Straightening warped parts

[eng]

Evening all,

I'm sure this has been asked umpteen times before but what's the best way to correct warped parts?

I received a Zvezda 767 in the post today and the fin on one fuselage half is warped to the point that the tip is almost 45 deg from the vertical, also one wing tip on the single piece lower half needs tweaked.

I don't want to dive in here to heavy handed and end up doing more damage than good. Any advice would be gratefully received.

Rgds

Eng

[pigsty]

That's so warped I'd send it back.

If that's not possible, the standard tool is heat: hot water, just bearable with washing-up gloves on, is the usual advice. Immerse the affected part, hold it there for a few seconds, then gently bend it back to shape. If you can, do this without taking it out of the water; if you can't hold it there that long, bend it a little, then dunk it again, and keep going. The plastic will let you know when it's too cool - it will give much more resistance.

When you're satisfied, clamp the part in position and leave it for a fair while to make sure it's adopted the right shape. Between two heavy books is often recommended, though it depends on the shape.