straightening a speaker grill

[30below]

The front center grill is warped,but no cracks.Has anyone had any luck getting them flat again?

[Street_Challenged73]

Though I've never tried it myself, perhaps there's a way to reverse the process by heating it up with a blow dryer (don't get too close or it'll melt) then get something to keep enough pressure on it to get it straightened.   Just a thought.

[30below]

WAs thinking about that,but was wondering if its been done before.Guess ill find out.

[Bullitt-]

blow dryer will never get hot enough, a heat gun might, a propane torch will, I was able to get some warp out of part of top console but was a small area.

[Cannibal94]

All I know is that the temp will have to be above 30 below.....       

[ROMI]

Ya know, mine's warped too, and I've got a heat gun, I've been thinkin about doin it but now you've got me going "30below"...........  Stay tuned. (I'm stupid I'll try anything)

[Bullitt-]

 

.

tuned. (I'm stupid I'll try anything)

ROMI, your my kinda guy! That's how we learn stuff.   

[ROMI]

OK... I did it, and I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time trying it.  First I tried to put weight on the top and heat from underneath.  BAD MOVE,  I warped some of the ribs and had to straighten them out best I could.  Three of them are beyond straightening    Then I tried to turn it over, put a narrow support in the middle and apply heat from the top.  NOPE, that didn't work well either.
My conclusion is that a LOT of heat has to be applied UNIFORMLY over the entire part and pressure applied to the warp slightly beyond straight in order for it to work. My guess is that one might get slightly more favorable results by using an oven perhpas. In my opinion, buying a repro is probably the best way to go so I'm not wasting my time on any more experiments. If anyone gets a good idea and tries it I'm sure plenty of folks around here could benefit from sharing their experience.

[Robb]

can you put in the oven ?

[ROMI]

Yeah you can but I doubt that it will be very effective without some kind of jig or form to help. Secondly, if you're not careful a little too much heat and you'll start rounding off edges (essentially melting it).  Seems like too much trouble to me given how ineffective the heat gun was.

[Pistol Gripper]

I'm wondering if I can get water in a bathtub hot enough to do any good.  That would heat it evenly and a heavy weight on it might straighten it over time.

Just a thought,

P.G.

[Bullitt-]

I'm wondering if I can get water in a bathtub hot enough to do any good.  That would heat it evenly and a heavy weight on it might straighten it over time.

Keeping the water hot would be an issue and even 212 is probably not going to do any good. I think the oven would be the best shot, but like ROMI says you would need to keep it in a jig to prevent other problems.

[ROMI]

I used to work in an injection molding shop and the temp to form a part is over 400 degrees along with LOTS of pressure. Plastic molecules "want" to be round so that's why plastic parts distort over time and that's why when you heat them they "round off".  The heat gun was a long shot at best.  I don't think there's a "bench" method for straightening the speaker grill out mostly because of the thickness and shape.  I'm looking for a replacement. 

[67Vette427]

  I put one in the oven... I was glad I had a spare... Heating it up to the point where it will start to bend back is really tricky and just when I got it warm enough... poof several grills collapsed    Just try not to look at it or get another one.... Good Luck!

[BarryBum]

I had thought about tacking some small pieces of flat bar into the rectangle shape, then covering that with a small piece of flat something (whatever i could find) then covering it with that black speaker material stuff that you buy at Radio Shack.