Answers.Body: <p>I have had some success straightening bent <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=4512pb01" rel="nofollow noreferrer">train level crossing gate barriers</a> by first immersing the pieces in a bowl of hot water*, for around 5 minutes to soften the plastic and then immediately trapping them between two hardback books and applying weights until they have cooled.</p>
  
  <p>So by using Joubarc's method to hold the axles straight combined with a pre-soak you may get better results.</p>
  
  <p>*<sub>LEGO is plastic and plastic can melt, you only want to soften the plastic not melt it further out of shape. See <a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/547/how-much-heat-can-lego-bricks-withstand">this question</a> for more.</sub></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-05-14T00:50:10.167Z
Answers.Text: I brought a bowl of water to a boil in the microwave, waited for it to stop boiling, then poured into a tumbler, then soaked the bent half of the axle in the water for 2 minutes, then "quickly" put the 32 cross-hole bricks on it and set it up as Jourbarc described, and let it sit for a couple of nights.  The axle, while still noticeably bent, appears to be less bent than it was.  After I've applied this technique to the rest of the bent axles, I may attempt a second application.
Answers.UserDisplayName: retracile
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-05-14T04:17:33.673Z
Answers.Text: Apparently you can [soften plastic dice by putting them a few seconds in a microwave](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RandomNumberGod) (check the "Real Life" section) - maybe it would help with LEGO, but I'm not sure I would want to try it myself (especially if the warm water approach works fine enough).
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-09-29T00:35:54.860Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-09-29T00:35:54.860Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-04-13T12:47:56.390Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: mcqwerty
Answers.Body: <p>I'd suggest storing them straightened up for a while, if possible in 32 adjoining <a href="http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/32064" rel="nofollow">1x2 bricks with cross hole</a>, and add a few layers of bricks to hold them in place. At least it's a pure LEGO solution, but I'm not sure how efficient.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-09-29T13:51:43.283Z
Answers.Text: Do you mean [this](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=32064) part? I could imagine that would work. If you don't have enough you could just place one at each end and at regular intervals along the way.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-10-02T14:29:28.720Z
Answers.Text: Yes, that's exactly what I meant. I didn't have a computer with me at [Skaerbaek](http://www.fanweekend.dk/) I didn't bother adding an image or link - that's fixed now.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-04T17:17:16.090Z
Answers.Text: I tried this, with 32 of those bricks, and left one of most egregiously bent axles in it for about 2 weeks.  I couldn't tell that it made any difference.  I'll try the hot water approach next.
Answers.UserDisplayName: retracile
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-09-28T19:29:50.097Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-10-02T14:29:26.240Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2012-10-02T14:29:26.240Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.Body: <p>I know that this is an old question, but I recently purchased a set with these in it, and they were bent like you describe when I took them out of the box.</p>
  
  <p>Lego were kind enough to send me replacements for free. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-26T01:50:38.023Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-05-26T01:50:38.023Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: MercifulGiraffe
Answers.Body: <p>I got one severely curved 32L axle which I straightened with hot water in a plastic tub.</p>
  
  <p>Leaving the axle in water about 70-80°C for a few minutes managed to do most of the straightening job.</p>
  
  <p>Try not going much above 80°C as otherwise you reach the temperature at which ABS will start to become rubbery (used in injection moulding). At about 95-
  105°C your part’s shape will be ruined because of ‘melting’.</p>
  
  <p>To further straighten the axle, I repeatedly put the axle in hot water for 2-3minutes, then slightly “over-bent” the axle (to overcompensate the remaining curvature), and then keeping the axle held this way under running cold water for half a minute. This way the axle becomes rigid again, in the desired shape.</p>
  
  <p>On subsequent iterations I applied the same method very locally to cancel out remaining local curvature.</p>
  
  <p>Eventually the axle can be straightened enough for it to do its intended job again. It took me no more than 20 minutes.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-01-07T08:55:32.633Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-01-07T09:00:57.653Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2018-01-07T09:00:57.653Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: ShutterFreak
Body: <p>I have a number of the <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=50450">32L technic axles</a>, but most of them have some bend to them.  Is there a straight-forward way to straighten these?  Trying to bend them by hand has not seemed to change anything, and I'm afraid I'm going to snap them if I try harder.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-10-02T14:31:08.423Z
Comments.Text: As a side note, I'm not sure these axles were ever intended as real Technic parts and I'm fairly confident they won't handle a lot of torque (considering even shorter axles can easily twist when using a PF XL motor).
Comments.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-10-02T17:57:55.863Z
Comments.Text: There's still value in getting them straight, even if it's just for the visual aspect.  I might also try using them in a high-speed-low-torque application, or maybe put a bunch of worm gears on them to create a leadscrew or something.
Comments.UserDisplayName: retracile
Tags: <technic><repair>
Title: How to straighten 32L axles?
UserDisplayName: retracile
ThreadText: # How to straighten 32L axles?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-09-28)
  
  I have a number of the [32L technic axles](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=50450), but most of them have some bend to them. Is there a straight-forward way to straighten these? Trying to bend them by hand has not seemed to change anything, and I'm afraid I'm going to snap them if I try harder.
  
  **Tags:** technic, repair
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: As a side note, I'm not sure these axles were ever intended as real Technic parts and I'm fairly confident they won't handle a lot of torque (considering even shorter axles can easily twist when using a PF XL motor).  
  > **username_0**: There's still value in getting them straight, even if it's just for the visual aspect.  I might also try using them in a high-speed-low-torque application, or maybe put a bunch of worm gears on them to create a leadscrew or something.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2012-09-29. Score: 7 | Accepted answer
  
  I have had some success straightening bent [train level crossing gate barriers](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=4512pb01) by first immersing the pieces in a bowl of hot water\*, for around 5 minutes to soften the plastic and then immediately trapping them between two hardback books and applying weights until they have cooled.
  
  So by using Joubarc's method to hold the axles straight combined with a pre-soak you may get better results.
  
  \*LEGO is plastic and plastic can melt, you only want to soften the plastic not melt it further out of shape. See [this question](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/547/how-much-heat-can-lego-bricks-withstand) for more.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: I brought a bowl of water to a boil in the microwave, waited for it to stop boiling, then poured into a tumbler, then soaked the bent half of the axle in the water for 2 minutes, then "quickly" put the 32 cross-hole bricks on it and set it up as Jourbarc described, and let it sit for a couple of nights.  The axle, while still noticeably bent, appears to be less bent than it was.  After I've applied this technique to the rest of the bent axles, I may attempt a second application.  
  > **username_1**: Apparently you can [soften plastic dice by putting them a few seconds in a microwave](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RandomNumberGod) (check the "Real Life" section) - maybe it would help with LEGO, but I'm not sure I would want to try it myself (especially if the warm water approach works fine enough).  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2012-09-28. Score: 7
  
  I'd suggest storing them straightened up for a while, if possible in 32 adjoining [1x2 bricks with cross hole](http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/32064), and add a few layers of bricks to hold them in place. At least it's a pure LEGO solution, but I'm not sure how efficient.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: Do you mean [this](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=32064) part? I could imagine that would work. If you don't have enough you could just place one at each end and at regular intervals along the way.  
  > **username_1**: Yes, that's exactly what I meant. I didn't have a computer with me at [Skaerbaek](http://www.fanweekend.dk/) I didn't bother adding an image or link - that's fixed now.  
  > **username_0**: I tried this, with 32 of those bricks, and left one of most egregiously bent axles in it for about 2 weeks.  I couldn't tell that it made any difference.  I'll try the hot water approach next.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2016-05-26. Score: 2
  
  I know that this is an old question, but I recently purchased a set with these in it, and they were bent like you describe when I took them out of the box.
  
  Lego were kind enough to send me replacements for free.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2018-01-07. Score: 2
  
  I got one severely curved 32L axle which I straightened with hot water in a plastic tub.
  
  Leaving the axle in water about 70-80°C for a few minutes managed to do most of the straightening job.
  
  Try not going much above 80°C as otherwise you reach the temperature at which ABS will start to become rubbery (used in injection moulding). At about 95-
  105°C your part’s shape will be ruined because of ‘melting’.
  
  To further straighten the axle, I repeatedly put the axle in hot water for 2-3minutes, then slightly “over-bent” the axle (to overcompensate the remaining curvature), and then keeping the axle held this way under running cold water for half a minute. This way the axle becomes rigid again, in the desired shape.
  
  On subsequent iterations I applied the same method very locally to cancel out remaining local curvature.
  
  Eventually the axle can be straightened enough for it to do its intended job again. It took me no more than 20 minutes.
  
  
  ---
  
  