TECH: Oven Method for sagging plastics
Shawn
How is this done, I don't want to ruin the graphics
Temp?
Time?
Which side up?
What do you put them on?
Thx Shawn
Stavs
Dave Martin
this method. I put the oven on 225 degrees and use a CLEAN baking sheet.
Best to get yourself a new one that has no old food or staining on it to mar
the plastics. Put the plastics on the baking sheet and put them in the
oven. YOU MUST WATCH THE PLASTICS. Do not walk away or you will forget
about them. When the plastics start to "fall" flat, it's time to take them
out. Put them down flat on the clean countertop and put something heavy on
top of them like a cutting board or big book, something that covers them
completely. Put something heavy on top of the cutting board (I use a
cutting board and then put books on top of that).
I must add that I clean the plastics before I put them in the oven.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Dave Martin
"Shawn" <groo...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:a41mj.5250$Rg1....@nlpi068.nbdc.sbc.com...
Toolguy
I use a Heat Gun, one piece at a time.
Never tried the oven but I feel the heat gun gives more control and
easy to do over heating an entire ovan for a piece or two.
Jeff Finger
> I've had great success with plastics from all different kinds of games with
> this method. I put the oven on 225 degrees and use a CLEAN baking sheet.
> Best to get yourself a new one that has no old food or staining on it to mar
> the plastics. Put the plastics on the baking sheet and put them in the
> oven. YOU MUST WATCH THE PLASTICS. Do not walk away or you will forget
> about them. When the plastics start to "fall" flat, it's time to take them
> out. Put them down flat on the clean countertop and put something heavy on
> top of them like a cutting board or big book, something that covers them
> completely. Put something heavy on top of the cutting board (I use a
> cutting board and then put books on top of that).
>
great. I have never damaged a plastic and they always come out
perfectly flat. I keep the over door open about 2 inches and watch
them constantly during the process. I always put about 3 or 4
plastics on the sheet and I watch the worst of them to see when it
lays out flat. At that point I pulll them out and rapidly cover them
with a large cutting board and weight. 5 minutes later and they are
as flat as new.
Jeff
hond...@gmail.com
A hair drier works too..
Sean Kavanagh
My method has been described here before but I'll quickly re-iterate
it because I feel it's the safest and I hardly ever see anybody
mention it.
I had a glass place make me two sheets of glass that fit in my oven
and take up most of the space on a rack, but still lay flat. I then
arrange the plastics on the glass so they will fit, place the other
sheet on top of that, then place something heavy on top of that. A
heavy 9x12 cassarole filled with water is what I use. Then turn on
the oven to as low as it will go and leave it for an hour or two.
Then take the whole stack out of the oven and set it on the counter
and leave it until it completely cools...I usually just leave it over
night. All done...flat plastics. Slower than the "watch it like a
hawk" and the heatgun methods, but I feel it's safer.
I think this method closely mirrors the even better method of putting
them between to peices of glass in the bright sun for a couple hours,
but that won't work in the winter, or in areas of the country(like
mine) where the full sun is a rare occurance.
Sean
Ratsputin
I agree whole-heartedly.
My recommendation on the oven method: DON'T DO IT. This especially
applies to inserts (which are another conversation). My reasoning:
- If you're like me, you want to do multiple plastics at a time.
You'll have your hands full juggling them.
- Too much time elapses between the time they're "done" and the time
you can get them all off of the hot pan - opportunity for mishaps
- Too much variation on oven temperatures
- Absolutely no control over where the heat is being applied.
Remember Shrinky-Dink's? Remember the video that showed the process
of them shrinking and the curling they went through in the process?
Do you REALLY want your plastics doing that?
Get you a cheap heat gun at Home Depot or Lowes that has multiple
speed and heat settings. I got a Wagner (#HT3500) for around $35
($39.99 on Amazon), and it was the best investment I made. Follow the
following steps:
- Set it to the LOWEST temperature and speed it has
- Start heating your worst plastic, holding the gun 3"-4" away from
the plastic, keeping it in constant motion (like you're drying your
hair)
- If, after maybe 10 seconds there's no indication of ANY change, go
ahead and bump the heat up a level and try again
- DO NOT use any more heat than you need. This can cause the surface
to bubble. This is also the case if you get the gun too close and you
heat the plastic too quickly.
- Once the plastic is JUST pliable, put it under something heavy and
let it cool
- If you didn't get the results you wanted, just apply a little more
heat by heating it slightly longer
Please note that plastics will tend to curl up in the wrong
direction. You can manage this process by adjusting where you're
applying the heat. Using a heat gun is so gradual, you can play with
this method until you're comfortable with the results.
Once again: ONLY USE THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF HEAT NECESSARY
One added bonus to the Wagner -- you can use it for "flame polishing"
of ramps. I've had good luck using it at a medium heat setting and
high-speed blower getting those nasty ball tracks out.
Brett
JohnBuzzz
I've also used the oven process with the temp at 225. I find that the
plastics are consistently flatter than with the heat gun. The point
being, with the heat gun you're not going to have consistent
temperatures throughout the plastic. With the oven you are guaranteed
it. So if the edges never heat to the "proper" temp with the heat gun,
they might stay a little warped.
Sean Kavanagh
>
> - Show quoted text -
225? That's higher than I go...do you use the two sheets of glass or
the cookie sheet?
Toolguy
> One added bonus to the Wagner -- you can use it for "flame polishing"
> of ramps. I've had good luck using it at a medium heat setting and
> high-speed blower getting those nasty ball tracks out.
>
Brett can we talk about flam polishing please?
I have heard about this on the site but no real instructions on how to
do it.
I also have a Wager gun... Thanks,
gbi...@gmail.com
effect. Works great. Havene't tried it on a ramp, yet, but noticed
the last pair of sling plastics I flattened came out looking brand
new.
Definitely clean them as well as you can before using any process that
invloves heating.
-Gregg B.
Ratsputin
Basically, there's not a lot to it. I did the following:
- Clean the ramp thoroughly--out of the machine. Novus #3 (if
necessary), then Novus #2. You want to get as much of the crud off of
the ramps as you can so that you don't melt it into the plastic. This
is CRITICAL.
- Get a bright light arranged so that you can see the reflection of
the light in the ramp where the wear is. This is key, as this will
let you know when the plastic has gotten hot enough.
- Kick your gun on at a medium to medium-high heat and high-speed
blower
- Starting at the bottom of the ramp, aim the hot air at the ramp
moving it slowly side-to-side (basically focusing in a 2"x2" area) and
watch CAREFULLY in the glare for the cloudy areas of wear in the
plastic to turn shiny. This should take 10-15 seconds. If it happens
more quickly than that, you have too much heat. TAKE AWAY THE HEAT
and let it cool down, otherwise the plastic may blister or deform.
NOTE: this will NOT make the wear go away. Nor will it make the ramp
look like new. It will just make it look 100% better.
- Once you see the improvement, slowly work your way up the ramp,
watching for the shininess to follow your motion. I'd estimate I was
moving at about an inch every three to five seconds. Maybe a little
faster.
One additional note. I focused on the bottom surface of the ramp
exclusively. I did not try to do the sides (they weren't bad);
however, you're heating the entire ramp, so you should see improvement
there as well.
To give you an idea of what to expect, this was a TZ I was working
on. I'd say the ramps went (cosmetically) from a 6 to an 8.75. Prior
to the fix, the under-ramp sticker was hard to see and very hazy.
Afterward, the ramp was crystal-clear, but slightly pitted, but you
could see the sticker just fine.
Brett
Ratsputin
Also, you want to work from the clear side, not the side that has ink
on it.
Brett
Toolguy
> Brett
Excellent Brett! Thanks a lot! I have some old ramps I can practise
on too.
Danny
different type of plastic and heat flattenning doesn't work (AFAIK nothing
works on these!).
Danny
Rob Myers
If possible, can you tell me about early 1950's plastics composition
compared to the later plastics?
What specific ingredients were left out, or added to the later
plastics, thus enabling us to flatten them successfully?
Anyone know?
Thanks,
-- Rob
On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:50:38 -0800, "Danny wrote:
>
>Note that none of these techniques work for early 1950's plastics. It's a
>different type of plastic and heat flattening doesn't work (AFAIK nothing
>works on these!).
>
>Danny
John Bigbooty
warped TZ plastics. They turned out great.
1. Lay down a sheet of parchment paper on a hard level surface. I used
my kitchen table.
2. Lay down one or more previously cleaned warped plastics ink side
down on the parchment paper.
3. Using a heat gun on low setting, blow hot air over the plastics
using a back and forth motion from about 6-8" away from the plastics
just until you see the plastic react by curling slightly or starting
to flatten.
4. Lay another piece of parchment paper on top to the plastics.
5. Lay heavy flat object on top of paper. I used a think telephone
book.
6. Allow plastics to cool for a couple minutes.
Mark
Atlanta GA
Steve C
First I get some heavy books such as old fat textbooks and dictionaries and have
them ready to use as a weight.
Then I clean the plastic and place them face down on my glass top stove. Since
it can handle frying stuff with the glass surface, I figured it could handle a
heat gun.
Then I use a heat gun to heat up the plastics moving it back and forth until the
plastic raises a little and then starts to flatten back out.
Then I quickly lay a couple of the text books on the flattened plastic until it
cools.
Just remove the textbooks and the plastic is done. The only downside to this is
that you need a glasstop stove.
stevebo