Heat & plastic body parts

Depends on the type of plastic. It will more than likely be ABS, which gets rubbery around 220f

Brodie said:

Depends on the type of plastic. It will more than likely be ABS, which gets rubbery around 220f

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Thanx! I will go ahead and set up a test on my scrap. When I made the cuts on the modified piece I had originally left a tab with the intent to heat and bend it and then use the bent end as part of the mounting bracketry. I kept very decent heat applied to it for a very long time with absolutely no affect whatsoever. I'm very sure I won't end up w/ a puddle of melted plastic n paint, but, obviously, even a little bit of deformity wouldn't be good. (Now, I sure hope I didn't throw out that scrap in a rare fit of neatness!)

Yep, glass transition for ABS is 221°F. Depends on how thick it is, how long it will take to phase change. It's a temp and rate thing. Regardless, I wouldn't push it more than 180°.

Even at 200° I wouldn't want ABS in the oven for an hour. I know at 350, the lowest temp to cure powder, the part ended up in a puddle on the oven floor in about 3 minutes. A test would be mandatory. I think at anything near 200 the part will start to warp or deform in a short time. I wouldn't chance it and just let it air cure for however long is needed.