Reshaping Lima Plastic

[Mainlinefreighter58]

Ive got an old 040 continental style shunter by lima (the little blue one) and it has a slightly distorted bodyshell, Is it possible to re shape it or take the sitortion out of it? it doesnt affect the running or overall shape its just like it has been too close to heat in one place 

[keysan]

12 minutes ago, Mainlinefreighter58 said:

Ive got an old 040 continental style shunter by lima (the little blue one) and it has a slightly distorted bodyshell, Is it possible to re shape it or take the sitortion out of it? it doesnt affect the running or overall shape its just like it has been too close to heat in one place 

picture would help 

[The Johnster]

The distortion does not affect the running, so the chassis on its own is fine, but the bodyshell is out of whack, is that right?  If so, this is good because whatever you do to the bodyshell once you've removed it from the chassis will not affect the running of the model unless you foul the motor/gear train in some way.

 

Remove the bodyshell, and make up some sort of internal former piece or pieces to roughly the correct internal shape, scrap metal or wood not plastic.  Boil a kettle and pour the boiling water into a bowl big enough to submerge the bodyshell.  Wearing Marigolds, insert the former pieces into postion, as tightly as you can manage; be careful, the water will be very hot!  The hot water will soften the plastic and it will 'redistort' back to the right shape.  This might take several attempts before you a happy with it. because you only want to move the bodyshell material a tiny bit at a time to avoid pulling the plastic about too much.  Patience and perseverance are the keywords, and you may have to accept that the shell is never going to be be perfect and accept a 'that's good enough' compromise, but you should be able to get it fairly close, 'layout model' close...

 

So long as the original shape is restored as closely as you can manage, there should be no problems with the inside of the bodyshell fouling on the mech.  But take care with the hot water...

[Mainlinefreighter58]

As you can see it’s a long way from horrendous but if I’m going to the trouble of making it into something I’d like it to be less warped 

[adb968008]

Bulldog clips, two pieces of straight metal.

 

wash it in warm to hot water, it will start to be a bit more pliable.

then clamp the plastic inbetween the two pieces of metal to get the flat back in it.

leave overnight and see how it goes.

you may need to repeat more than once.

Edited April 7 by adb968008

[Il Grifone]

I've never had great success straightening plastic, but the above is the way to go.

 

As a result of Lima warping (Italian sunlight - Not guilty! - I got her cheaply as a result!) I have a Märklin DSB Class MY powered by a Lima Class MZ bogies.