11 replies to this topic

[LCAL]

I hate to start a thread, but I have searched, and I cannot find a tut about heating your grey/green rods to make them semi-flexi. Could someone please help me? ATM I am building a hyper coaster filled with many hills, and I want it to be as sturdy as possible. Any feedback would be highly appreciated.

Thanks! -Lcal

[Coaster55]

Putting them on a tray in the oven or using a hair dryer would probably work. So far most of Piraten has gray rods for flexis, and as long as they are layered and not starting in the same spot they work fine.

[knexems]

I heard about doing that to your rods, but once they cool to the shape you made them, they will stay like that forever. Even if your try to make them straight again, they wouldn't turn out to pretty. I wouldn't do it, IMO.

[pkiknex25]

Here it is. The thread title doesn't include what you were probably using to search, so that's a reason why you couldn't find it.

http://www.sscoaster...read.php?t=4762

[G Force]

^^I agree it would be good for a wile but I would be very hard to get it straight again. But if you do try to heat them you could end up hurting yourself, very badly.

[LCAL]

Here it is. The thread title doesn't include what you were probably using to search, so that's a reason why you couldn't find it.

http://www.sscoaster...read.php?t=4762

Thanks! However, should I put them on something if I attempt to use the oven? Wouldn't it melt to a tray?

[coastergeekrtc]

The trick is to soften them, not melt. But be warned you probably won't be able to use them again as a straight rod. Bending it many times will deform the original cross-sectional shape, rendering them useless.

[the_burrito_master]

the pullins outs on my ttd are both using gray rods for there track and they could bend a lot more than that I thing you're fine with out ruining your parts.

[LCAL]

I dont mind heating them, for I do not know how much more I will be using them, and I wouldn't actually mind pre-molded shapes. IMO, that would be quit fun to do. Thanks for all the input!

[Antinos]

I found out that if you don't heat them enough, then they will be too hard and won't take on the right shape. They will become curved, but not necessarily to the shape you want unless you put them directly on the track. It's advised to heat them for a bit longer or probably 25 to 50 degrees higher.

[rexdino5]

When I accidently left my knex in front of my heater it soften it but I almost burned my self so use something thats fire proof and heat proof to hold it infront of your heater and please please don't cover the backside of the heater since thats how it gets on fire since I did that and I smelled burning and it burnt part of the carpet in the house. I did that but I couldn't get it straight unless anybody has a mold or something to get the little grooves back in.

[Shamu]

^ Watch your run-on sentences.

I used one of those little torches to melt (yes, melt) some of my K'nex, since some pieces were too long. It smelled like death but it did the trick. I would try the torch to bend it, because unlike an oven you could bend it as you heat it. Just be sure to use an oven mitt or something.