Help needed: Best way to straighten a warped wing?

[billn53]

I'm currently building Lindberg's old JN-4D "Jenny", and have a problem. The wings are warped:

 

 

 

What's the best way to get them straight again?

 

I'm thinking of taping or clamping the wing pieces to a metal ruler and immersing in hot water... the question I have is, How hot?

 

or, is there a better way?

 

Any & all suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

[europapete]

yep, you got it. Not quite boiling though. 

[Orso]

Exactly. Boiling water will make it shrink.

[Paul Thompson]

1 hour ago, Orso said:

Exactly. Boiling water will make it shrink.

Don't spin dry it either.

 

Before going the water route though you could see if flexing it will work. Depends on the plastic used, but with relatively simple shapes like wings it can be enough just to brace it with your thumbs halfway along the affected bit and pull back with your fingers either side. Worked for me with the notoriously warped Meng 1/32nd Fokker Triplane wings. Wrong sort of plastic and it will just return to the warped state and then hot water will be your best bet. Some people use a hairdryer but I think that's too risky.

 

Obviously you need to be careful if the plastic is very hard, because it may also be brittle and snap, but I've done it many times and the effect has been permanant.

 

Paul.

[Black Knight]

Au contraire

I used boiling water.

I had a warped 1/48 Fokker D.VII wing

I clamped it between two bits of metal, poured boiling hot water over it and then let it cool at its own rate; result = one flat wing, no melting

[Orso]

 I had a car body destroyed by boiling water. But on the other hand it had no metal attached to it.

[europapete]

ahh, yes, but was that Celcius boiling or Farenhiet?

[billn53]

Thanks to everyone for your tips & suggestions! I was able to get my warped wing issue straightened out (excuse the pun!) through a combination of hot water bath and spot heating with hair dryer.

 

For the hot water method, I found that a water temperature of 180-185F was needed with the plastic I had. The lower wing pieces came out completely straight, but the much longer upper wing still had a bit of bend in it. I was able to remove the residual warp by heating the wing center section with a hair dryer. Even better, I was able to achieve the desired dihedral by putting appropriately-sized spacers under the wingtips and holding the center of the wing down with a wood dowel while applying heat:

 

 

 

 

[europapete]

Well done!