I am starting my first craftsman structure kit. The siding is laser cut wood and it is slightly warped. I'm tempted to use styrene instead of the wood, since I'm used to working with styrene. But I thought I would just try wood for a change.
Can anything be done about the siding that is slightly warped? It's not severe, but it will affect the squareness of the building. The kits calls for bracing, but bracing won't fix the warp. Any help would be appreciated.
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Before painting or assembly, stain all your wood pieces with a stain made of 1 pint rubbing alcohol mixed with 2 tbsp of India ink. Then sandwich the wood pieces between two sheets of paper toweling, protect them with a sheet of aluminum foil or waxed paper on top, and weight them down with heavy books on a flat table while the stain dries. When the stain is dry, the pieces will be flat. Good luck on your structure project!
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
In addition to following Steve's advice, also use bracing. Actually in cases of mild warp bracing can help or cure - but you go through almost the same routine as Steve outlines; as the bracing's glue is drying you need weight and flatness.
In severe cases, if this is scribed wood in the kit, it is possible to kill a warp by cutting along the scribed lines and regluing but again, you go through the overnight weight on a very flat surface routine.
Dave Nelson
Stain or paint both sides.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
This stuff is essentially veneer, and hence can be handled like veneer. Water works about as well as stain to relax warp and make material more compliant for gluing -- you can add things like a few drops of alcohol or white vinegar; I think straight alcohol is a bit too strong. I prefer to mist, not soak, but YMMV.
When I do marquetry I clamp or weight the pieces with blotter paper, which controls the surface moisture in 'drying out' a bit better. Otherwise be sure both 'sides' of your clamping or weighting arrangement are flat and parallel, and just as you 'let the tool do the work' let the solution do the softening and then let it dry enough to work it properly...
In my opinion using stain 'blind' at this stage can lead to mess and undesired effects, especially if you plan to do careful weathering. Paint is going to be worse, especially if it makes your 'face paper' stick to the wood parts.
HypertexCan anything be done about the siding that is slightly warped? It's not severe, but it will affect the squareness of the building.
I do something similar to what Steve suggested. I use a product from Minwax for prepping lighter woods to receive stain. It is simply called Minwax Pre-Stain Conditioner.
A light coating of this on both sides, then sandwich the pieces on waxed paper between weights like books, and all will be good.
-Kevin
Living the dream.