DIYbanter - View Single Post

wrote:

Regarding the bowed/warped piece. First of all (not to split hairs too
much), plastic does not warp; it bends. Bent pieces can be corrected
about 95% of the time by putting them on a flat surface at room
temperature and leaving them for a few days. Those that cannot be
brought back are defective and I would certainly see that before it was
shipped. Such a piece should not be shipped and if you got one of
those, you should have got a refund.
I put the above information in because it IS possible that the material
was bent in transit. While it is possible to strap every piece to a
hunk of wood, that's going to drive up the costs significantly,
especially if you are shipping over a border.
Most of the problems with bent materials are likely to happen with 1/4,
3/8 and 1/2" material.

I'm going to throw the subject open for discussion:

Assuming you are buying the thinner pieces, do you want to pay the
extra cost to ensure flat material stays flat? (You're probably
looking in the range of an extra $10)

I put it on a flat surface at room temperature and add a weight at the
center of the bend. Since I typically use it as a face material for a
fence or jig, most of the time I don't bother flattening prior to
attaching it to the wood. I would not pay extra.