Tempature Limits for styrene help please?

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nanook177
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Tempature Limits for styrene help please?

Post by nanook177 »

No, I know this stuff melts easily. :)
What I am asking for is lower limits and effects? Let me explain: I live in southeastern Michigan, where Winter comes with avengence (although it's not too bad right now). I am living at my parents house while I try and get my business up and running (I am a licensed professional counselor, in case you were wondering). The only place they are giving me to work on my kits is a un-heated garage. I have several of AMT/Ertl Refit Enterprises, PL Refit Enterprises, NX-01s, and a couple of other AMT/Ertl Star Trek ships. I am trying to find out the effect of placing them in extreme cold (~20 degrees F), leaving them in those tempatures, and/or freezing and thawing. I know its a lot to ask, but before I take my parents up on their offer, I want to make sure I am not going to be destroying my kits.
Thanks,
Jeff
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Johnnycrash
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Post by Johnnycrash »

That temperature will have no effect on the plastic. As long as all you are doing is storing them. I don't think it would be a good idea to try and work on any kit that is at the temp. A repeated freeze/thaw cycle will also have no effect. You may want to store the decals elsewhere though. While freezing is not a problem, the changing humidity might be bad.
John Fleming
I know that's not what the instructions say, but the kit's wrong anyway.
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Mark Yungblut
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Post by Mark Yungblut »

I agree with John. The other thing to consider is that trying to paint at those temps can be problematic at best. Most manufacturers recommend a temp between 65 and 80.
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Chacal
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Post by Chacal »

Styrene gets brittle (like most plastics do) at below-freezing temperatures and it breaks easily. If all you do is leave the kits boxed in freezing conditions, they'll be okay. If they're under any stress (too much weight over the bottom box, for example) there may be some broken parts (specially the big ones). So store them properly, high up, not too much junk on top of them and they'll be 'jes fine.
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Lt. Z0mBe
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Post by Lt. Z0mBe »

No no no...they need to be free. Ship them to me and I will make sure they have a good life. It's the kind of humane, charitable guy I am.

I won't even charge for it. Honest. :)

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Kun2112
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Post by Kun2112 »

I would keep any completed or in progress models out of the garage. A buddy's B-25 started popping apart where he used CA at 20 degrees
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