warped polyfoam

[Kreighshoer]

guys i need your help again *sigh*

yesterday i received my latest delivery and today upon checking the custom dioramics diobases i noticed that the polyfoam base of the stalingrad factory ruin is badly warped! :(

is there any chance to bring that base back to shape or will i have to return that item to the distributor (which i intend to avoid - i don't like return/refund trouble)?

some may laugh but i have always been a looser in chemistry and know nothing about the finesses of materials like that ...

thanx in advance!

cheers,

laura

[Driver]

Laura, post a photo of the base. It's better if we see the problem.

Ruben

[Kreighshoer]

okay - here we go ...

this is the mess:

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/71/4528371/1280_6564323763666166.jpg

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/71/4528371/1280_3836306334613732.jpg

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/71/4528371/1280_6666346637336332.jpg

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/71/4528371/1280_6363646537393364.jpg

you can see that the whole base is warped towards the edges :(

i already tried it with hot (almost boiling) water, bending back to shape and cold water after that but that didn't work ... the only thing that came to my mind now is to glue that base on a wooden plate with two components glue to force it into shape ...

any tips from you guys?

cheers

[jagdpanzer]

Sorry to see that Laura.

I would also try to glue it to a wooden base.
Maybe you can also add some screws with flat washers for additional security.

Good luck,
Manuel

[brokeneagle]

What a pitty Laura:( I would go the glue and screw with washers - as said.:thumb:

Good Luck

[Kreighshoer]

thanx manuel and ian ...

i just went to the hardware store and showed them the deformed diobase and they told me never ever to use 2 components glue as this glue would erode the material. instead i should use installation adhesive.

furthermore they gave me the tip to put the base into the oven to heaten it up and bring it back in shape when warmed up - this is what i am doing right now ...

... i'll keep you upd8ed ...

cheers

[DOJO]

I would say use hot water then the oven it self. as you do not want to see it melt... there was a hot-to here some where on wrap resin

[Larry Bates]

Hi Laura,

Saul had a little sbs on warped resin. Although your piece is decidedly larger, I think you are on the right track though. Keep us posted.

Ok, I reread the first part, what is polyfoam? Is it rigid when cool, or dry? Can it be sanded? If I had it, I would sand the bottom flat on a sheet of sand paper taped to a flat, hard surface, or if you can cut it, so the base is thinner, then screw it down? I don't know, I'm just thinking out loud. What the heck is poly foam?
Laz

[Kreighshoer]

ruslan, lazzo ... thanx! :thumb:

I would say use hot water then the oven it self. as you do not want to see it melt... there was a hot-to here some where on wrap resin

saul's "how to ..." on warped resin was the very first thing i had an intense look on but unfortunately the material used here has no memory and this method didn't work ...

the oven wasn't that bad more further down ...

Hi Laura,

Saul had a little sbs on warped resin. Although your piece is decidedly larger, I think you are on the right track though. Keep us posted.

Ok, I reread the first part, what is polyfoam? Is it rigid when cool, or dry? Can it be sanded? If I had it, I would sand the bottom flat on a sheet of sand paper taped to a flat, hard surface, or if you can cut it, so the base is thinner, then screw it down? I don't know, I'm just thinking out loud. What the heck is poly foam?
Laz


- what is polyfoam? to be frank i have absolutely no idea. i read "polyfoam" on the distributor's website, believed them and didn't x-check that strange term ... in the hardware store they told me the material was very stiff/hard styrofoam but it doesn't feel like styrofoam at all. it is rigid when cold, it is rigid when dry, it is rigid when wet but it is soft when warmed up in the oven.


- sanding down - originally a good idea but not applicable because the wall sections from the factory ruin won't align on the upside and are absolutely impossible to attach so this doesn't work ...

so what did i do? well i developed some guts and heated the oven up to 100°C (=212°F) put a cork plate inside and positioned the diobase up on that cork plate. then i waited for about 5-10 minutes and took the diobase outside. it was soft but not melting. unfortunately when cooling down the base went back to the warped stage (it was a little bit better than before but still not useable! shock cooling with cold water didn't help). so i repeated the heating, took the diobase and superglued it to a wooden base with installation adhesive (damn this is some expensive glue :yell: ) ... to keep it aligned i took four screws and washers and srewed the diobase in position and that's it ... not warped anymore and useable. the only $&§%* is that i now have to hide that attachment points - they are very prominent and visible (read: visible although even)

cheers

[Larry Bates]

Laura,

Are the attachment points flush? If so, putty over them if possible.


Laz

[Kreighshoer]

laz

Are the attachment points flush? If so, putty over them if possible.

some are flush, one is aslant ... putty will destroy the details of those areas anyway so i will cover those areas with rubble ...

all in all i am happy to have rescued that base but angry also that there was such an unnecessary warping (this is just like a pimple on the tip of the nose :yell: :mad: )

cheers

[Larry Bates]

(this is just like a pimple on the tip of the nose )

:D:D:p

I'm sure you'll do a briliant job. :thumb:

Laz