kit of a building that I bought used. I just discovered that the roof panels are slightly warped -- not much -- up and down less than 1/8" across about 3". I am trying to flatten them by pressure between two boards with weight on top. Is this going to work? Amy other ideas?


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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

I have had luck using a blow dryer on medium heat no higher blowing on back side and when it gets warm then lay weight on it.. Depending on thickness I get it pretty warm thin stuff it usually reforms with a little blow drying..

Again never set on hot!!


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Probably glue a straight piece of scrap on the back side.


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## nvrr49 (Feb 11, 2014)

From my experience, you have to over compensate for the warpage, not just put it between flat pieces, but bend it the opposite way...and apply some heat. I have used a light bulb. Then apply bracing to keep it flat.


Kent in KC
[email protected]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free


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## Dirtytom (Jan 13, 2014)

I have that problem with kits from Model Tech, as soon as you cut a part out it starts to warp and have had a few parts practically double over. Think they use different balsa than other kit companies.

Nothing I do can flatten, have put very heavy weight over night and does not help...


DT


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## nvrr49 (Feb 11, 2014)

Dirtytom, love the name, BTW, wood is a completely different animal than plastic. I assume Model Tech is using Basswood, but there are several species that come close, and are hard to tell apart without a microscope. Trying to flatten a warped piece of wood is usually futile unless it is then enough that bracing with larger pieces will hold it in place. You might try wetting the inside, that is to say the concave side of the warped piece, but it could cause more problems! 


Kent in KC
[email protected]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free


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## Ray Haddad (Feb 19, 2014)

I use a hemostat and boiling water. Grab the part by the least warped edge and hold it in boiling water for a few seconds. Using a pot holder, grab the warped end and twist it to its proper shape and hold it until it cools. Usually just a few seconds. Repeat if necessary until it has the proper shape.


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## Dirtytom (Jan 13, 2014)

Being a Cajun, if my wife came and I was boling something, she'd salt, pepper a little Tobasco..and voila....manger(supper in Cajun)

Thanks, trying to find some levity after my loss of the kit.. I put twice as much bracing as the limited instructions called for, and first coat of the primer, it looked like Curley q's

DT


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## Hutch (Dec 19, 2012)

If you really want this too look good, you should undo what you have done and follow Ray's advice. When I was building mandolins for a hobby, I bent a lot of plastic in just this way. I had to shape plastic binding to almost exact curves and it wasn't all that difficult with boiling water. A heat gun works just as well but you have to be very careful to not let it get too hot.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I use a hair dryer on jobs like this. The heat gun concentrates the heat too much in one area, the hair dryer moves a lot more air, but things don't get nearly as hot, just heats over a wider area.


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## Dirtytom (Jan 13, 2014)

Thanks, but the hair dryer does not work on the wood from Model Tech. When I started bought a lot of kits, parts etc form Model Tech, opened one of their boat kits today and short several pieces and just a picture of the finished product?

DT


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

Thanks for all of the good ideas on how to fix warped plastic parts. I decided to go with the boiling water technique. I like the idea that it heats the whole piece uniformly and you can't over heat it by accident as you might be able to do with hot air.

The pieces are flattened back out, now. Thanks again.


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## Patrick1544 (Apr 27, 2013)

I use a 40 watt light bulb and hold the piece close to the bulb until the plastic becomes pliable. Usually about a minute. Then I bend it the opposite way of the warp and put it under a very heavy weight such as an old transformer from a microwave oven. Hey...speaking of microwaves, I just got an idea....


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Remember that microwaves work on organic stuff, not plastics. You'll probably just damage the microwave trying to heat plastic in it.


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## Model Train Structures (Oct 10, 2013)

I'm glad to see this topic. One problem I've had with buying old/used plastic buildings is one corner of the base will be warped so the structure doesn't sit flat. Since the building has been cemented to the base for umpteen years, the base generally cannot be removed. Is there a way to flatten the warped base area without disturbing that portion of the building? 

I'm afraid if I dry or wet heat, the building will get warped in the process. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
D.A.


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