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#253024 Sat May 07 2011 12:17 PM
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i plucked this porcelain thermometer from ebay about 2 weeks ago. the seller advertised it as having a curve to it. so i am not dissapointed. anyway, has anyone ever had any luck taking a warped sign and making it straight again. the face of the thermometer is mint and i am afraid to screw it tight to the wall as the porcelain may chip away. i thought about putting it in the oven on high with some pressure on the sign??? think this might work??


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I have some signs with curves. I would think if I tried to bend it the porcelain may crack or chip. I would be interested if anyone has a successful method without causing any damage.


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The mobilgas shield i had was warped horribly. So we put it across the opening of our basement door and stepped on it and it straightened out perfect with no chips. I don't recommend doing that to this thermometer though lol

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What you could do is heat it up in the oven and then clamp it to flat surface and then put it back into the oven for awhile and then take it out and let it cool in still air before unclamping.

Might work?

Randy


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I understand that the metal and porcelain win expand and contract at different rates and a household oven will not provide the temps nessacary to melt the metal or porcelain. I talked to restoration guy a couple years ago about some techniques. He told me he used a bottle jack and a 4x4 piece of wood jammed under a beam in his garage. He said it would take a month, just a little bit at a time?? I am worried about the cookie cutter edge on the thermometer!


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are there holes around it so you can screw it to a piece of plywood? I have taken a sled sign and gradually screwed it to a piece of wood a little at a time until straight.


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I should think flexing any thermometer in an opposite direction to fix the bend would break the glass tube. Same with putting it in an oven...they are fragile and I wouldn't recommend it.


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please remember the metal is streached if u want to unbend u should releave by cutting edge by cracks with saw saw mybe die grinder it may flaten out without u bending it is this high dallor piece?

essco #253114 Sat May 07 2011 11:27 PM
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I would put the thermometer on the wall (or board), hold/press on it in the middle to let it have the banana shape - then sink screws in the holes but only to the point of contact with the thermometer (don't screw the thermometer flush at either end). Looks like you would be about an inch or less from flush on each end. Gradually, equally tighten the screws over time maybe a turn or two ever other day. I would put a stack of wide fiber or leather washers under a wide steel washer at each screw in order to prevent stress chips at the holes. I would remove the glass thermometer from the body before doing anything - most seem to come out via tiny wires or clips, or are set in a wood block that is glued, screwed or wired to the tin.

Good luck.

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I would, take therm tube out, take 2 2x6s, lay one on the floor and lay therm on it, lay a rag on therm face, lay other 2 x 6 on top of therm, put a screw in top and bottom, from top board to bottom board, tighten a tad more every day. Sounds like it should work.

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Amen to that


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Since metal and porcelain do not "creep" like plastic or rubber, I don't se a benefit to doing this slowly over multiple days. Also, heating it in the oven will not help much, as the benefit you're looking for would only come from heating above the recrystalization temperature of the steel, which it's unlikely your oven can achieve. The only way I know of to straighten the sign is to bend it further than flat, causing yielding, and then let it spring back to (near) flat. Because that involves bending it further than just flat, it might be safer to just screw it to the wall or mount it to a frame to hold it flat.

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When I tried to flatten a warp all it did was chip the sign, sometimes better to leave it as is or risk losing more porcelain especially if the porcelain is all there with no chips it would ruin a great sign.

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