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I just bought my first tank kits (two artemia pattern hellhounds) from ForgeWorld. When I opened the package I was a bit taken aback by the fact that most of the resin parts were warped to various degrees and will need correction before assembly. I know the package says "thin parts may be slightly warped", but we are talking armored plates here!

Before getting too upset I'd like to ask if there is someone with experience with ForgeWorld vehicles who can tell me if this is to be expected or if I should ask for replacement parts. Images attached.

If this is what is expected. Does anyone have any hints on how to go about correcting these parts? I'm not worried about the flamer, but the corners of the hull are both heavily dented and I think getting a snug fit in three dimensions for the front armor and the track guards will be a challenge.

Dipping in warm water to soften the resin for a bit should work. A hairdrier might be a bit harsh. Warm it, alter the shape and let it cool and it'll maintain the new form. Don't use boiling water as you could damage the part if if becomes very soft and you misshape it badly.

It's quite usual for resin, not just Forgeworld.

Don't panic, boil a kettle, soften the parts with boiling water and correct them.

I find for parts that need to be dead straight/flat then putting the part on a flat cool surface while hot is a good way of getting them in good shape.

Edit: ninjad with counter advice!

Kettle boiled water is barely "boiling" and should be ok, using a pan of boiled water from a stove would be more risky. If in doubt, start off cooler and use hotter if needed.

Now I feel a bit better about my purchase! Thanks guys!

Ok, heat and reshape it is. I guess I'll start experimenting with the track guards to see how hot it needs to be.

Being a bit of a scientist is there a recommended temperature?

I am not sure of the melting point of the resin, but boiling water from a kettle has never damaged one my pieces. I pour the water into a bowl and dip the part until it is just uncomfortable to touch. Reshape a bit at a time. You need to be hands-on; don't just let it sit there. Good luck!

Sweet, got the answer to my question without needing to ask. Got a pair of Hydra Flak Tanks, and the barrels look kinda like tentacles...

Just got a tantalus myself. The only straight parts in the entire kit are the brass flooring and spikes. Although I'm not sure if you could even tell if the spikes were warped.

Considering the cost I was about to go nuclear, but ill try the warm water bit. I've never been successful with fixing warped plastic, so I hope this is easier.

clively wrote:
I've never been successful with fixing warped plastic, so I hope this is easier.

Much easier. That's just how resin works, it warps very easily but it's also very easy to straighten it out. Every single FW kit I've bought has had warped parts, and every single one of them has been fixed without any problems at all.

You can also 'quick set' it after reshaping by dunking into cool water afterwards.

I had to do this with every panel from a FW land raider armour kit.

It's not hard to do - and you will get better at it with practice, but it IS a hands-on thing that has to be learned.

looking at your pics i think you got a good deal as usually the stuff i get comes slightly more warped than that. If it is a big piece of resin and its thin, i suspect its always likely to warp. only huge pieces of titan/landraider chassis etc dont seem to warp.

I dont think this is a FW thing but more of an occupational hazard that comes with thin high detailed resin castings - whats evrybody else experiences say?

I use a Rice Steamer (small one) to heat water for mine. The thicker the piece, the more it needs to sit, but no more than 5-10 seconds should do that.

I can probably count the number of pieces of Forgeworld Parts on one hand that I received that were not warped (for tanks that is) - Not had a huge problem with figures.

Hope it helps.

Paul

I have used the hair dryer on many a FW part. So long as you are careful it's fine and fast

This is the worst one of the bunch.

It's about 7" long, very thin and maybe an 1" deep. The one on the right is in much better condition but still needs some TLC.



It's essentially twisted in almost all directions. I was thinking about heating it up and placing a large book or something like that on top of it while it cools in order to try and straighten it out. If that doesn't work I may just try to carve a couple of them out of plasticard.

Those track guards look pretty good actually. I had a pair that where paper thin in places. I emailed them and they promptly sent me a new pair. They are a finicky part.

clively wrote:
I was thinking about heating it up and placing a large book or something like that on top of it while it cools in order to try and straighten it out.

This is probably a bad idea, since it won't give you very much control over exactly how it bends. Just take your time and straighten it step by step. You'll probably have to dip it in the boiling water, straighten part of it, and repeat several times until it's done.

Just wanted to post a follow up.

I emailed FW the above pic and they recommended that I put them in hot water for about 10 minutes before trying to bend them.

So I boiled a pot of water and let the water cool for about 5 minutes before putting all three parts in. I soaked them for 10 minutes. After soaking I pulled them out and placed them on top of a plastic cutting board. I then placed a second plastic cutting board on top of that and a few pounds of weight on top of that. I used cutting boards simply because those were the most flat / straight things I had available.

I let it sit for another 10 minutes to completely cool off. The result: Perfect. They are completely 100% straight.