Reshaping lexan

[Bubbleboy]

Hey guys, what are your suggestions for reshaping lexan bodies? Because of the mid motor position in my RC10.44 build, the motor hits the side of the body. I was thinking of covering the motor with 1/8" foam, putting the body on, then using a heat gun on it to remould the side window and left body panel. The foam should, in theory, provide some breathing room between the motor and the body after it cools and assumes its new shape. My gut tells me this doomed, but it will need to be tried with a donor body.

The other option is that I cut out the section in question, and glue a new piece. I not aware of an instance that this has gone well and is durable after being glued.

My understanding is that Mr. Lexan is no longer in the body business? I was hoping someone might be able to custom make one. Didn't he sell everything to MYTIMAC?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[jwscab]

Yes mytimac has all of the molds.

Yes you can reshape lexan with a heat gun, but go gingerly. When lexan is formed, it has to be dried as it absorbs moisture so heating too quickly can cause blisters or other weird problems. The other issue is the foam may melt where you need the temp to be to form the lexan. It's like under 300 degrees f, maybe 280 or so,butwill soften before that. I would try and use something a little tougher than the foam. Maybe cardboard as a spacer.

[tamiya]

Lexan is usually stretched by first molding then it cools & hardens... then if you reheat it without any support, it shrinks - it wants to go back to a flat sheet!

Don't bother with heatgun, too much spot heat & overspray - it always ends in tears. Or melting big holes.

Last time I meddled with hand-reshaping, an iron is real handy... both clothes iron & those solarfilm irons. For nonflat surfaces a wad of dry sand wrapped in a cotton hanky, heated on a electric frypan. Doesn't need to be too hot, just needs about 160-170degC from (vague!) memory.

Reheated lexan may go hazy from reheating due to absorbed water moisture. But more obvious is you'll get toolmarks it'll never be mirror smooth, so paint accordingly. Matte colours help.

Overall it's a big effort & not worth doing more often than not. It's better to separately form new small panels (or find a donor body &/or packaging material of right shape) and tack them onto your bodyshell; for gluing ShoeGoo works fine? 3M VHB tape also good. (I glue after painting with PS rattlecans. I suspect if you only use waterbased paints these adhesives may rip the paint off your lexan)