Hi,
I just purchased a few walls from DPM and some of the walls are flat and some curved or twisted. Is there any way to flatten these walls? Put them in the oven? Lay a heavy book on them overnight? Suggestions?
Thanks, Hansel
The best bet is to return the kit if possible, or contact DPM directly and see about a return or replacement of at least the warped parts. Failing that, you can attempt tostraighten the parts with low heat and weight. I have in the past used hot (not boiling - plastic gets pliable at around 150 F) water and a book.
make sure one side is flat - usually the back - file off any flash, gates or push pads left over from molding. put the part in a pan of water and bring to temp - just before boiling begins. Remove the part and place it flat side down on a flat surface and add a towel to blot water and a book or piece of wood to hold it flat. If the part has any real detail or relief to it you need to avoid mushing it. We often use a heat gun (hair dryer to you civilians) to heat glass fiber parts that have polyester resin enough to warp them to shape but I haven’t ever tried that on polystyrene model parts. Perhaps someone else has ideas there. Good luck. J.R.