Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

hey guys, i'm doing a diorama for Gamesday and i've never ever tried what i'm about to do so im not too sure on what to do, i need to bend the top bit of drop pod door open but i dont know how to bend it without breaking it, people have suggested using a lighter. i would really appreciate some advice on softening up the GW models for bending.

Not sure what you mean by "bend a bit of the door open".
Is it battle damage?

The drop pod door is being torn open by a power weapon so it has to look like it's been bent outwards.

Heat it carefully with a lighter, I've seen pictures of some small Tyranids that had their tails bent into different positions to give variety. Not sure how it'll work with a thicker bit like a drop pod. Your other option is to cut the top of the door off and use it to 'cast' one out of green stuff that you can bend into shape before it hardens.

Boiled water may also work

Aye, I'd use boiled water, the possible fire hazard and toxic fumes of using a lighter don't seem like they're worth the risk.

Unless you're having a bonfire of the stuff fumes aren't a problem. You don't want to actually burn it anyway, just warm it.

Don't use a lighter. You run a risk of melting the part or even setting it alight.

Boiling water will heat polystyrene to the point where it softens and can be bent fairly easily. It will not melt at 100 degrees.

Handle the part with due care and attention. Just dip the end you want to bend into a pan of water for 15 seconds or so, then quickly bend it against the counter top or something.

Practice with spare sprue.

Thank you boiling water worked a treat!
Anyone going to games day in September, look out for my entry!
(Crimson Fist drop pod with stormboys)

I boil salt personally. It melts at a lower temp then plastic, and you can stick a couple of pieces in and out of hot salt if your working on alot of stuff. A heat gun works too if you have access to one of those, but they can also melt the plastic.

What kind of salt?

Regular granulated salt.

Salt is salt.

You cook with it.

Do they mean salt water? I do not imagine that regular salt granuals have a lower boiling or melting point than ordinary water?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Infact thanks to a quick google search the melting point of salt is 700 degrees centigrade


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Ummm this all makes no sence because either my internet Fu is extreamly weak or google is telling me that adding salt to the water actualy raises the boiling temp


For pure water, the boiling point is 100 degrees Celsius (212 Fahrenheit), and the melting point is 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).
For saltwater, the boiling point is raised, and the melting point is lowered. By how much depends on how much salt there is.
The boiling point of salt water will rise by about half a degree Celsius for every 30 grams of salt dissolved per kilogram (litre) of water.
So if you are boiling a pan of water with salt in it, the boiling point will be higher depending on the amount of salt that is dissolved in the water la so get clever get it

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_boiling_point_of_saltwater_in_degrees_celsius#ixzz1JpTMHB2I

so unless this is super plastic were talking about which can withstand 700 degrees or you want slightly higher temperatures why would you bother adding salt?? if boiling straight water works why run the risk of increasing the temperature???? please enlighten me

the point is that salt DOESN'T melt, even when it gets really hot. I've seen this technique around and it works great, just don't get the salt too hot or it will melt itself into the plastic and leave poc-marks (which can be a cool effect if you're going for that look).

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.php?autocom=ineo&showarticle=145

Basically, put salt in a small frying pan, heat it for a few minutes, stir it with a spoon to even distribute the heated salt. Gives you a lot more control that trying to boil water, and is a lot less finicky since water can slosh around and burn you. Also, with the salt you can position the part to be bent and leave it there, suspended in the salt to distribute the heat all the way into the core of the plastic.

Ohhh that makes a lot more sense... I appologise for the missunderstanding.

I am digging on this idea, very very much. This might work well for creating warped armor panels for tanks and whatnot. (Not to mention, the salt-pockmark idea is fantastic.)

I have a lot of old old granulated salt that I'm not sure I want to use in food, so yay for having a use for it now!!

Yeah, the confusion with the salt technique was using the word "boil" instead of "heat." The same thing can be done with sand. That technique has been used by both sculptors and LARPers to bend PVC pipe for lightweight armatures/boffer cores for ages. As an added bonus, if you're bending tubes and you cap one end then fill them with the hot sand, it keeps them from kinking during the bend.