The Ship Model Forum

Any news about this? Did it work fine?

Jim, have you had any success with your hull?

Good luck, Jim, and please let us know how things turn out.

Jodie Peeler

Hey guys thanks for the tips on fixing this mess, I am going to attempt to straighten out the hulls next week and see how it goes, I'm probably going to do the heating in 15 to 20 minute limits to ensure even transfer of heat to the hull and hopefully everything will work out fine. Kinda like when I would bake my flight deck boots in the wifes oven prior to shinning them up for my personnel inspections on the ship, it was funny the first time the wife saw my boots in the over.

jpeeler wrote:Thanks for the photos, Jim. That does help - and that is a doozy of a warp.

For whatever it's worth, the way I would address this would be to locate three or four areas along the hull where there's no detail, or whatever detail is there can be easily replaced. From the bottom, make some relief cuts about halfway to two-thirds up the hull (but not all the way through, since you don't want to damage anything on the flight deck). Then apply whatever heat method you're going to use to soften up the hull, straighten the hull out and clamp it down so it will set flat, and then leave it be until it's hardened.

Once it's set, fill the relief cuts with plastic held in place with CA or epoxy and sand off the excess, then use whatever filler you normally use for finishing, replace whatever detail you may have lost, and then proceed as you otherwise would.

I make no warranties on this method; it's just the one I would use if my kit had this problem.

Jodie Peeler

just don't use softwoods like pine because they bleed pitch when heated.

The way I have fixed warps like this is to get a piece of wood, MDF works well, like a small cheap shelf and place the model on it. Ensure the wood doesn't flex, 3/8" to 1/2" works well.

Cut another piece of wood to fit on the top of the resin piece, making sure it's not sitting on any details, but touching as much flat surface as possible. I've also done this without a top piece of wood and clamped directly on the deck, it works, but it's safer with the wood as it helps keep the pressure even and details protected.

Get some quick clamps and put just enough pressure so that the hull sits flat. Yes, the resin will bend without breaking.

Now place the whole assembly in an oven, heated to 200 F. Leave in for approx 20-30min. It does not have to sit flat, so don't worry if the clamps cause it to tilt.

This is enough to heat the resin without melting it. Same with the rubber padding on most quick clamps. The wood will not burn either. There may be some odours, but leaving the oven and a window open for a short time, should clear them out.

When the time is up put the clamped assembly somewhere to cool and walk away.
This is crucial. You have to let the resin cool slowly and evenly to prevent it from warping again.
The next day, unclamp and see how it looks.

The times and temperature can be varied, I've used this method on 1/350 hulls. A smaller 1/700 hull might take less time. If you want to try 160F for 15min, you can always do it again for longer if it's not fixed. The important part Is the cooling time. Too hot for too long will cause the resin to deform under the clamping pressure.

Good luck!

Thanks for the photos, Jim. That does help - and that is a doozy of a warp.

For whatever it's worth, the way I would address this would be to locate three or four areas along the hull where there's no detail, or whatever detail is there can be easily replaced. From the bottom, make some relief cuts about halfway to two-thirds up the hull (but not all the way through, since you don't want to damage anything on the flight deck). Then apply whatever heat method you're going to use to soften up the hull, straighten the hull out and clamp it down so it will set flat, and then leave it be until it's hardened.

Once it's set, fill the relief cuts with plastic held in place with CA or epoxy and sand off the excess, then use whatever filler you normally use for finishing, replace whatever detail you may have lost, and then proceed as you otherwise would.

I make no warranties on this method; it's just the one I would use if my kit had this problem.

Jodie Peeler

jpeeler wrote:I was going to ask if a photo could be posted, too, which would help a lot with a solution.

Another question: is this warp a more or less simple arc, or is the hull also twisted? For a simple upwards "bow" I have a couple of ideas, but if it's twisted that's going to be a handful. I have one of these kits and I know how that integrated hull/flight deck casting is a solid hunk of resin.

Jodie Peeler

Jodie here are a few pictures of the kits hull it is more or less a simple arc but also has a slight twist to the hull its self. The gap between the hull and the table is nearly 1/8" inch wide. I am thinking about the microwave trick to see if I can get it heated enough to clamp it down to a flat metal surface to at least get the hull to sit flat.
Any ideas other than what's been suggested so far?

I was going to ask if a photo could be posted, too, which would help a lot with a solution.

Another question: is this warp a more or less simple arc, or is the hull also twisted? For a simple upwards "bow" I have a couple of ideas, but if it's twisted that's going to be a handful. I have one of these kits and I know how that integrated hull/flight deck casting is a solid hunk of resin.

Jodie Peeler

I've heard of people straightening resin parts with hot water, however I have been lucky enough not to need to do it myself.

Can you post a pic? It would help identify a solution.

Maybe you can try the micro wave, but heat the parts gently (it's been a while, but a cockpit in 1/32 got soft as butter in no time) then you can pull the hull into basic shape... You can heat locally afterwards with a hairdryer...

Guys I most likely overlooked this in the forum but I have TWO really bad warpped hulls for two resin 700 scale LPH kits (Wave-Line SPR-07/Pit Road) If these where full hull I could fix them but with them already WL the warp goes all the way through the flight deck, I have racked my brain over different ways to address this issue but I am at a loss at the moment.

Sanding them flat is not an option as it will change the height from the water line to the flight deck, sanding the flight deck in the center is not much better of an idea as I will lose the molded in details. The stern of the hull touches the table and the bow touches but the center is like a 1/4 moon shape, I looked at both kits I have and they are the exact same, I know others have built this kit and if you had the same problem how did you fix it? I think, actually pretty positive that the warp is a mold issue.

Any suggestions would be great.