Warped 1/200 model ship hull -Well, any scale, anything.
Hey,S'mee agin!
Took a nap and came up with some more out of the box thinking for beginners and some of us who hadn't run across this yet. Bucks, lot's of them can be spent on the Ships and Planes in popular scales, Right? And this is not rare. It is beginning to be the norm with all Models. Remember, plastic products of any kind are priced right in with anything made out of Oil!
Well, okay so the price of production of molds has risen as technology has allowed them to be better too! Everyone deserves to make a return on these investments. Thus, scads of these products rush out of the machines faster than we can blink. The results are mostly good. Some models are boxed while still microscopically warm. Result - Warping as they settle in to their boxes. Plus, those that sit in wharehouses whose environment is not the best, OR, sitting near the top of a Container, first on a ship , then at a port for maybe weeks in Hot sun.
Now, to the meat of this post. How do we solve this problem? We,ve spent a few bucks on this thing and the halves don't line up or the hull is dished lengthwise, or that longed after special car model is twisted so bad it won't fit the chassis, or vice-versa.
On the latter sometimes, hot as we can stand water or a heat lamp can solve the problem. On Ships, Planes and Tank body parts, not so. Well, don't just sit there, go get that problem part and a contour gage. If you don't have the latter, go to Harbor Freight and get one! Now get the inner contours of the piece and follow up.
Here's where we are gonna save you some frustration and the cost of buying another kit! You think, "OH, BOY, this thing is bad" Not really. Now on the planes it may be a little harder. Some ships at1/350 are big enough to get around this . 1/72 planes are a little harder. We can, in the ship scales take flat scrap plastic sheet .030 and create an inner keel and frames to straighten the worst. On the smaller planes this is harder, because they may also have bad twist near the tail or nose areas that cannot be handled this way.
Then, You have to use two methods.The Keel-Frame and Hot Water method in combination. Why? Well the keel in planes is smaller on the ends. That wont take the twist out of that rudder/tailcone piece. Only Very hot water will. The keel piece would be too small to exert strength enough to straighten this problem. OR, You could do this . Take a heat lamp and take the sides of your fuselage and cut of the locator pins on the one side. Clamp securely to a piece of tempered glass, I mean very securely with clamps, not tape. DO NOT squish the part!
Place the hot lamp or lamp bulb - No, LED or Flourescent twisty bulbs in a desk lamp won't work. We need incandescence! Yes, the old type bulbs generate the manageable heat we need! See! OLD STUFF isn't so backwards after all, Is it ? Watch carefully and you'll see that twist start to come out. Now, don't melt the part! When it's a straight as it's gonna get, Douse the light and apply ICE water immediately to the parts. There you have it .You've saved that forty Buck 1/72 scale plane from the round file. Now, don't you feel better? See ya!