safely bending a damaged diecast piece

I am not doubting your word, but it would be interesting to see a picture or two.
The cowcatcher on a 2025 is a pretty heavy casting, it's hard to imagine what would bend.

I had a postwar Lionel engine with a bent corner to the roof which I straightened pretty good. Put it in my vise and heated it-carefully-with a propane torch while I slowly increased the  pressure.  You can try it, bend a little and file some of the point off.  Good luck.

You need to double check that steam chest on the 2025. If its been off recently you may not have seated it properly and the smoke unit may not be seated correctly causing the forward cow catcher tip to be angled down touching the center rail. This steam chest is available so I would not try to heat it. My guess is yours is not seated correctly to the boiler.

Rob

If you are going to try to bend diecast back into shape, the way that's worked for me is constant pressure, a little heat, and time.  I clamp it with some tension on it, add a little heat from time to time, and give it at least 12 hours before I take another half turn or so on the clamp.  If you try to rush it, it's a lot more likely to crack.  Depending on how much it's bent, you can get it close or practically like new.

John-that is basically what I did but I didn't wait that long. I didn't want the metal to cool down all the way. I had no choice since it was the roof corner that was bent.  I would look at his engine pretty close though to make sure it was seated correctly. I imagine replacements are available. I have a 2025, will have to look.

I had a prewar Gilbert 3/16"/O die cast caboose with a warped frame. Metal fatigue is pretty common with their stuff of that era. I used a little heat on the frame and BANG! A chunk of metal blew off leaving a dime sized crater in the frame. 

Fortunately, I've never experienced pyrotechnics with die cast Lionel. 

I have straightened 3 cab roofs. I use a high temp heat gun (600-800F). For the cab roofs I make a wood form with a slightly greater radius than the roof to allow for spring back placed in a vise. Heat the metal to at least 400F. It will be too hot to touch but not affect the paint. Heat it, move it some, heat it again a few more times. It can be done in about 5 minutes. The key is using enough heat. It will bend not break. 

Pete

Sent you a email

From experience with similar metals, not trains, the heat gun method worked very well.  It avoids an open flame touching the metal.  

Straightened lots of them.  Running them off the table will bend them down enough to short to the center rail.  Propane torch, vise and a big pair of channel-locks with a cushion to prevent marring if you don't want to scratch the casting.

Norton posted:

I have straightened 3 cab roofs. I use a high temp heat gun (600-800F). For the cab roofs I make a wood form with a slightly greater radius than the roof to allow for spring back placed in a vise. Heat the metal to at least 400F. It will be too hot to touch but not affect the paint. Heat it, move it some, heat it again a few more times. It can be done in about 5 minutes. The key is using enough heat. It will bend not break. 

Pete

Pete, next time I'll go with more heat and see if it goes faster.  The one time I tried to hurry the process, I cracked one.  However, I never got it nearly that hot, I was trying to save the paint.

I am pretty sure mine was a 2055 and I heated it pretty good with a propane torch. I was surprised that it didn't damage the paint.  I "think"  I had a pice of large diameter pipe (3" ??) under the roof but can't be sure.

I was also surprised how much heat the paint tolerated. I was prepared to have to strip the engine if the paint was damaged but it was fine. 

The first time I tried this I didn't get it hot enough and did see it just beginning to crack. I heated it more restored the correct curve with the crack barely noticable. With more heat on subsequent jobs, no sign of cracks. 

Zamac melts around 725F. I don't have any way to actually measure the temperature of the metal, one of those IR thermometers from Harbor Freight would be handy, but do know there is a point when the metal becomes very plastic and moves easily. You have to be careful not to mar the surface it can become so soft.  Avoid tools with sharp edges.

Pete

The 2025 cow catcher is separate from the boiler shell.  It's going to be pretty hard to bend it unlike a bent cab roof.   I'd just replace it for about $20.00.

The TrainTender has an orig late 675-8 and repo pilot truck 675-19 brasseurs has a pilot truck assembly 675-19 don't say if it's repo.

Try Chuck at 'o"nly 3rail - he may have originals

the folks on eBay think too much of their parts.

hey, still have your homepage? The link is bad

Easier to replace the part unless you want to learn how to straighten a casting.

GRAZ can you post a picture of the bent cow catcher?  That would help.

WOW!!!  13 people responded to help the OP solve a problem w/o a response from the OP.

Speechless !!

Sorry all.

i was able to coax it back into position w some heat and a pair of pliers w the jaws covered in cloth.

thanks much,

mike

I have straighten many cabs corners by using wet sand heating it up on the stove, you have to handle the casting with gloves as it will warm a large section up,all your trying to do is get the molecules stringing again.

Glad it you got it back in shape.  BTW Slipping Wheels, I've used hot sand to bend PVC pipe.  Heat the sand, fill the pipe and bend.