Help! Can these wall panels be saved?

Peter,

I'm going to say "maybe". I found this article. Get me the dimensions and I can cut a couple of pieces of 3/4" plywood for you. At each corner, we can put carriage bolts w/ wing nuts. If you want, I'll loan you my big chili pot to heat the water in. I don't think you can do this in one shot. My thought is put the piece between the plywood, get it hot, tighten the wing nuts "some", let it cool, repeat.

Worse case it breaks. Best case, it's flat. No promises about having to repaint....

The sun won't do it. But if you place in the oven at 200 Degrees for 30 minutes they will flatten out. If you way down the corners with a couple cast iron pans.  Place the pieces on a cookie sheet, and place on the center rack in the oven.  after 20 minutes check it.  It should start to straighten.  if you don't see nay significant change, raise to 225 - 250 and keep an eye on it.  This is a proven method that modelers use to make a sagged roof on box cars.

Try it on one piece first if you are reluctant.... I have used this method many times and it works very well.  and it is very easy to accomplish what you want.

Thanks guys......it’s great to have options.....

Peter

Pete

Try a blow dryer

Actually, I've straightened out sections like that by using epoxie and clamping 1/2 x 1/2 basswood strips to the inside edges. I did this without using heat.

Make sure you take into account which sides overlap the adjacent sides and position the strips accordingly. Peter, if you have any questions, please call me and I'll explain in detail. 

Dennis

Harry Henning has straightened a number of buildings in the oven, and also he did a very creative curved building front in the oven.  It's low heat, probably around 200F and make sure the piece is weighted to encourage it to flatten out.

Unless you have access to a vacuum mold machine, there is no other way to straighten these parts. As mentioned, it is a common practice going back to the 1950s.  There's articles on this in Model Railroader mags from that era. It is a tried and true procedure.  Model car builders also use this practice to make dents in 124/125 scale models as to show cars that have been in wrecks on a race track.  The procedure works extremely well in making sagged roofs on box cars and structures...

If you do it in an oven get the oven to 180-200 degrees then turn the oven off and put the parts in the oven between two boards with a little extra weight on the top board. Perhaps enough weight to flatten about 20% of what needs to be done. Then let the residual heat do the rest.  You don't want the elements or gas on when you do this or the direct radiant heat can melt the plastic or burn the boards.  I don't know what plastic your wall are made from but I would watch them through the oven window and as soon as the walls relaxed I would pull them from the oven and let cool to room temp. Check for flatness and repeat if necessary.  Another thing to consider is heating wood can cause it to warp especially if stored in a damp basement. So I would clamp the two boards together without your plastic walls between them, heat , cool then check for flatness. Repeat till they remain flat when unclamped.

  I have flattened warped phonograph records between two sheets of 1/4" plate glass. If using glass you must raise the heat slowly.  I have two 14" square sheets of glass and put records between them add two baking sheets one on top one on the bottom, to block the direct radiant heat.  Slowly raise the heat to 150-160 degrees and then turn the oven off till back to room temp. Check the record, if some warp remains repeat the process.  I think a microwave would work fine to heat water covering two sheets of glass if you can find a proper shallow pan to put glass and subject to be flattened in the microwave.     j