AIP-straightening rifles and bayonets (1 Viewer)

PolarBear

PolarBear

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I have an Armies in Plastic set of Scots Guards: 1882 Egypt & Sudan Campaigns. Some of the rifles and bayonets are bent. What's the best way to straighten them before painting? I thought I saw a post on this topic at one time but have not been able to find it. I recall something about immersing the figure in hot water and then after straightening, putting them in cold water?

Thanks for any advice.

Randy
 
PolarBear said:
I have an Armies in Plastic set of Scots Guards: 1882 Egypt & Sudan Campaigns. Some of the rifles and bayonets are bent. What's the best way to straighten them before painting? I thought I saw a post on this topic at one time but have not been able to find it. I recall something about immersing the figure in hot water and then after straightening, putting them in cold water?

Thanks for any advice.

Randy
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Randy - that's correct... get some water boiling and have a bowl of cold water setting nearby. Dip the bent rifle/bayonet into the boiling water and you'll see it straighten out in a matter of seconds. Once the piece is straight, drop the entire figure into the cold water. It'll remain straight.

Good luck,

Jim
 
jac28 said:
Randy - that's correct... get some water boiling and have a bowl of cold water setting nearby. Dip the bent rifle/bayonet into the boiling water and you'll see it straighten out in a matter of seconds. Once the piece is straight, drop the entire figure into the cold water. It'll remain straight.

Good luck,

Jim
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Best of luck with this. It seems there is a difference of opinion here on how well this works. Some say it is never permanent and others suggest it works fine. Please post your results.
 
Works for me, although I do it ever so slightly different. I immerse the offending 'bent bit' in very hot water for 10 - 15 seconds or so. As soon as I take it out of the hot water, I hold the bayonet / rifle or whatever in between my thumb and finger, thus keeping it straight, and then put it in a tub of cold water, whilst still holding the now straight bit, for a few seconds.

I haven't had any spring back to their former ways yet.
 
Wraith said:
Works for me, although I do it ever so slightly different. I immerse the offending 'bent bit' in very hot water for 10 - 15 seconds or so. As soon as I take it out of the hot water, I hold the bayonet / rifle or whatever in between my thumb and finger, thus keeping it straight, and then put it in a tub of cold water, whilst still holding the now straight bit, for a few seconds.

I haven't had any spring back to their former ways yet.
Click to expand...

I do the same thing Wraith
but there are some plastics that are just to soft some CTS figures are like this :mad:
for me the shock treatment works about 90% of the time :)
 
Wraith said:
Works for me, although I do it ever so slightly different. I immerse the offending 'bent bit' in very hot water for 10 - 15 seconds or so. As soon as I take it out of the hot water, I hold the bayonet / rifle or whatever in between my thumb and finger, thus keeping it straight, and then put it in a tub of cold water, whilst still holding the now straight bit, for a few seconds.

I haven't had any spring back to their former ways yet.
Click to expand...

Good point - I sometimes also hold the bit I'm straightening while I put it in the cold water.
 
Many thanks guys--I fixed 10 of the figures from the set (the rest were ok)
I used ice water from the fridge and also adjusted the bend slightly just before cold water immersion.

Before & After Shots
 

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Wow, that does seem to work. I have been told that brushing it with white glue will add a little bit to the rifle and will help it stay straight.
 
Well the proof is in the pudding, certainly looks great here. Thanks for the question and posting the results Randy, I am now going to BM this thread.
 
Randy,
That did it. Nice tip and perfectly executed, I might add. I have these guys, but they are in tan, not red. Am I going blind in one eye and can't see out of the other, or is there multiple sets for AIP? Mike
 
1879fanatic said:
Randy,
That did it. Nice tip and perfectly executed, I might add. I have these guys, but they are in tan, not red. Am I going blind in one eye and can't see out of the other, or is there multiple sets for AIP? Mike
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Mike

AIP sells the same sets in different boxes as different units from different wars/campaigns. The set you and I have comes in red, tan, dark blue, medium blue, dark green and gray to cover other groups such as the Royal Marines and Post Office Rifles. This is because they are also sold as playsets for kids who don't want to paint them.

see: http://www.armiesinplastic.com/

Randy
 
Randy,
Yes, mine is , I believe, British Army on Campaign 1899. Not too far off with the kid thing. Just kids wanting to paint them. Mike
 
st went on the AIP website and found some new ranges that might be interesting...for me at least! And they are made in the US!? Mike
 

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Spitfrnd said:
Well the proof is in the pudding, certainly looks great here. Thanks for the question and posting the results Randy, I am now going to BM this thread.
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UHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh? BM Can you do that without getting in trouble?
 
This method fixes the way AIP and other figures get in the box. I have found some figures out of the box that hadn't cooled yet from the mold and are permanently warped. That condtion is had to impossible to fix.
 
1879fanatic said:
st went on the AIP website and found some new ranges that might be interesting...for me at least! And they are made in the US!? Mike
Click to expand...



It is an American company, but it says made in China on the boxes and on the base of the figures. What else is new these days? They are a bargain and I like the subjects they do plus the molding is free of flash. All in all a bargain.

Randy
 
%^V Give the little devils a blast with the missus's hair dryer... that'll straighten 'em out! %^V​
 
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