After opening Minicraft’s 1/144 scale MD-80, I noticed that both lower wing sections were warped from mid-span to the wingtips. The plastic in these sections is very thin – .039″ at mid-span to .018″ at the tip! The usual way to correct warping is to soak the part in hot water, but I’ve messed up thin parts that way. So, I needed to find another method. Ruminating on what to do, I poured myself a cup of coffee. That’s when the light bulb came on. Holding one of the warped wings against the hot cup, I gently applied pressure against the bend and voila! the wing straightened. I taped it to my workbench to cool, then repeated the process with the opposite wing. In a minute I had fixed both parts. It’s easy to do, and you get a cup of coffee or tea while you work.

Tip submitted by:
John StaworskiFort Walton Beach, Florida