Anyone have success heating and mildly adjusting shape of Lexan body?

[chilly81]

I have a 1/8 buggy that a typhon body almost fits perfectly on. The side skirts are only about 1/2-1/4" too narrow to perfectly align with the chassis protectors on the car though. I was wondering if maybe I could heat the sides a bit to make them flare out just tiny bit more, then I would put velcro along the edges to perfectly seal it up (and still using normal F/R body pins). I wouldn't want them to look like crap though - this will be my nicest shelf queen so definitely want it to come out nice, not just keep dirt out.

Anyway, wondering if anyone's ever done this or seen any videos of it. I'm guessing I would have been able to find more if people were doing it much, and I really haven't, but figured it was worth asking.

 

[Dan B.]

I haven’t tried it, but I think I’m going to try it with a spare body and a heat gun and see how I do. I have one body I’d like to use on a build, but I need to clearance the front area over shock towers a few mm to make it work.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

You almost need a negative of the shape you want to control what happens. The plastic seems to always curl and wave instead of doing what you want.

I'd look for some alternative method like making an extension or something.

 

[Tex Koder]

I have a 1/8 buggy that a typhon body almost fits perfectly on. The side skirts are only about 1/2-1/4" too narrow to perfectly align with the chassis protectors on the car though. I was wondering if maybe I could heat the sides a bit to make them flare out just tiny bit more, then I would put velcro along the edges to perfectly seal it up (and still using normal F/R body pins). I wouldn't want them to look like crap though - this will be my nicest shelf queen so definitely want it to come out nice, not just keep dirt out.

Anyway, wondering if anyone's ever done this or seen any videos of it. I'm guessing I would have been able to find more if people were doing it much, and I really haven't, but figured it was worth asking.

Try using a hairdryer set on high.
But, you'll need something to "control" the outer shape.. like Liberty has stated. Otherwise the lexan will deform in unexpected ways.

 

[chilly81]

I haven’t tried it, but I think I’m going to try it with a spare body and a heat gun and see how I do. I have one body I’d like to use on a build, but I need to clearance the front area over shock towers a few mm to make it work.

Sounds like a good test case. Definitely follow up. If you give it a try and show us what your results are. Hate to waste a full body, but I think I have a old 10th scale wing I can sacrifice to test it on.

You almost need a negative of the shape you want to control what happens. The plastic seems to always curl and wave instead of doing what you want.

I'd look for some alternative method like making an extension or something.

Yeah, that’s kind of what I’m afraid of too. I wonder if I could gorilla tape it around the edges, because I can’t get it to fit but it kind of wants to pop back off because it’s a little too small. If I gorilla taped it down the edges providing the negative shape you’re referring to just having a great. Then just heat it on the outside to relax it, I wonder if that would work.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Sounds like a good test case. Definitely follow up. If you give it a try and show us what your results are. Hate to waste a full body, but I think I have a old 10th scale wing I can sacrifice to test it on.

Yeah, that’s kind of what I’m afraid of too. I wonder if I could gorilla tape it around the edges, because I can’t get it to fit but it kind of wants to pop back off because it’s a little too small. If I gorilla taped it down the edges providing the negative shape you’re referring to just having a great. Then just heat it on the outside to relax it, I wonder if that would work.

Make sure you have something handy like a popsicle stick that you can push against the plastic with, if things go south.

 

[donnie533]

as others have mentioned, the edges will go wavy. I doubt that tape would work as it is too flexible and would follow the plastic. I would try clamping small strip of wood (think paint stir sticks) on each side of the edge. This would give you something to pull out as you apply heat. My experience with heating plastic is that the difference between just enough heat and too much is a very small window. You will have to hold thing in the new position until the plastic cools.

 

[Acidsnow]

As a few folks have said, some kind of former to prevent a wobbly mess will be required.