Direach
Skirmisher
11 Posts
    
 | | 07/16/2008 5:19 PM |
| | Got my Shadow Hulk today (Thanks Hubb!), but he's got a bit of a lean to him, and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to get him a bit more upright. He's leaning in the direction of his basketball-carrying hand. I haven't had great luck with the "superheat and bend" method so far... anything else to try? | |
Vindicated: Skull Lord! The three heads of DOOOOOOM!
Harbinger of the Aboleth: 2009 | |
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Rath
Skirmisher
36 Posts
| | 07/18/2008 10:38 AM |
| The only way I know of to straighten out a mini is to warm it up with a flame. I take my time when I do it, and try to just heat up the part that needs to bend. I had to do this with quite a few of the mini's I've bought because I'm not satisfied with their position on the base. Sometimes it just takes a minute or so... it's easier with the smaller mini's than the larger ones. If anyone knows of a different way to do this I'd love to hear it.
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Duke of Spoils
greyhaze
Warlord
5839 Posts
| | 07/18/2008 11:17 AM |
| | Not sure about open flame, but I hear lots of folks dip their minis in boiling water to soften them so they can be straightened out. | |
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Called Shots: Frost Giant in Demon Web, Darkenbeast in Feywild. | |
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Nyarlathotep333
Warrior
282 Posts
Alaska
| | 07/18/2008 11:39 AM |
| | You could try the boiling water method then find some way to hold the mini in place - clamps or some such for a few days/weeks. If it still resets itself to the leaning position, try it again a couple times to see if you can slowly work the bend out. I was able to straighten out a bent GoL Storm Giant sword by holding it in place like that for a couple weeks with stiff cardboard. It was almost like the plastic needed time to settle in the proper position on that particular mini. | |
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Rath
Skirmisher
36 Posts
| | 07/18/2008 11:55 AM |
| Posted By greyhaze on 07/18/2008 11:17 AM
Not sure about open flame, but I hear lots of folks dip their minis in boiling water to soften them so they can be straightened out.
Heating up the whole mini in boiling water seems like it might warp the base and/or other small parts like held weapons, tails, etc... Heating it up with fire has the advantage of just making a certain part of the mini pliable. Plus, after you've heated it up, you just push it into place where you want it to be for a minute or two and you're all done.
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Duke of Spoils
greyhaze
Warlord
5839 Posts
| | 07/18/2008 11:56 AM |
| | Just worried about someone trying open flame for the first time and melting their figure, or smoking it. | |
Greyhaze's DDM Spoilers
Champion of a Medium Dog & then a Darkenbeast , Raistlin Majere, Nightmare WDQ25/60, Warduke WD60/60,
Anti-Champion of Guns, "Knight of Bugbears", and Joke Champion of Venger.
Called Shots: Frost Giant in Demon Web, Darkenbeast in Feywild. | |
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angelfiend
Sneak
83 Posts
| | 07/18/2008 12:54 PM |
| I've straightened out over 300 minis by putting them in boiling water for roughly 5 seconds (10 if the part I'm bending is thick) and then making the piece that is crooked straight, then immediately putting it in ice water. Leave it in the ice water for about 30 seconds or so, and make sure the ice water has lots of ice so that it is really cold. It works to perfection and I rarely have to do it a second time. Sometimes it leaves some white hard water residue on the miins but it just rinses off in cold water and then I use a Q-tip to dry it off. If it is a really thick piece of plastic you are trying to fix, let it get really hot in the boiling water before pulling it out to straighten it. This method works amazingly well. I refuse to have any crooked swords or staffs. A crooked base is lame too. Gotta fix them up.
Rath, no problem with the boiling water here, but I have to say I'd never put my minis under an actual flame. | |
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Rath
Skirmisher
36 Posts
| | 07/18/2008 1:38 PM |
| Posted By angelfiend on 07/18/2008 12:54 PM
I've straightened out over 300 minis by putting them in boiling water for roughly 5 seconds (10 if the part I'm bending is thick) and then making the piece that is crooked straight, then immediately putting it in ice water. Leave it in the ice water for about 30 seconds or so, and make sure the ice water has lots of ice so that it is really cold. It works to perfection and I rarely have to do it a second time. Sometimes it leaves some white hard water residue on the miins but it just rinses off in cold water and then I use a Q-tip to dry it off. If it is a really thick piece of plastic you are trying to fix, let it get really hot in the boiling water before pulling it out to straighten it. This method works amazingly well. I refuse to have any crooked swords or staffs. A crooked base is lame too. Gotta fix them up.
Rath, no problem with the boiling water here, but I have to say I'd never put my minis under an actual flame.
Sounds like a tried and true method. I'll have to give this a try the next time I come across some mini's that needs fixing. Good to know it only needs to be in the water for a short period of time and then in ice water immediately after.
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Hawkender
Skirmisher
23 Posts
NY...Upstate
| | 07/18/2008 2:02 PM |
| | I have also used the water bath method several times. In my experience the figures try to bend back to thier orginal form. Sometimes they go back all the way, usally not. I have NOT used any support after the cold water though, so perhaps this would give me better results. | | | |
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Username
Warlord
5636 Posts
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angelfiend
Sneak
83 Posts
| | 07/18/2008 7:11 PM |
| Posted By Hawkender on 07/18/2008 2:02 PM
I have also used the water bath method several times. In my experience the figures try to bend back to thier orginal form. Sometimes they go back all the way, usally not. I have NOT used any support after the cold water though, so perhaps this would give me better results. Rarely do mine ever go back to their messed up form. I get the water quite hot and I use lots of ice. The transfer from the boiling water to the ice water must be very quick. If it isn't they will go back to their screwed up shape. Very hot, followed quickly by very cold will do the trick. Leave it in the cold for a while though. If it is something that doesn't go back to its desired shape as soon as it hits the hot water (which they often do go back to the correct shape on contact with the hot water) then you need to be really quick in repositioning it and getting it to the cold water. So as soon as something is pulled out of the hot, quickly fix the shape how you want it and get it in the cold immediately. The plastic should be hot as hell right up to the point where you dunk it in the cold. I promise you that this will work on 99.9% of the minis that are mishapen. I literally fix half of the minis I buy. I hate having a crooked sword or base. Looks lame.
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Direach
Skirmisher
11 Posts
| | 07/19/2008 8:31 PM |
| | The solution turned out to be easier than I thought... The fist had come loose from the base peg, so I resecured it with several successive applications of superglue. Once the fist was firmly secured, it held the rest of the figure in the correct position. So, no more leaning hulk. :) But the boiling water/ice water idea is good to know, I'll try that if I have trouble with other figures. So far I've been lucky, not much of what I've gotten has needed a lot of corrective bending. | |
Vindicated: Skull Lord! The three heads of DOOOOOOM!
Harbinger of the Aboleth: 2009 | |
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Darth Torment
Sneak
86 Posts
Toronto, Ontario CANADA
| | 07/19/2008 11:08 PM |
| Hair dryer works better than boiling.
Apply hair dryer to mini until very soft, hold in correct position and immediately run very cold water on it from the tap- keep it under the cold water while u hold the mini in place for a few minutes.
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Completed trades: 5
Pending Trades: 3 | |
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Mjollnir
Underboss
1436 Posts
Canary Islands - Spain
| | 07/21/2008 7:15 AM |
| | Has anyone tried with bent weapons? All my 3 Frost Giants have the axe quite bent. | |
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Dordledum
Commander
3187 Posts
Netherlands
| | 07/26/2008 11:08 PM |
| Posted By Mjollnir on 07/21/2008 7:15 AM
Has anyone tried with bent weapons? All my 3 Frost Giants have the axe quite bent.
I used the hot water / cold water treatment with all my bent minis, especially the weapons, until a while ago. Now my collection is getting a bit large, and I only do it when i know a mini si going to be used for RPG in the near future.
D.
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arbados
Underboss
1407 Posts
New York, USA
| | 07/28/2008 10:53 PM |
| | The hot water treatment is actually perfect. I have done it to hundreds of minis and all come out perfect. I hear people complain about bent minis and to me it matters not because of this method. After the boil I put them in ice water or put them in my freezer on the ice bin. Never had a problem and it is quite simple. With the hot water method you can do many minis at one time with no ill effects. I have done this to every dragon I have to outstretch their wings in a position I like. Try it you may like it like Mikey!!! | |
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arbados
Underboss
1407 Posts
New York, USA
| | 07/28/2008 10:56 PM |
| Dordledum
I must say that I now do the same for when storing them together in cramped bins they can once again become warped!! However, 30 seconds and whallah they are perfect! Is that the way you spell whallah? Who knows! I'm not a real magician you know! | |
Give me more MIND FLAYERS! | |
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paladin72
Sneak
87 Posts
| | 07/28/2008 11:12 PM |
| Setting them out in the sun for a while works alright also. Don't leave the big ones out too long though or the bases will warp. A buddy of mine left his Nightwalker in his car and the base does the wave now.
With swords, axes etc. I usually use a hairdryer. It just takes a little heat and most of the time they will go back in place without touching it. I do have an Artemis that I got in a trade, and his sword will not stay in place and I've tried everything.
I would not use an open flame though. | |
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